arminvanbuuren Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 hi all.. this just came in to my thought.. lets be honest the reason we buy reps is because we like a watch but really either couldn't afford or just don't think it's worth it to be spending it on a gen.. or for some just as a challenge to get it as close as possible to the gen.. as most of you know i'm currently working on a breitling chronomat evolution project.. i'm thinking of doing a swap of lello datewheel, change to decorated gen rotor and movement holder, and might even swap to swiss eta 7750.. by the time it finishes it should be nearly impossible to tell the difference visually between the gen and the rep unless u really really really know what you're talking about (even in homer's thread we couldn't even tell right? ppl r guessing whether its a gen or a rep_.. but yeah my dilemma lies on the fact that i ruined the double ar on my ultimate BCE big time!! i used wd-40 to oil the watch but it ruined the double ar.. i know that i could send the crystals to jakub or brian.. but i've noticed that 3 of my friends who owns a gen breitling have damaged AR too and had it removed.. so my question is, is double AR really a big tell for reps? or is it just a preference for ppl because it makes the watch looks sexier? pls discuss .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) I also damaged the AR on my genuine Steelfish and removed it ..... most gen Breits have it removed after some time. If you think about it. They coat sapphire, one of the hardest materials in the world and known for it's scratch resistance with a delicate blue coating Edited April 21, 2008 by Rolexman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhitesox Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Double AR is a must on a Breitling....Go for Jacob on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arminvanbuuren Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 thanks for the reply.. i think in that case i should go for the AR.. but this is where it confuses me to death!! hence y i posted this discussion!! as rolexman said one way or another even in the gen, the AR would be removed due to scratches.. so does that mean if a gen came into this state, it would be a tell that its a rep even if its a gen? lol.. funny huh? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dani Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR is the way to go for sure...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andreww Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 The blue tint on the glass may or may not be a "tell", but aside from that you have to consider how greatly double AR affects the appearance of the watch. Dark colored dials benefit greatly from the effects of AR as illustrated below. I've removed half of the outer AR coating for demonstration purposes. Note the clarity of the coated side in comparison. If this is a watch that is going to be treated with care, then I would seriously consider re-coating it. If it's going to be a daily used watch, and exposed to the elements the I'd pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arminvanbuuren Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) The blue tint on the glass may or may not be a "tell", but aside from that you have to consider how greatly double AR affects the appearance of the watch. Dark colored dials benefit greatly from the effects of AR as illustrated below. I've removed half of the outer AR coating for demonstration purposes. Note the clarity of the coated side in comparison. If this is a watch that is going to be treated with care, then I would seriously consider re-coating it. If it's going to be a daily used watch, and exposed to the elements the I'd pass. it will be my daily beater and will be until it breaks down and practically unusable.. i have alot of modded reps atm, from modded iwc 3717, modded noobmariner, modded yachtmaster, and lots more.. but once this bce project finished i will actually just put all these watches on display in my room (glass cabinet) and use it as just a collection item and never wear it (all of these watches are in new condition, as before this my daily beater was this BCE).. but i just want this BCE to be just like a normal "gen" watch (doesnt mean i want to pass it as a gen and flaunt it around) but i want to use it LIKE a gen breitling, just like how other gen breitling owner use their gen breitling (the one and only watch to wear and wear it with pride if u know wat i mean).. but since it is going to be my one and only watch that i wear, i want it to be as close to the gen as possible! and i'm sure that the bce after all the mods will virtually be impossible to tell from the real thing.. but i'm weighing whether the AR would be necessary or not (because i'm scared if i get a jakub ar, the same thing will happen to me again with the accident of removing the AR, etc.).. Edited April 21, 2008 by arminvanbuuren Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spoooooonz Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 To me AR only makes sense on the interior side of the crystal. Why put an easily scratch coating on a sapphire crystal which is used for its high hardness? If you hve double AR you might as well have a mineral glass crystal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rodwc Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 even in homer's thread we couldn't even tell right? That`s something all the folks that posted in HOMER`S thread simply don`t know at this stage, as Homer has gone ferral on us all, and gone bloody walkabout. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HauteHippie Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Necessary? No. Addicting? Yes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arminvanbuuren Posted April 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Necessary? No. Addicting? Yes! lol it is addicting man.. i swear this is why i'm even discussing.. because i just saw the 3717 again and i could not see any crystals.. looks like i will finish this project first and once everything is installed i might even send it for ur AR again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b16a2 Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 If you're trying to make it as per the gen, it is necessary, it makes a huge difference to the appearance of the dial. If you were asking about an Imega SMP I would say not to bother, however, due the BCE coming with AR in gen format, I would definitely have the coating applied, it makes the watch look much more authentic and expensive! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teddy boy Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I have a gen Omega SMP and a gen Breitling SO. The former has one sided AR, the latter double. There is a huge difference in appearance. So far my Breitling hasn't scratched, but I understand that this is an issue. The bottom line is that you can tell the difference so if you bought a rep with one sided AR and the gen was supposed to have two sided, the difference would be noticeable. That is noticeable to anyone who knows that the gen has two sided AR. Personally I almost never encounter anyone who knows enough about watches to say anything more than "nice watch." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 (edited) Read about my experiences HERE Edited April 21, 2008 by Rolexman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yannou Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Necessary? No. Addicting? Yes! Agree...I love double AR on watches...It's really another watch with AR..The dial is put into light...For me 2 mods on watches : superlume & double AR...that's all.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luisik Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 No doubt. Double AR all the way. It makes the Dial more clear and in some of them, which are beautifully decorated, really makes the watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
takashi Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 I would say if you have the Breit... Yes, go for it. Even if I own gen Breit, I will get it recoated/crystal replaced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 Maybe Double AR was something 'they' thought of, in the hopes it would mean people had to keep returning their watches for service at approved centers, rather than just doing other things... I've seen enough photos on the forums to know that Double AR does make a huge difference to the appearance of the watch, while it is in pristine condition. But. I can also imagine that once the exterior coating starts getting scratched and worn, it would start looking very shabby very quickly... I'm happy to keep things simple Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwhitesox Posted April 21, 2008 Report Share Posted April 21, 2008 With good AR coating like Chiefs or Jacobs it is pretty hard to scratch the AR coating..Especially if you are as careful with your watches like most of us are. With the BCE I would choose Jacob solely on the fact that Chiefs is actually too good for this watch ....The dial is a bit shiney and reflects out past the invisible crystal. Chiefs I think works best on a matt or highly detailed dial as it really does make the crystal invisible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arminvanbuuren Posted April 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Read about my experiences HERE thanks mate!! thats the answer i've been looking for.. i didnt know u posted a similar post.. except notice how we got a diff response? in mine i get most ppl saying that it is necessary and in urs it says that ur overreacting.. just for the simple fact that mine is a rep and urs is a gen .. i guess the answer is still inconclusive.. but assuming that the cosmetic after the mods on the rep would be near impossible to tell.. i guess double AR isnt really that necessary? anyway id think about it still Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ximenes Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Double AR seems to attract the glances of fine ladies everywhere... This is good. xim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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