lhooq Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Is it February already? Then it must time for the 2nd Annual Photo-Comparison of Tropic 21 crystals! This, of course, is the sequel to the massively popular 2010 Tropic 21 Photo-Comparison and a semi-sequel to the Thread-of-the-Year Nominee 2010 Tropic 22 Photo-Comparison. Last year's match-up was a bit of an apples-and-oranges affair, as it featured two aftermarket smooth-domes and a genuine beveled-edge crystal. This time, that genuine Tropic 21 faces off against an edged aftermarket "25-21" that only became widely available a few months ago through seller J&K Watch. It's undoubtedly older than that, so if anyone out there knows who actually manufactures this crystal, do chime in. Please note that for this entire thread, the J&K "Non-Genuine-Part" is on the left, while Rolex is on the right. Let's start with a close-up of the introductory photo: Already we can see the differences in heights and angles. The net result is that the gen's edge seems "deeper" i.e. it refracts a greater area than the J&K, and in higher contrast. Whether this is due to the angle or to the material is beyond my expertise. All I can say is that the clarity of the Rolex crystal is superior, though this is really only evident along the edge. It's been said that the edged Rolex crystals have a unique sparkle. To quote freddy, the later T21 "gives the Daytona a jewel-like quality that cannot be matched by any other crystal..." I agree. If you haven't seen sunlight shooting through the prism of a gen crystal, I hope this shows a bit of the effect: I reckon a lot of that is due to the angle of the edge. Unfortunately, this is the only edged aftermarket T21 I could get my hands on. So how big is the difference on the wrist? This might give a hint: In those lighting conditions, and from that distance and angle... pretty much identical! The J&K is a very good crystal, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to improve their vintage Daytona builds. There are some aspects of the genuine Tropic 21 that it struggles to match, but it is a credible alternative at a tenth, or even a twentieth, of the price. Final note: I measured inner/outer diameters (at the base) of 29.44/30.60mm for the J&K, and 29.55/30.69mm for the Rolex. (These threads seem to do better with a beauty shot tacked on at the end.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rosnik Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Grat Topic Martin! thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Thanks for posting all this! I just bought this rep and it's supposed to arrive here today, so I am trying to learn everything I can about this model and mods for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligoat Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Nice comparison M! You had me sold on the 10times or 20times less part! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiman12 Posted February 3, 2011 Report Share Posted February 3, 2011 Great comparo review once again M! I might have to pick up a J&K for my Daytona build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmb Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Der Krystalmeister Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
praetor Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 makes me want to go out and buy one... good review =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seafoam Posted February 4, 2011 Report Share Posted February 4, 2011 Thanks LHOOQ!! I'm glad i went with the jandk variety Excellent little comparison. The jandk was $11.00 too. Sounds too good to be true, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 OK silly question.. who is J&K Watch? I searched ebay and the username isnt there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Received my J&K crystal today myself and LOVE IT. After a couple of bumps and bruises with normal wear, I honestly do not think you will be able to tell the difference. I can see no reason to drop $$$ on the Gen at this point. Another big win for the aftermarket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lhooq Posted February 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Here you go, dizzy. The gen T21 pictured above is the last one in my spare parts drawer. I'm saving it for a Valjoux 72 build! Someday, someday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
parryl Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 thanks you . great information . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega Posted February 11, 2011 Report Share Posted February 11, 2011 Just bought one for this beauty... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woof* Posted February 12, 2011 Report Share Posted February 12, 2011 I just bought one too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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