How to quality-control AP Royal Oak reps
This is a guide will help you quality-control the following AP references: 15202, 15400, 15450 & 15500.
If you want to learn which AP rep is right for you, click here
###General information:
####1. To keep the structure of this guide simple I’ve numbered each section from 1 to 5, with 1 being the most common flaws and 5 being rare.
####2. This guide will teach you how to QC your AP rep, not which AP rep is closest to gen.
####3. If you're buying from DHGate don't bother reading any further because there's no point QC'ing a watch from DHgate.
###Bezel Screws
#####Alignment (4)
Starting from the top down, the golden rule of all Audemars Piguet watches, no matter rep or genuine, is the pattern of the hexagonal bezel screws. These eight (8) screws are aligned with each other along the bezel, creating a circle around the dial.
90% of the time this isn’t an issue, but sometimes when buying a second-hand AP, the previous owner may have taken the watch apart and not noticed the alignment of the screws. Sometimes a TD will also have an AP rep with a misaligned bezel screw. This is a pretty rare occurrence though because it's an easy fix.
Example of misaligned bezel screw
#####Shape (3) In earlier AP reps, due to manufacturing processes, the screws themselves + the bezel cut outs were not very refined. They lacked the basic hexagonal shape and were just poorly fitted.
Example of poorly fitted bezel screws
This flaw was most common with the XF 15202 V1 which imo has the worst bezel screws of any recent AP rep.
Pretty much every other AP factory and rep have been able to produce decent bezel screws, even JF back in the day.
#####Float (4) Refers to how shallow the bezel screws sit within the bezel. This isn't a QC flaw anymore as it was more of an issue with older AP reps from around 2015.
These days it doesn't matter if your AP reps have recessed or flush bezel screws because gen AP have models which have both. For QC purposes, just ensure all 8 bezel screws are consistent with each other - meaning 8 recessed or 8 flush bezel screws.
Never accept any AP that has bezel screws sitting above the bezel.
###Dial:
#####AP Logo (1) Pretty easy flaw to spot. The AP logo is usually centered, but slanted to one side or another. The small gap between the A and P should be aligned vertically with the space between the 12 o’clock markers as a reference for the centrepoint of the dial.
#####Hour markers (2) ⁃ Ensure that hour markers are aligned with each other and taking extra consideration with the 12 o’clock marker which actually consists of two hour markers sandwiched together. Both markers should be identical in size and aligned parallel to each other with no gap.
Shoutout to u/Bandyciak for this QC tool which helps with hour marker alignment.
#####Date wheel (1) ⁃ The date wheel should be centered in the date window. Sometimes the date may site too high, too low or even left and right. ⁃ Ensure that your TD provides you QC photos with multiple dates shown, preferably single and double digit dates. This will allow you to gauge the alignment of your date wheel.
#####Printing (4) With newer AP releases, printing QC issues are less common, but it doesn’t hurt to double check. Printing should be consistent and precise, no changes in boldness or sizing. Minute markers, ‘Audemars Piguet’, ‘SWISS MADE’ and ‘Automatic’ printing for certain models.
Example of JF 15202 V1 with poor printing.
15400/15450/15500 - These models have a designed flat area where the ‘Audemars Piguet’ text is printed. Ensure this printing is centered with his area. Similarly, to the date wheel, sometimes printing can be positioned too high or too low and even slanted.
###Brushing (5) The brushing along the entire bezel, case-back and bracelet should be aligned vertically. Personally, I’ve only ever seen this flaw twice so it’s a pretty rare occurrence but still something you should keep an eye on. Bracelet brushing is mostly, if not always aligned pretty well. However, you’ll spot this QC flaw by looking at the brushing on the bezel and case from a top down view.
Example of misaligned brushing.
Another example of misaligned brushing.
###Movement (4) JF, XF and ZF use decorated or modified Miyota 9015 movements for their AP reps. That means half of what you’re seeing is faux because there is a decoration plate to make the movements look like gen. Try your best to check if there are no missing screws anywhere in the movement.
Specifically, for 15400, 15450 and 15500 there are 2-3 screws in the centre of the movement that tend to be handled by factories frequently. Often they are damaged or do not sit flush with each other. Sometimes a loose screw can get dislodged which can then cause further damage to your movement.
###Caseback (3) In order to remove the case back from an AP, you need to remove 8 screws to remove the crystal case back in order to access the movement. Occasionally these case back screws will be damaged. Slightly scuffed/worn may be acceptable depending on condition but severely damaged screws should never be accepted. These case back screws also run through the case and tighten into the bezel screws sandwiching everything together.
###Crown (5) Ensure the AP logo on the crown is centered. AP logo should also be somewhat sharp in terms of etching. Also check that the crown screws down all the way so it touches the case without any gaps.
###Bracelet As mentioned before, brushing along the bracelet should align vertically with the rest of the brushing on the case and bezel. In QC pics, the bracelet is usually covered in protective plastic but double check that the bracelet is not missing any bracelets from between the links.
Which QC flaws are acceptable?
For this section of the guide, I will assume that you have access to a rep friendly watch smith that is able to offer basic services.
Sometimes you’ll receive the QC pics from your TD and everything is perfect except for one small flaw such as a tilted AP logo. In my opinion, it should be the norm to accept minor flaws that can be easily corrected by either yourself (with the right tools), or by your watch smith.
These flaws are easy to fix and not worth RL’ing
- AP logo alignment
- Hour marker alignment
- Rotor silencing
These flaws can be fixed by an experienced AP modder
- Bezel screw alignment (To a degree)
- Bezel screw shape (To a degree)
- Bezel screw float
- Brushing
Flaws that cannot be fixed without a replacement part.
- Misaligned date wheel – The only fix for this is to get a new date wheel.
- Misaligned/faded printing anywhere on the dial.
- Missing screws – Case back, bracelet or movement.
- Damaged screws Case back, bracelet or movement.
That concludes this guide, please let me know if I’ve missed anything relating to AP or if you want me to expand on anything else!
Posted Oct 29, 2020, 1:11 PM UTC · edited