Thanks Jared, this is 39 mm. The 15400 (newer) is 41 mm. It doesn't scratch as much as those on the forums will have you believe, however, it will certainly vary depending on your lifestyle and how careful you are with it...
Amazing review man!Congratulations on your beautiful timepiece!I've been trying to find a video to make me pull the trigger and buy this watch. So, i've finally found it!Thank you.I'll buy this watch this week! :D
Cheers Thomas. I'd suggest going for a pre-2012 jumbo with the stunning open worked JLC movement. The 15300 with the blue dial is quite stunning as well...
The brushed stainless steel is so fine, it must be a scratch magnet, probably worse for your gold one. Good thing there's the AP service team. You have two of my favorite watches, very nice! Hope to own one some day.
Angus has made a great comment and as he's mentioned, it's really up to you. If you go Rolex, you'll always attract attention - usually the bad kind. AP on the other hand is not known to most but I think it's getting known to a lot more compared to say Patek Philippe. I personally prefer flying 'under the radar' and AP/PP allow me to do just that.
Get whichever watch that really 'sings' to you. That's usually the best deterrent from 'buyers remorse' but if that does happen, sell it and get the other. Doing your homework, visiting quite a few boutiques/shops and really evaluating your purchase will help you make the correct choice.
Yup, I've gone swimming and spent many a holiday by the beach etc. I just make sure to give it a rinse in clean water once I'm done to get any salt etc. off it. I also get the seals checked about once a year, less so if I haven't exposed it to chlorinated or salt water.
Hi Martin, I've not forgotten your comment. I'm hoping to work on a video in about two months time with two more watches that haven't been featured before and I'll make the comparison for you then. Thanks!
My current collection includes both Pateks - 5146 and 5127, this steel 15300ST AP RO, and an Omega Speedy Pro Sapphire Sandwich 3573.50. I plan to review the Speedmaster Pro at some point as well.
Haha, yes, I certainly can relate to the 'low hanging fruit' dilemma. Personally, I prefer the RO design to the Nautilus and that placed the 15300ST at the top of my 'list' for a while. Later in January @ SIHH the 15300 line was terminated which hastened my picking up of the 15300OR. I'm quite partial towards the PP5980/5926 although they are quite far down on my PP list.
Hi Henry, I'm quite familiar with the Nautilus but the thing is I've got a list of other PPs that I'd like to add first - 5960P/R, 5146R, 5127R. I'm sure I'll add a Nautilus at some point down the road. Yes, I'm a huge fan of the Genta styled pieces... Which pieces catch your fancy..?
Great I m looking forward to that clip.BTW I just bought my first luxury timepiece and I m thinking about doing review myself ;) keep the good work up!
Which one do you prefer more? It would be very wrong of me to tell you which one to go for; ultimately this purchase is for you to wear and the best advice I can give is go for the one that 'sings' the most on your wrist.
Hi Ken, I definitely enjoyed both my 15300 pieces (including the OR version) when I had them. However I later decided to focus mainly on Patek and Rolex - so additions have been in that direction plus another Omega. AP is worth considering as long as you don’t mind several services and repairs and this is something I did not want to continue bothering with given I’ve never had issues with the other brands. I’ve moved back home and the nearest AP service centres are in nearby countries and just not worth the hassle (for me).
@Industrigater Thank you! It's been little over 2-weeks since I also got the 15300OR 18k RG Royal Oak...! I've not done a review on RU-vid yet but you'll find photos in my Flickr account. Just look under 'bsodmike' - I hope to post the RU-vid review soon.
Could be the camera angle or low DOF; see my other clip on wearing a 36 mm DateJust. I tend to prefer wearing pieces where the lugs do not 'hang' off the sides of my wrist - this is very common amongst Chinese gents wearing ROO's and pieces far too big for their wrist. No, this is a model 15300 and 39mm in dia. The ultra slim s the 15202 Jumbo (and I'm referring to the pre-2012 version).
Well pieces within reach of my budget would be PP5711 or AP 15300. I still have a bit to save up, when I'm closer to purchasing I will try them both on. I'm really all over the place when it comes to watch buying. I'm constantly in the dilemma of do I buy the low hanging fruit like an IWC Portugeuse or save up for something more expensive :P
@Swavek Bart Strangely I'm not able to reply to your comment - that of course depends on the service. I gave an AP Diver for service in Singapore and they had to replace many components - even so, the service came to 1,200 USD. Patek's service cost is about the same as well, so I'm not sure where you got a figure of 3,500 USD, unless it's a perpetual calendar that's very badly damaged (and/or has case damage) needing severe repair & restoration.
What is your thoughts on long term value retention? I can get a Rolex Daytona stainless black face and one of these. I love the AP, but wondering about the value over the Rolex. Thanks!
Hi i'm going to buy this watch in pre owned market. What is your experience with service, and how much they charge you aprox., Some people say, that service can cost sometimes up to 3500usd, Is this true?
Nope - that does not happen. I'm using an Orbita winder and these are in a class of their own completely programmable including TPD, direction etc. I always set the TPD setting exactly based on the movement requirements. I also do not keep the watch on the winder continuously - since the 3120 has a 60 hour power reserve, I take it off the winder to relax the main spring and put it back on the next day; it's easier to manage the mainspring tention when a movement has a longish power reserve.
nim nim parvin Yes, it's a keeper. I'm getting it serviced at the moment too. Apart from the jumbo, and the older jumbo I mean, the new 15400/jumbo do not feature anything spectacular to warrant attention from me; that said, for new buyers, they'd be happy with these. Personally, I still prefer the 15300; flip the watch over and there isn't a whole lot of bare metal around the movement. AP made the 15400 larger but the movement is the same, hence you'll find there's a lot more bare metal on the reverse the watch.
+Mike S (bsodmike) I also have no interest on the 15400. I think it is unbalanced, out of proportion and it has lost the original 39 mm gracefulness. 15400 looks fat and lacks a bit of elegance, in my opinion. 15300/15202 are much better options.
Hi, interesting comment. I've been using ADG for easily 15 years! It's a very light fragrance, not too fancy and I suppose it's grown on me after all these years. As of late though, I've become a bit more adventurous and am trying some new ones - Channel Platinum Egoiste and Acqua Di Gio Essenza. What would you recommend?
Matthew Hedges Mike S Sorry, for the late reply. Excellent suggestion from Matthew. Judging by your current choices Aventus would be a nice upgrade while still aligning with your current choices. Amazing that I was thinking the same thing when reading his current collection.
Thanks for the tip guys; when I was last in Singapore I bought a few of my go to colognes in 'bulk'; will give the Aventus a try next time I'm restocking! photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipMcWRdrrV2TMDDkBALcBCkkPjVVA9VgvFhVh22-
Mike S Either Aventus or Green Irish Tweed (But from any further distance than a meter you cannot tell the difference between GIT and Davidoff's Cool water), there is nothing wrong with having a fragrance collection, ADG is summer on a yacht through and through, but it maybe lacks some sophistication, as in, I personally wouldn't wear it to a black tie event etc. I forgot to mention, congratulations on the RO, it's a beautiful piece. Certainly a classic size and style, and who wouldn't want a sapphire case back(!). The service costs are much higher than other brands, but i suppose it is haute horlogerie.
+VIDEOSUPERHIGHWAY First off, thanks for your feedback. Back in 2011, I travelled a lot and as such simply made do with the simple point n' shoot that I had. It is only in recent times that I've invested in my photography & video gear (see my most recent vids). Fast-forward to 2016, and with 2-high end DSLRs (well, not the best of the best, but almost there) due to having high MP sensors, neither my Canon 5d3 or Nikon D810 are 4K capable. #ohhtheirony. I'm not sure if I will jump on the 4K bandwagon just yet, may be closer to the end of 2016. Reason being the much larger files and longer upload times to RU-vid. Even with 1080p, it takes RU-vid a decent while till the 1080p clip is processed. I will consider a Sony a6300 at somepoint though. Thanks!
Mike S Well with the new iphones etc.. for casual they are fine for capturing. but something like a EOS 6D with a IS prime lense would make great 1080p videos.
+VIDEOSUPERHIGHWAY I use the 70d + 24-105 f4L IS but that same lens can also go on the 5D MarkIII if needed. I tend to reach for the 70d due to the Dual-pixel AF and articulating screen.
its comparing a Mercedes to a Ferrari. AP is a much less known watch around the public but to a knowledgeable wearer you will strike a double take with the AP. don't get me wrong rolex are fantastic as well but one thing that you should be ready for is everyone asking your "is that real" there are tons a rolex replicas out there! Summing everything up its your own choice, both would look great on your wrist!
Hi Arshi, I travel to Singapore, usually at least once a year. During these trips, I tend to add a new piece to my collection. From my last trip I really liked the ION mall, which was a nice step up from the ageing Ngee Ann City. Marina Bay is quite nice as well, and a good spot for watches.
Far from it. I thought the same at first but both my pieces pretty much look brand new. Check out my flickr page under the same handle and you'll find recent photos
