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A review of the AP ROO 2014 black themes by JF factory


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I received this watch about 2 weeks back and I must say that I am happy with the purchase, and impressed with the build and quality of the watch. 

 

First off, one thing which you would notice immediately when handling the watch is that it comes with a very wearable strap. Being a collector of ROO gens and reps from the Noob hey days, I must say that this is a plus point for the rep from JF. Of course, I do not expect everyone to feel the same way as me where the strap is concerned. But personally, I feel that it is presentable enough to wear with the watch. I personally also like the fact that the new 2014 ROOs use a 20mm tang buckle instead of a 18mm deployant clasp. It just wears more comfortably for me. The tang buckle finish is reasonable, not superb in my opinion. But no egregious or unforgivable flaw either. 

 

The JF ROO stainless steel case is another major area which it surpasses the Noob SS case. The case is brushed stainless steel, sturdy, and very well finished, with a gen-like satin sheen to the metal. The bezel screws are of the correct size, well-aligned, and ever so slightly recessed like the gen. I like the classy compliment the ceramic pushers and crown add to the case. Engravings on caseback are done nicely. When the wrist moves with light playing on the sheen of the bezel, the resulting shine is aesthetically pleasing to me. 

 

The dial of the watch is crisp, and the tapisseries are well defined around the borders. The updated AP logo is testament to the attention the maker pays to detail. The number markers are well-defined and contrasts rather sharply with the glossy black dial, accentuated by the silver rings around the sub dials, the red chrono and subdial hands, and the red tachyring. The subdials are properly recessed, and the number and letter fonts are well crafted and well-placed against the gen watch.

The hand pinion stack of the new 2014 ROOs are more accurate against the gen counterpart compared with the traditional noob 42mm ROO reps. Though still a little tad wider at the stack base than the gen watch, it is definitely more subtle than the pre-2014 42mm ROO reps, and unless a detailed side by side comparison is done, one would be hard pressed to spot this as a tell.

 

The usual flaws of the date window position exists, though for this model, the surrounding black of the dial and the black of the datewheel makes this less noticeable. The datewheel window is surrounded by a thin silver circle, another nice subtle detail which adds to the overall sportiness of the dial. The datewheel font can be improved, and it is the lone weakness of the dial from my observation. 

 

The entire dial is viewed through the single AR crystal. The crystal is accurate to gen, though many owners opt for the double AR treatment. I would say that this is unnecessary. The factory crystal is colorless and has remarkable clarity. From some angles, the crystal can vanish from sight like it has double AR.

 

Turn the watch over, and the see-through caseback gives the watch away with the A7750 movement exposed. But the movement rotor is exquisitely engraved, and no ugly blue screws show, a minor relief for us all. The watch uses the traditional A7750 sec@12 movement used in all "ultimate" grade ROO reps. The power reserve on my watch is surprisingly good, keeping time for about 45hrs before succumbing to inertia. This specific watch keeps time to about +3sec a day, which is accurate enough for me.

 

If you are thinking of getting this watch, do so, you would not regret it. The color theme makes it a friendly, everyday watch to wear be it to the office in a suit or to a social gathering with friends dressed casually in T shirt and jeans.

   

 The weaknesses of this watch lie in the date font and the open caseback. It is otherwise a very accurate rep, as far as ROO reps go.  The other usual flaws like case thickness, and crown/pusher alignments, just could not be helped but they can be lived with in this model. 

 

Some pics to share:

 

On the wrist

post-39895-0-83746700-1411554751_thumb.j

 

Open caseback, well-engraved rotor, no blue screws!

post-39895-0-26538800-1411556476_thumb.j

 

Tang buckle, good for comfort and smaller wrists

post-39895-0-39934700-1411556530_thumb.j

 

Stock factory hornback strap...surprisingly wearable. Sporty red stitching lie brazenly against the black leather

post-39895-0-15729100-1411556572_thumb.j

 

The newly updated AP logo on dial. Much better than before. :)

post-39895-0-88570500-1411556633_thumb.j

 

 

 

 

 

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Beautiful watch, and a super review my friend. I have one question, does the JFfactory make a white or silver dial version of this watch, I would definitely be in the market for one if they did.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

My veritably humble friend, nice of you to drop by! :)

The 2014 collection does not have a silver/white dial version though the safari is close, with a cream dial. Would you be keen on that? ;)

Sent from Mars using tapatalk

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I have a Safari, although not a 2014. I was hoping that they would have the White Themes, as I like the Lume dials.

The JF factory seems to be producing a spate of ROO re-releases lately.. you might get your wish yet Big A. ;)

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A true piece of class, the watch is nice as well.

Great piece, thanks for sharing, from an incredible member of this board whose constant dedication is a great lesson to always strive for excellence.

Hello Mr M, it's been a while.

Kind of you to drop by with such a flattering comment.

I hope to catch you around more sir.

A

Sent from Mars using tapatalk

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

What about the movement? As I mentioned in another thread, Vac is claiming that the JF movement is better than the noob, I suppose he should know, as he looks at a lot of therm. Wondering id=f anyone else had any thing to say about this? Also since he didn't elaborate, what could be the difference?  I always thought the different manufacturers sourced their movements from the same place. I'm just asking because I have had some really bad luck with a couple of AP ROO's with the sec@12 movements.

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What about the movement? As I mentioned in another thread, Vac is claiming that the JF movement is better than the noob, I suppose he should know, as he looks at a lot of therm. Wondering id=f anyone else had any thing to say about this? Also since he didn't elaborate, what could be the difference?  I always thought the different manufacturers sourced their movements from the same place. I'm just asking because I have had some really bad luck with a couple of AP ROO's with the sec@12 movements.

A, the newer sec@12 movements, J12 or Noob, are slightly more reliable than the older, pre-2012 ones. I think its a matter of time of production, not a matter of who the maker is. The improved reliability comes from the extra washer used to alleviate the friction problem. There appears to be inconsistency in the movements still, and some still arrive DOA, whereas others arrive running like champions, with at least 40hr power reserves..

It is still largely a matter of spinning the wheel of fortune and hoping for the best, but the overall reliability has indeed improved over the older batches of A7750 sec@12. 

 

I could perhaps help you with the problematic movements if you are willing to ship them to me.. ;)

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