New Member Looking For My First Rep

[Phil_T]

Hi Guys,

 

I have been browsing the forum for a while now and looking for my first rep. I really love the AP watches and have found the one I want and just have a few questions.

 

I am after the 44mm Royal Oak Offshore YG J12 from intime.co

 

Are intime.co ok to buy from??

 

I have read that most prefer the J12 over the N00b so my questions are below if you could answer please. I am from the UK if that helps with people to recommend.

 

What problems may occur with the movement?

Who can fix these and what sort of estimate cost? Domi??

Is there a permanent fix?

Where to service watch?

Will the gold wear off the watch parts?

 

Thanks

Edited November 8, 2014 by Phil_T

[Legend]

Hi Guys,

 

I have been browsing the forum for a while now and looking for my first rep. I really love the AP watches and have found the one I want and just have a few questions.

 

I am after the 44mm Royal Oak Offshore YG J12 from intime.co

 

Are intime.co ok to buy from??

 

I have read that most prefer the J12 over the N00b so my questions are below if you could answer please. I am from the UK if that helps with people to recommend.

 

What problems may occur with the movement?

Who can fix these and what sort of estimate cost? Domi??

Is there a permanent fix?

Where to service watch?

Will the gold wear off the watch parts?

 

Thanks

Hi Phil

 

Firstly welcome to RWG.

 

I assume you meant the 44mm Rose Gold ROO. To answer your questions in a methodical manner:

 

a. Yes intime.co is very trustworthy and dependable.

 

b. I would not say that for the specific model you are looking at, (Rose Gold 44mm), J12 is the better choice. The color of the casing is lighter compared with the gen, and I personally prefer the Noob RG case color and dial. That said, you must understand that both factories likely source their movements from the same source. Do not be quick to jump into conclusion that one maker is automatically better than the other just because "a lot of people say so" Each maker is better at some models than the other, often dependent on personal preference as well. Noob started making ROO reps years back, and J12 joined the ROO rep game only fairly recently. It is true that J12 has made general improvements over their ROO releases like straps, clasps, and such, but I still prefer the Noob for some models, and J12 for others. There is no better maker overall, but for each specific model, I have my preference in the maker, if both offer it.

 

c. The watch uses a modified A7750 movement, transferring the second movements to the 12 o'clock subdial using 3 transfer gears. The movement does seem more reliable after 2012, but there are still occasional cases where the movements arrive DOA. To me, the movement seems more reliable than before, perhaps because of small improvements made to alleviate the friction issue. 

 

d. If you are from UK, Domi in Germany is your guy, in terms of expertise, experience, and proximity. One word though, you need to be patient and let him work on your watch when you decide to send it to him. His turnaround time is about 10 weeks, give or take. A service would usually be a good way to improve reliability of your watch, but if you want a so-called "permanent" fix, I would recommend that you send it to Domi for the "3 jewels mod". I would not spend time to explain that here, but it is the solution that may or may not be required depending on the specific movement health of your watch. I would estimate that in over 90% of the case, this is not required for the current generation ROO reps. Servicing would take care of at least half of the remaining 10%. Cost wise for movement service/jewel mod is between $150-250 depending on what you actually ask to be done.

 

e. I have not seen the rose gold plating wear off from the RG reps I owned, and I have owned a few of them for at least 4 years. Just a disclaimer, none of them are daily beaters, so that could have something to do with the longevity of the plating. Others would be able to advise you better in this aspect. I would recommend you speak to member Eunomians, the king of RG ROOs.  

 

Hope that helps. Pick your own poison and enjoy it. 

[Phil_T]

Thanks for the welcome and very detailed answers just a couple more questions before I pull the trigger. Yes that is the watch.

 

http://intime.co/img/p/1448-11896-thickbox.jpg

 

So the best thing would be to run the watch until it becomes dead eg doesn't hold a charge or stops working then send it off to Domi or will waiting for it to stop then fixing lead to more problems?. I have heard it is not easy to ship to him because of strict customs?

 

On puretime site it says they offer 6 months warranty on the watches but have to pay for shipping back where as puretime only offer a 72hour window. I would like the watch at least to last a few months after purchase before sending it off to get fixed would you agree?

 

Do you have a link to the jewel mod for the Ap's so I can have a read? 

 

Would the mod keep the watch working if I kept up with yearly service intervals? Or can it go longer service intervals?

 

Also has anyone put a swiss movement in one?

 

Sorry for all the questions 

Edited November 8, 2014 by Phil_T

[Legend]

Thanks for the welcome and very detailed answers just a couple more questions before I pull the trigger. Yes that is the watch.

 

http://intime.co/img/p/1448-11896-thickbox.jpg

 

So the best thing would be to run the watch until it becomes dead eg doesn't hold a charge or stops working then send it off to Domi or will waiting for it to stop then fixing lead to more problems?. I have heard it is not easy to ship to him because of strict customs?

 

On puretime site it says they offer 6 months warranty on the watches but have to pay for shipping back where as puretime only offer a 72hour window. I would like the watch at least to last a few months after purchase before sending it off to get fixed would you agree?

 

Do you have a link to the jewel mod for the Ap's so I can have a read? 

 

Would the mod keep the watch working if I kept up with yearly service intervals? Or can it go longer service intervals?

 

Also has anyone put a swiss movement in one?

 

Sorry for all the questions 

No problem member Phil.

 

I would ask you not to be overly concerned (or reliant) on the so-called warranty offers, especially for the ROOs. The reasons are because, an exchange of another watch is unlikely to be a permanent fix on the issues you are concerned with. The process is also very time consuming and the wait could be frustrating. Also, like I mentioned, the recent batches of ROO sec@12 movements are fairly reliable. Yes there are still DOA cases, but a lot lesser. 

 

Let us not put the cart before the horse here. You seem to be assuming that the movement would only run for a few months and then Kaboom! Expensive paperweight time! Let me assure you that it is unlikely to be the case based on my my purchases in the past 2 years. I have come to discover that a simple servicing + swiss mainspring mod has been enough to keep my rep ROOs running like champions, without the jewel mod done.. You can send your watches to Domi in Germany without any customs concern at all, if you are in the UK. I cannot immediately find any links to the jewel mod, you would have to do so yourself.

 

From my experience, a well-serviced ROO + a swiss main spring and an ROO with Domi's jewel mod run equally well. They both have lasted over 1 year keeping good time and with at least 48hrs power reserve on average. Do not be overly worried here, there are hundreds of ROOs traded on the forums each year, and in real life, only a handful of those present problematic movements. Do not be too anxious. 

 

You can of course approach Domi to put an ETA movement in the watch.. I know a good pal of mine on this board who has done that recently. I am not too certain of the details though.

 

So what you should do is:

 

a. Buy the watch from your dealer of choice. Forget about warranty. Check the QC pics and approve them when you are happy with the watch.

b. When you get the watch, give it about 50 winds, and wear the watch. Enjoy the experience! Monitor 3 things: That it runs smoothly without stopping, that it keeps time well, and that it has a good power reserve (40hrs and above). Do it over a span of 3 days or so to get an indication of the movement health. Of course, to test power reserve, you got to leave the watch unworn, preferably face up, and note when it eventually stops running.. it is a relatively healthy movement if it gives you about 40hrs power reserve.

c. Get the watch serviced at least. Chinese assembly lines are not sanctified, and there would likely be dust and such in the watch, or poor oiling. Servicing would give you a clean, well-lubricated movement. My recommendation is for you to service it and fit an ETA spec main spring in it.. then bingo! 55hrs power reserve and a strong running movement!

d. Go for the jewel mod as a last resort. This is a more costly alternative, and may or may not be more effective, but I know that the service + ETA main spring option works well for my ROOs so far. You can email Domi direct for enquiries, and you can PM me for his email address.

 

One final word: Learn to enjoy each watch you buy. Enjoy your journey and have fun! The A7750 sec@12 movement may have a notorious reputation, but having traded more than 30 pieces in the past 1 year, I have had only 1 piece that had a movement issue, and that issue was resolved with servicing/main spring upgrade...

 

You can PM me if you need further assistance. I am not a guru, but just a guy who has some experience with the concerns you raised, and someone who reads rather voraciously, while comparing notes with fellow rep ROO enthusiasts.

 

 

[panerai153]

Very, very sage advice Mr. A . and to the OP, heed this advice sir and you shouldn't go far astray.