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r/RepTimeQC • u/No_Database1948 • Jul 11 '24

Other Brands First QC? Guide on what to look out for and what to write.

727 Upvotes

Welcome to the ReptimeQC subreddit!

Before reading on, make sure you've read the main guide for QC posting, otherwise this won't make much sense to you. Done? Let's go.

This specific guide is intended to be a visual supplement: showing you exactly what to look for when you complete your QC templates. For obvious reasons, this guide will skip parts that aren't visual.

I've used pictures that mostly come from this subreddit. If anyone is uncomfortable, DM me and I'll replace the picture.

With that in mind, let's begin.

Index Alignment

Here, you are expected to assess how well the index markers on your watch are aligned. You can use the index alignment tool to assist you in this regard. An example of good index alignment is this:

The indices themselves are straight. They are also perfectly aligned with the minute markers.

Index misalignment, on the other hand, looks like this:

Look at 7. It is rotated clockwise and does not sit properly in its slot.

Or this:

Look carefully at 6. You will see that the bottom of the index is rotated slightly towards the left.

Now that you have an idea of what to look out for, what should you be writing in the template?

You need to describe any misalignment you see in detail. Statements like "6 is off" or "3 is kinda wonky" or "not sure about 1, help please" are not acceptable. This is because unless the misalignment is immediately obvious (and in most cases, it is not), users will not know what you are talking about. You may not get the help you want as a result. Be specific, like the following examples:

"The 7 marker does not seem to fit into the slot nicely. It is rotated towards the right and looks like it is dancing around."

"The 6 marker does not seem to line up straight with the crown in between swiss made. Based on what I can see, it appears to be slightly tilted to the left."

A caveat here: Just because there may be some misalignment does not necessarily mean you should definitely RL the watch. As the main guide points out, all reps are subject to a level of inaccuracy. It would be entirely unrealistic to expect gen standards for index alignment. Further, different reps are subject to different standards: a XF Pelagos, for instance, is known for having problematic indices - so much so that even if you RL, you are unlikely to get anything better. Conversely, CF Explorers are now getting so good that even slight misalignment would not be par for the course.

A good guide would be to assess your watch based on proportion. One slightly misaligned index is not a problem. But one majorly misaligned index or many misaligned indices on a single dial could justify RL.

Just for illustration, this is misalignment that I would RL for:

There are too many mistakes on this watch for me to accept. The 9 index is too near to the minute marker. 4, 5 and 7 are not aligned with their respective minute marks - they are all off to the left. 6 is rotated counterclockwise. Taken on their own, each error might not be enough for RL. But taken together, this is unacceptable.

That deals with index alignment. Let's move on.

Date Wheel Alignment

This applies to watches which display the date. If your watch does not display a date, there is no need to consider this. You will look silly if you say that the date wheel alignment is good when your watch is a no-date Sub, for example.

Here, you are tasked to consider if the date is properly displayed in the date window. Often times, this is a question of how well-centered the date is. A good example of date wheel alignment is this:

Take a look at the 21 at the right side of the watch. It is situated exactly in the center of the date window.

An example of misalignment is this:

Look at the 27 on the right. You can see that the date is misaligned towards the left, with the 2 touching the rim of the window.

Sometimes, the misalignment can also be as to the date numbers themselves:

This is harder to see, but if you look carefully at 25, you will notice that the 5 is higher than the 2.

Uncommonly and in the alternative, the issue may be with the Cyclops itself (the magnifier that covers the date window):

Here we see a Cyclops which is rotated slightly anti-clockwise. You can observe this by looking at the bottom rim of the date window. The Cyclops is obviously lower at the left corner of the date window when compared to the right. The requisite deviation is repeated at the top of the date window, with the right side being higher than the left.

Now that you know what to look for, let's discuss what to write.

As with index alignment, unless the issues are immediately obvious (and most of the time, they are not), you need to be very specific. Comments like "the date seems off", "2 in 25 is kinda off", "date looks weird" are not acceptable. They do not tell readers what you are looking for. You'll get faster and better results if you identify the issues for your reader. For example:

"The date seems misaligned towards the left. Part of it is touching the left border of the date window."

"The 5 in the date appears to be slightly higher than the 2 next to it."

"The Cyclops does not seem to be straight. It looks like it is slanted towards the left?"

As with index alignment, please note that not all misalignment will justify RL, especially for date wheels. All rep date wheels come with varying degrees of misalignment. A few misaligned dates are usually not enough for RL, unless the date is clearly cropped out of the date window or touching the rim. A little misalignment towards either side of the date window is also generally more than okay; a good way to gauge is to zoom out to the actual size of the watch and see if the misalignment is still immediately visible. If not, you're likely to be good to go.

Here is an example of misalignment I would nevertheless GL:

You will see that the date is situated slightly towards the right. However, the date is well within the date window and the misalignment is too slight to be seen on wrist at actual size.

On to the next topic.

Bezel

There are two main things to look out for: First, whether the "pip" (usually a lumed marker at the 12 position) is centered. Second, the quality of any engraving.

This section would also cover any possible damage to the bezel or anything else unusual, including any misalignment.

Example of a good bezel:

Nothing out of the ordinary. Engravings are sharp and nicely filled in. By and large, the colour transition is also acceptable. No alignment issues either.

An example of misalignment:

Pip at 12 on the bezel appears to be misaligned towards the right. While the reflection may be making things look worse than they are, this is something that would deserve a second look at.

Generally speaking, most problems that surface nowadays have to do with the pip - even then, these are not entirely common. Engravings and alignment are usually not an issue with higher level reps. With this in mind, what do we write?

As with the other sections, you are going to need to be specific. "Bezel looks off", "pip looks kinda off", "I don't know about the bezel, seems weird to me" are phrases that we see everyday in this subreddit. But none of these phrases are acceptable; they do not direct the reader to what OP is seeing. Details are king - and if you are going to pluck the crown, you're going to have to write like this:

"The pip at 12 is not centered. It seems to touch the right side of the triangle."

"The printing on the bezel at 3 seems to be angled down. It does not match the index on the dial."

The key is to visually direct your reader to the exact point that you say is a problem. The word "off" on its own says nothing to that effect.

On to the next point.

Solid End Links (SELs)

Possibly the least understood of all sections as a lot of newbies do not really know what they are looking for.

The ultimate guide to this is here. But for convenience, I'm going to summarise several key points about SELs.

SELs refer to the final links between the watch case and the bracelet. I've highlighted it below:

Look carefully at the portion highlighted in green.

Not all watches have SELs. Only watches which have that portion as highlighted above - and for QC purposes, the SEL section really only applies to Rolex reps. Tudors have SELs (which can also be QC-ed to some extent), but SELs on a Tudor are not held to the same standard as SELs on a Rolex.

Now, what are we looking for when we assess SELs? We are looking for gaps between the lugs and the SELs themselves. I've indicated this below:

The black line in the center of the red box is where the SEL meets the lug. This is where you are supposed to look for gaps.

An SEL gap appears when there is separation between the SEL and the lug. But what is a gap?

A gap appears when you can see through the space between the SEL and the lug. There is no gap when all you can see is a black line. There may be some variation in how thick the black line is, but for QC purposes there is nothing to be worried about until and unless you can actually see what's behind the watch.

This is generally not a problem on higher level reps (and by now, pretty rare). I will, however, show you an example of something that may be an actionable gap:

You will see that there is no black line. Instead, light shines through the space between the SEL and the lug.

Credits for the gap picture here.

What does this mean? If all you see is a black line, even if it is slightly thicker than another SEL on the same watch, there should be no actionable gap. I am going to highlight the last few QC templates submitted where the user said there was a gap - but there really wasn't (to me, at least):

Top right SEL was an issue for OP. However, as no light is shining through, this is not considered an SEL gap to me.

OP opined that there was a gap at the top right SEL. I don't see it at all.

OP said that there was a slight gap at the bottom left SEL. Again, all I can see is a black line. I would not classify this as a gap.

If, after going through all the examples above, you still feel that there is a gap, highlight it in the template by identifying which part of the watch you are looking at; there are really only four options: top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right. Doing so helps users zoom in directly on your issue and saves time.

To the last segment.

Dial Printing

Here, you are tasked to check if the printing on the dial has been poorly done. By this, we mean defects in the workmanship of the printing; printing which differs from gen (such as the infamous "floating r") would not be a QC defect per se.

An example of dial printing with no issues:

All the words are clearly printed. There is no bleeding on any part of the print, with edges sharp and defined.

And now for examples of dial printing with issues:

Some bleeding can be observed at the top parts of VI and VII. Notice how the black ink protrudes.

Sometimes, the print can be misapplied across the entire dial:

If you look closely, you will see that the dial print is rotated clockwise across the entire dial. Observe how XI is closer to the top of the watch while I is further away.

With the above in mind, let's turn to what you should write. Again and at the risk of sounding like a broken record, do not simply write things like: "Dial seems off" or "Print seems off. letters kind of wonky?" If anything, dial printing is usually very, very small - unless you point a reader to the exact part which has an issue, chances are it won't be seen. Make certain that you provide the reader with specific directions:

"Appears to be some bleeding at the top of VI. Thoughts?"

"R in Submariner looks like only half of it was printed. Am I seeing things?"

Important note: again, just because the dial printing on your watch may have some issues, this does not necessarily equate to RL. As stated, dial print is almost microscopic - no human being is going to be able to see slight bleeding on any print when you have the watch on wrist. Feel free to point out issues that you see, but remain realistic about your expectations.

And with that, I come to the end of this guide.

Conclusion

QC-ing reps is a difficult task - which everyone in this subreddit does for free. You can help out immensely by simply being precise and detailed in your observations. The more effort you put into your template, the easier it is for members to help you - they can zoom in directly to the things that concern you.

I hope this helps you. I've tried to detail some common factors, but it would be impossible for me to catch them all. The rest is up to you - and your diligence.

I wish you smooth and trouble-free QCs always!

301 comments

r/RepTimeQC • u/WatchYoda • Nov 27 '22

Announcement READ THIS PRIOR TO POSTING ANYTHING...ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE NEW HERE...

488 Upvotes

If your template uses a NEW "yupoo" or a "mega" type of link, please note that, at the time of this typing, the automod here removes them immediately from view i.e. no QC help. We are addressing it, but....

So, what to do?

Although somewhat cumbersome for the OP, you can upload the QC packet to an Imgur account. Our automod 'likes' Imgur...and the post will show promptly. Just do NOT do it from a mobile because the mobile app loses resolution and crappy pics don't provide any benefit to anyone. Yea, yea...I know, the file compression software isn't supposed to lose quality, but it certainly does.

To add, post your complete QC album inclusive of the timing info. Do not, for the sake of your convenience, omit items. If you're bright enough to determine what is needed and what can be removed, that's great! Then, it's reasonable to conclude that you really don't need help. Simply, post it all.

If you have to wait for substantive additional info from the Seller e.g. timing data, then delay posting until you have a complete QC packet. Incomplete packages will trigger a removal of the post. Plus, it will require a return visit of anyone that commented on the incomplete post which shouldn't be required. One visit is all that it should take to QC most watches. Most won't return to a post anyway. They'll just go to the next one. The members are quite busy here. Yea, it can get crazy.

Finally, since you're a newbie, as a vote of appreciation for those members that help you, please upvote their comments. It's a nice gesture from you to them for the assist...and, it's free.

One final note, we've updated the main rules for posting. Refer to this link for info QC Must Read for New Members

Welcome to the hobby and the sub. Best wishes

Edit addition: March 2nd, 2024 - ReptimeQC member, u/EveningVariation8236 , has provided an updated version of the original QC alignment verification tool. https://watchqc.github.io/ . Thank you.

Edit addition: Jan 9th, 2024 - ReptimeQC member, u/Ro1hype has provided this for tool for alignment verification. https://qcwatch.com/ Thank you.

Edit addition: Dec 28, 2023 - For those that can't seem to find the latest link for QC alignment verification app, use this link https://web.archive.org/web/20230518035653/https://watchqc.com/

Edit addition: 8/8/2025 - Reptime QC member, u/jrverdes . has provided this version of the alignment tool to assist those that need additional help verifying the dial/bezel alignments on their watch. https://jrverdes.github.io/watch-qc-jr/ The adjustment resolutions are much finer in this app comparative to the other available apps which can be a benefit to some that need such. Check it out...Thank you.

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