New (to me) JF FC Diver - Pics

[King 0]

So I just picked up an AP FC Diver (JF V5) off M2M over at RWI.   The watch originally came from Ryan at Intime (RWI TD), on "sale" for $418 (reduced from $478).  Figured I'd share some pics and my initial thoughts on the watch.

We're all aware of the general flaws of this rep -- numbers in the inner bezel are too small, markers are too large, AR could be better, bezel screws could be more consistently sunken, case could be polished more, etc.   But all in all, it's a very good rep.   Look-wise, it would be difficult to distinguish from the gen unless you place them side by side and knew what to look for.  On the wrist, you'd never spot the differences.  The feel is very similar, too (I've had the gen on my wrist at an AP AD).  Very comfortable, even for a large, relatively thick watch.  I'm not typically a fan of rubber straps, but this one is about as good as it gets.  Case is gorgeous, finish is well done -- tried to capture this in the pics, but difficult to do -- and the watch feels very solid overall.  JF did a great job on this one (even though they still have a hard time aligning the batons, grrrrrr! -- you'd think they'd be able to do that easily, particularly on a grid dial, but I guess not ...).  Surprisingly flashy for a black watch as well.

My biggest (and really, only) problem with the watch is the movement.  I just don't like the miyota at all.  Feels dinky, like a wind-up toy or the old A7750s you used to see in reps.  But it keeps good time and I know they're generally reliable.   I just prefer the ETA clones of yore.  Plus, this one has the noisy rotor issue.   Any attempt to wind or set the time is an easy tell.

Also should mention that the inner rotating bezel is a bit gritty and has some play in it, unlike the gen, which clicks over as smooth as silk.  But at a cost of approximately 1% of the gen, I guess I can't complain too much .

In sum, despite the minor flaws and issues with the movement and inner bezel, the JF FC diver is a solid, beautiful watch.  Definitely worth the price of admission.

Now for a few wristies:

[reppin 0]

is it lightweight like the gen?

[rudehack3r 0]

So I just picked up an AP FC Diver (JF V5) off M2M over at RWI.   The watch originally came from Ryan at Intime (RWI TD), on "sale" for $418 (reduced from $478).  Figured I'd share some pics and my initial thoughts on the watch.
We're all aware of the general flaws of this rep -- numbers in the inner bezel are too small, markers are too large, AR could be better, bezel screws could be more consistently sunken, case could be polished more, etc.   But all in all, it's a very good rep.   Look-wise, it would be difficult to distinguish from the gen unless you place them side by side and knew what to look for.  On the wrist, you'd never spot the differences.  The feel is very similar, too (I've had the gen on my wrist at an AP AD).  Very comfortable, even for a large, relatively thick watch.  I'm not typically a fan of rubber straps, but this one is about as good as it gets.  Case is gorgeous, finish is well done -- tried to capture this in the pics, but difficult to do -- and the watch feels very solid overall.  JF did a great job on this one (even though they still have a hard time aligning the batons, grrrrrr! -- you'd think they'd be able to do that easily, particularly on a grid dial, but I guess not ...).  Surprisingly flashy for a black watch as well.
My biggest (and really, only) problem with the watch is the movement.  I just don't like the miyota at all.  Feels dinky, like a wind-up toy or the old A7750s you used to see in reps.  But it keeps good time and I know they're generally reliable.   I just prefer the ETA clones of yore.  Plus, this one has the noisy rotor issue.   Any attempt to wind or set the time is an easy tell.
Also should mention that the inner rotating bezel is a bit gritty and has some play in it, unlike the gen, which clicks over as smooth as silk.  But at a cost of approximately 1% of the gen, I guess I can't complain too much .
In sum, despite the minor flaws and issues with the movement and inner bezel, the JF FC diver is a solid, beautiful watch.  Definitely worth the price of admission.
Now for a few wristies:

Ive got this same watch and the inner bezel rotation being gritty is my number one complaint. Not that I’m a diver or anything to be using it all the time, but it doesn’t feel at all solid when rotating. Wonder if a movement service would fix that...


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[King 0]

If you asked the horologist to clean and lube the inner bezel works as part of the service, it might improve the action.  I've never taken mine apart, and so I don't know what's causing the issue.  If it's just dirt/grime, then a cleaning could help.  But if it's ill-fitting/misaligned gears, then probably not.