aflop Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Hi guys, As part of my contribution to the forum, i always make a point to do comparisons or analysis of reps so we have more information on these boards. There's just too much taking of info and too little giving back! I was lucky to be able to pick up a used Cartier Santos 100 XL for cheap and decided to do a quick comparison to my ultimate rep version: A couple wrist shots to kick this off: My first thought was that the dial of the rep was just slightly duller than the pearl effect of the gen, pretty hard to describe but there is a slight difference there. However, this is impossible to detect unless you have a gen right next to it. Overall feel of the watch on the wrist is pretty spot on with the gen feeling just a bit more 'solid' and heavier. Case shape and size is very accurate and no complaints there. As expected the rep sapphire doesn't come close to gen and is much darker. The engravings on the caseback is where we start to see the difference, albeit slight. Fonts on the 2656 being the most obvious and the alignment of fonts are off but again who's gonna notice when it's on your wrist and without a gen to compare side by side? Also noted the caseback screws are more rounded then gen: The clasp has a few notable issues, mainly the rounded screws of the rep as compared to the flatter ones of the gen: The deployment clasp was well replicated apart from screw shapes which frankly shouldn't matter since it can't be seen when worn Engravings are sharper on the gen but at least the right fonts and sizes were used on the rep! One peeve was that the clasp was fit upside down vs the logo, obviously not a big issue but something that may not be fixed that easily. Not quite sure if it's unique to my piece so do let me know if that's the case for fellow owners. Basically when you don the strap the logo should be legible right way up to the wearer, then clasp should be closed inside then outside (not sure if I'm making sense here), but the rep was the other way around. Whilst the lug pins are pretty similar, the rep ones are of poor qc with one of mine coming in a different shape. Doesn't affect the functionality though. Construction of case between lugs were less sharp but did the job nonetheless. Lume was pretty spot on but the gen obviously lasted longer than the rep Summary: All in all a fantastically replicated piece and truly deserving of a super rep status. Best bang for buck and the gen being something very affordable as well does not make this an easy call out on the wrist! Hope you guys found the review helpful! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sacsah1 Posted July 26, 2015 Report Share Posted July 26, 2015 Beautiful review!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ceejay Posted July 27, 2015 Report Share Posted July 27, 2015 Great comparison, thanks for showing us. I would be able to tell a rep from gen now by looking at the 12 & 6 o'clock numerals where they join each other. Notice on the gen they are joint just at the bottom but on the rep the numeral joint extends further up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space Posted August 5, 2015 Report Share Posted August 5, 2015 I have had my rep for 10 years. Bought at abay at the time.It is really stunning, but the strap gave in some month ago.The leather / glue around the pins broke.Is it possible to get a new leather strap, which fits as good as the original? (Actually the main reason for logging in, it's been ages, was to put it up for sale) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
watchlover111 Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Just out of interest is the rep for sale? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mule play Posted August 11, 2015 Report Share Posted August 11, 2015 Great review. I owned the yellow gold version and I liked it while I had it. I passed it on to another member here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jion Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Actually the biggest tell is the edge of the sapphire glass. The gen and some ultimate version have frosty edges that you can't see the 'Swiss made' straight without tilting the angle. The cheaper rep edges are see-through. The process of assembling both sapphires is different too. Cheaper rep is top down, and the gen or ultimate rep is bottom up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted September 5, 2015 Report Share Posted September 5, 2015 Thanks. Great review!!!! Wear it well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busetinha Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 Man that's a pretty close replica! You should put them both on a scale and compare the weight in grams, as well! That's the only picture you're missing! The only thing that I noticed was the coloring of the stitching and obviously the engravings are a little rougher machined on the replica. If you don't mind me asking, where did you purchase the rep from? I have been craving a Cartier Santos for a while, and after seeing this, I think I'm going to pull the trigger! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busetinha Posted September 6, 2015 Report Share Posted September 6, 2015 Actually the biggest tell is the edge of the sapphire glass. The gen and some ultimate version have frosty edges that you can't see the 'Swiss made' straight without tilting the angle. The cheaper rep edges are see-through. The process of assembling both sapphires is different too. Cheaper rep is top down, and the gen or ultimate rep is bottom up.For anyone interested, I found this replica on Toro Bravo's website; the one he has seems to have that "frosty" edge that Jion had pointed out:http://www.torobravo2015.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=75_143&product_id=674 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jion Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 For anyone interested, I found this replica on Toro Bravo's website; the one he has seems to have that "frosty" edge that Jion had pointed out:http://www.torobravo2015.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=75_143&product_id=674Yes, this version is even closer to gen. The price is also almost double to the one reviewed here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busetinha Posted September 7, 2015 Report Share Posted September 7, 2015 This is the one that I have had my eye on. I love this watch! This was such a great post. Thanks for taking those pictures.http://www.ttw8488.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=21_163&products_id=5851 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonathanw Posted October 19, 2015 Report Share Posted October 19, 2015 Great comparison, thanks for showing us. I would be able to tell a rep from gen now by looking at the 12 & 6 o'clock numerals where they join each other.Notice on the gen they are joint just at the bottom but on the rep the numeral joint extends further up.Good call. I think the "feet" of the roman numerals on the Rep, save for numerals II, III, IV and V are thicker than the ten, thus the way one number joins the other to form a numeral looks far thicker on the rep than the gen. Every feet is thicker on the rep. this is a great way to tell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dovo1695 Posted November 8, 2015 Report Share Posted November 8, 2015 This was a wonderful review and a great contribution to the forum. Nice work. Congrats on a lovely pair of watches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DjLuxury Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Wow lovely review. Thanks for sharing Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
15400 Posted December 12, 2015 Report Share Posted December 12, 2015 grate review ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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