AP ROO Forged Carbon Noob 44 / All QC rejected

[Linxiaoyu]

Hi guys.

Trust me, posting about this is the last thing I wanted to do, but I'm lost and confused now.

 

During Toro's last sale last summer, I purchased an AP Roo FC 44 from Noob factory, for half its price ($350 or so...)

First QC pics arrived and I rejected it cause the side and strap's screws were badly smashed :

Then, I had to wait for like 2 monthes to get new QC mail, and here is what I got :

The screws were damaged again....I asked Toro if he could get any replacement/extra screws to supply so I could replace em myself. It wouldnt have been a problem...I guess...

But he claimed being unable to supply any spare parts at all....So I rejected this one as well

 

I patiently waited around end of november to get a new QC mail, and guess what I got :

Of course I also rejected this new one and asked for the next...but there will be no next, Toro said.

This model from Noob was being discontinued (that's why it was so cheap) and he had no problem selling them all...

Toro said I was being too picky because reps would never be perfect...but hey there's a difference between perfection and decent finish/looking, no ?

I've bought a couple Panerai and IWC and it's the first time I have to deal with the same "screw problem" over and over

 

So now, basically either I get a refund or I choose another model. Too bad  its the only one I like ;(

I could add $300 more and get the JF one which looks awesome even with the little flaws Legend always talks about.

OR I could accept this last one and hope I could find spare screws (does they even exist ?) and moreover hope the damaged ones are easily removable...

 

Please I need some suggestions here

Thank you

 

 

[Legend]

Oh my... I would not reject the watch on account of the screws buddy, unless they are egregiously bad, like they have been chewed in continual rotation between 3 bulldogs over 24hrs.

But that is just me... I guess nobody could tell you what is right or wrong when it comes to accepting or rejecting the QC pics. Do bear in mind that this is a rep, meaning, the quality of metal used for the screws and other small parts would not be as nice as the genuine in terms of finish. Besides, the screws do not look bad to me personally. It could be due to lighting, angle, dust, or scratches that could be polished off, and even that (polishing screws)  is a little extreme...

I have seen watches rejected due to flaws in the dial, misalignment, and other reasons, but never one rejected multiple times due to screws. Trust me, when I tell you that when you look at your watch, the screws would not be what you look at 99.9% of the time. 

I would not consider your rejection based on the above pics to be reasonable, if I were to be the dealer. This is the rep game. If you cannot live with minor imperfections, get the gen. I can tell you that the JF is not perfect as well, it could have the perfectly finished screws which are so important to you, but over time, you could become bothered with some other minor detail that does not seem quite right to the eye. I concur that the JF build and finish are better than the Noob in general, yes. But the ugly and inaccurate dial details and datewheel bother me so I would choose the Noob model and refine and modify it myself. But again, thats just me. If you like the JF, go buy the JF! Its a free world and it is your money.

QC pics DO NOT capture everything that could be wrong with the watch trust me. One classic example is the stuttering second hand. Another example would be loose or broken parts anywhere on the watch that looks still attached. Ultimately, it is you who would decide what you could live with, and what you could not. Every watch purchase IS a risk whether we admit it or not. That is where knowing how to fix the minor after-purchase issues becomes crucial for the survival of our own sanity.

But being too pedantic and fastidious would just make you a person that dealers (and other members) would eventually shun. Learn some basic skills, and you could actually polish, align, repair or replace the screws yourself. 

Good luck. You are going to need a lot of it. 

 

[Mike on a bike]

It's half price on special and your worried about screws...............Toro I owe you a drink.

[mghm3]

this thread is gonna go well...

[Linxiaoyu]

Yeah I was somehow expecting sarcastic answers, classic noob bashing  haha (I've been around a long time tho)

 

Anyways that being said, It's not like I'm not aware of what Legend said.....and I truly appreciate his thinking

But to me and maybe to mostly everyone in the community, what matters is that the watch we wear is looking close to a gen to the average joe.

Like you said, its a game and there is always minor imperfections in every rep...;BUT this imperfection is visible to everyone...which is different

And to me again, obvious damaged screws seems more eye-catching than half a milimeter misalignment or even an uncorrect date font or incabloc I would'nt matter

 

Finally, of course if I had some repair/fixing skills (which I totally dont) I wouldn't have gone thru this bother and accepted it on the first place because I knew I could fix it myself....

So my questions is, (because I'm still worried and because I never had to face this kinda problem) : 

Can I find spare screws for this watch ?

Would the gen screws fit ?

And anyone had to remove these side screws, if indeed that were even easily possible ?

Thank you

Edited December 3, 2015 by Linxiaoyu

[themannier]

I wish you good luck to find some (gen) screws...absolutely impossible i guess; these screws are not so bad, and sometimes, QC pics don't show the real condition of the Watch, because of the lighting for example.

The are often better in real, believe me !

[Legend]

Yeah I was somehow expecting sarcastic answers, classic noob bashing  haha (I've been around a long time tho)

 

Anyways that being said, It's not like I'm not aware of what Legend said.....and I truly appreciate his thinking

But to me and maybe to mostly everyone in the community, what matters is that the watch we wear is looking close to a gen to the average joe.

Like you said, its a game and there is always minor imperfections in every rep...;BUT this imperfection is visible to everyone...which is different

And to me again, obvious damaged screws seems more eye-catching than half a milimeter misalignment or even an uncorrect date font or incabloc I would'nt matter

 

Finally, of course if I had some repair/fixing skills (which I totally dont) I wouldn't have gone thru this bother and accepted it on the first place because I knew I could fix it myself....

So my questions is, (because I'm still worried and because I never had to face this kinda problem) : 

Can I find spare screws for this watch ?

Would the gen screws fit ?

And anyone had to remove these side screws, if indeed that were even easily possible ?

Thank you

I do not think that you have been, or deserved to be bashed. Some of us care more about a specific feature of our watch more than the others. (For me, its not screws but movement health and dial accuracy ;))

But the screw problem is a relatively easy one to solve compared with "fixed" inaccuracies like the date window position and such.. Heck, you could even replate each screw in rhodium if you so desired. The answer to one of the questions you asked is: Yes, you can buy a whole set of screws (rep of course) from your dealer. 

I have done it before. Good luck once again!

[Linxiaoyu]

Thanks Legend for this answer no one could give me.

Toro told me he couldn't supply any set of screws already, thats why I was worried.

And honnestly I didnt ask any other TD yet (because I havent bought the watch from them).

So, if you know for sure who is able to provide/sell this kind of parts (TDs or member), I'd appreciate the hint.

 

Thanks again for your time/help

[Legend]

Thanks Legend for this answer no one could give me.

Toro told me he couldn't supply any set of screws already, thats why I was worried.

And honnestly I didnt ask any other TD yet (because I havent bought the watch from them).

So, if you know for sure who is able to provide/sell this kind of parts (TDs or member), I'd appreciate the hint.

 

Thanks again for your time/help

Ok let me give you a very subtle hint LXY. Try Ryan from intime.co. Ask for "an entire and complete set of screws for whatever model you want". Hope this hint helps.

Message crafted while wrestling a juvenile crocodile that's unwilling to be captured and made into leather

[markiemark]

Half price or not, I'd reject them too. Damaged screws bug the crap out of me 

[panerai153]

To each his own, the screw problem may be a non starter for some folks, for others it's no big deal. I believe that I would take the watch, examine the screws when you get it and if they are too bad in real life in good light, under the conditions that someone would notice, or If they are just bugging you to death then I would attempt to find some replacements. Ryan, like Legend said is a good guy and seems to be able to get parts.

The other alternative of course is to reject the watch get a refund and either buy the JF or try another dealer. I would suspect that the reason some of these watches come on sale is at the end of a run, the manufacturer's have a few of these that got boogered up in some way shape or form while being assembled, and they ended up as factory rejects. At some point, they off the dealers a really good deal on the watches which the dealers pass on to the buyers. What they should do, but won't is tell you up front that some of these sale watches are "Seconds" and may have cosmetic flaws. This is just my idea on the subject and  I may be way off base on what these watches really are, but the fact that you got three in a row with basically the same problem leads me to the conclusion above. 

Edited December 5, 2015 by panerai153