Help Authenticate This AP Titanium Buckle Pls

[Porsche-ah]

Hey guys,

Recently just purchased this used buckle. I was kinda quick to pull the trigger because of a fairly good price. Basically I want to put a rubber strap on my 42mm ROO Panda and did want to pay over 600USD for a new buckle.

On with the pics... Any insight would be much appreciated!
*My main concern is the shape of the side profile.











Thanks in advance!

[maciej]

The finishing of the edges looks a little off compared to my 44mm titanium buckle, it doesn't look like it's chamfered like mind. Also the shape of the side profile doesn't look as distinct as mine, looks more rounded and less pronounced. Although I don't have a buckle from a 42mm to be able to definitively say it's authentic or not, best I can do is compare it to mine which is obviously for a different watch.

[Porsche-ah]

Originally Posted by maciej

The finishing of the edges looks a little off compared to my 44mm titanium buckle, it doesn't look like it's chamfered like mind. Also the shape of the side profile doesn't look as distinct as mine, looks more rounded and less pronounced. Although I don't have a buckle from a 42mm to be able to definitively say it's authentic or not, best I can do is compare it to mine which is obviously for a different watch.

Thanks for the reply!
I think the 44mm and 42mm watches use the same size buckle. I'm just not sure if there are different versions (Old to new)
This used buckle looks refinished so the edges may not be as sharp as before.
Does the AP logo on yours look the same?

[HK Islandboy]

The edges don’t look sharp enough. I could draw blood, if I scratched someone with the top edge of my TI buckle.

[P2725TMB]

The genuine AP buckle and higher end fake ones are pretty much identical nowadays and I think you'll have a hard job telling them apart, to be honest. Either way the one you have seems to have been well used.

[Andy0331]

Apologies for the poor pic, but here's mine for reference. (J series, 44 carbon).

As noted above, the edges (in side profile, anyway) are much sharper on mine.

[Andy0331]

Duplicate post

[Porsche-ah]

Originally Posted by Andy0331

Apologies for the poor pic, but here's mine for reference. (J series, 44 carbon).

As noted above, the edges (in side profile, anyway) are much sharper on mine.

Thanks for the photo!

Can you compare yours with my logo (Spacing and shape) and the side profile I have circled?





thanks again!

[Porsche-ah]

Originally Posted by HK Islandboy

The edges don’t look sharp enough. I could draw blood, if I scratched someone with the top edge of my TI buckle.

There are some sharp edges (Underside) but I'm sure this buckle has been refinished and by doing that it has lost some of it's edginess.

Originally Posted by P2725TMB

The genuine AP buckle and higher end fake ones are pretty much identical nowadays and I think you'll have a hard job telling them apart, to be honest. Either way the one you have seems to have been well used.

Thanks for the reply. That's a scary thought. I was aware that this buckle was well used... As long as it's OEM AP I'm ok with that.

[Doctock]

I went through a similar "is it authentic" situation on a strap and buckle with a pre-owned AP Diver I picked up last spring from a well known reseller.

After a bit of discussion, and input from APSC, there was enough concern that I was sent a brand new, in blister pack, AP buckle (and 2 new straps).

First of all, the buckle you show looks a lot like factory/ OEM.
Second, the original questionable buckle and strap remain in doubt (as they were never sent to AP as far as I know) but the "story" was that the changes noted (strap not correct length, buckle not fine edges) were due to the original owner using the watch in saltwater (OMG! A diver actually in the ocean!).
Finally, do not forget that if ANY question about AP authenticity, bring/ send the piece to your APSC - and an AP Service Center ONLY! (NOT a boutique/ remaining AD)

[jkater1]

Originally Posted by Porsche-ah

Thanks for the photo!

Can you compare yours with my logo (Spacing and shape) and the side profile I have circled?





thanks again!

The spacing looks right.



Mine comes to more of a point on this second part.



Sorry for picture quality, have a hard time getting the focus to work on my phone for watch picture.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Andy0331]

Hopefully this is a bit better.

[korneevy]

The audacity of AP getting away with charging $600 (for real? Six hundred dollars!!!) for a machine made, stamped out piece of titanium that costs $20 to make is astounding. Thanks to crazy prices like that, these high end AP fake accessories are everywhere - it’s not difficult to make them, the Chinese pretty much perfected them over the years and even AP service centres will struggle to tell OEM from fakes. I get it, AP is a high end brand etc etc etc but price these buckles at $150 from the boutique or do direct online sales, you still stand to make at least $100 on each one of them, no one will take risks buying from eBay etc for the sake of saving a few bucks and you’d capture a revenue stream that is currently not there just by being nice o the AP owners and pricing your accessories fairly. The insane pricing delivers none of these things, except funding the fake production plants in China.

[jkater1]

Are they really up to $600? I contacted AP Clearwater back in April inquiring about a new clasp or tang buckle. I was quoted $364 for a new tang buckle and $694 for a clasp.


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[Porsche-ah]

Originally Posted by jkater1

The spacing looks right.



Mine comes to more of a point on this second part.



Sorry for picture quality, have a hard time getting the focus to work on my phone for watch picture.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Really appreciate the pics!

Here's a pic I found on DavidSw's site...



The "AP" is different in terms of the feet. square/straight cut vs flowing/tapered.

This is giving me a headache lol!I think I'm going to bite the bullet and buy a new one from the AD.

[jkater1]

Originally Posted by Porsche-ah

Originally Posted by jkater1

Originally Posted by Andy0331

Hopefully this is a bit better.

Originally Posted by Porsche-ah

None of these appear to have the same font.







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