Hackworth
32
AP Marvel Watch - Truly an abomination (IMHO)
Was invited by Shanghai AP to their AP x Marvel launch event & party and got a chance to see the watch in the flesh (steel?), and I have to say AP may have f*cked up big time on this one. The Marvel partnership seems strange and literally "cartoony". Having just acquired a few concepts and tourbillons lately looking at this watch and partnership something just does not feel right in the gut of the AP owner and lover. 
The black-purple color combo is on the distasteful side, but what's the worst is the numerals and tachymetre ring - looks truly like something out of a McDonalds happy meal. And the choice of Marvel Hero seems quite random - perhaps the horrible color combo could've been avoided with something like Thor? Black Panther also has a rather politically (correct) backdrop carrying a "woke" theme (I guess that's a thing these days?)
And of course, they got the local celebrities to shill and compliment the watch but their facial expressions were hardly convincing. I understand perhaps AP calculated the market size of the Marvel fanbase, but also perhaps the Marvel fans with enough moolah to buy this watch may have good taste actually? We'll know after a few months to a year after reference prices start surfacing on Chrono24.
- Hackworth
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AP Marvel Watch - Truly an abomination (IMHO)
Was invited by Shanghai AP to their AP x Marvel launch event & party and got a chance to see the watch in the flesh (steel?), and I have to say AP may have f*cked up big time on this one. The Marvel partnership seems strange and literally "cartoony". ...
Thanks for the live photo.
I have now owned and enjoyed AP over 20 years. The brand has done many daring things over that period, and this collaboration is the latest. I have 0 interest in comic related things, but am not offended with this creation at all. Does not diminish the br...
I would like to echo the sentiment...
Many owners will enjoy owning this watch and why not, variety is the spice of life.
I agree Michael 100%
I think it's one thing to vent about negative feelings about this collaboration - but to "dump" the brand is definitely over-reactionary. The Marvel partnership as a one-off thing will not hurt the brand in any way. However if they continue making poor ch...
Lost in all of the negative comments are some incredibly cool features on that watch.
The corner ribbing, the guard assembly, the numerals and clean tach. This watch could easily be rendered with a more common AP type dial and people would go crazy for it. I never saw the BP movie, but I would enjoy seeing this carved detail up close. I'm ...
The nautilus yacht "owned by Thierry Stern" was as fake of a news item as it gets.
Back to the topic, nobody can argue with the commercial success Francois has brought to AP. By looking into the future and ignoring the past, not without a cost. The fact that one has a choice to not own AP is not a defence of everything that they do. Als...
The ribbing on the lugs indeed is super cool. By the way I recommend you do watch Black Panther, great movie...
as for the watch, Fun Piece, out of my league though, Congrats to the Lucky Owners. PS: Remember how people reacted to the Shaq, Jay-Z, a collab with a Japanese martial artist, and even Arnold's baby mama scandal. Reeks of elitism and superiority complex ...
Things go unnoticed and ignored when an awkward presentation and marketing overshadows.
Just like with the Code. Craftsmanship and detail is always there for AP but they clearly lack genuine ideas and design on the front and seem to completely fail with their marketing.
We all tend to be...
overly defensive of the brands we like. I am not “offended” by this Marvel watch and it hasn’t changed my opinion about the APs I own and love either. But let’s face it: the watch is awful and so is the overall concept of this cartoon collab. It’s short t...
thanks
with this live photo, definitely not for me. A watch seen IRL makes ALWAYS the difference.
Not for me..
but if you like why not. I'm sure it'll be impeccably finished and key details will look sublime under a loupe but these collabs have a hint of naff about them at times. Anyone else think the same?
I have honestly reserved judgement for this watch...
I looked at it, thought about it, and look at it again. Couple of interesting things to note.. Since the Black Panther actor Chadwick Bosemen (apologies if I incorrectly spelled this) recently passed away, that may greater pique the interest in a watch of...
IMO things like watches first impression and feel is paramount ;)
There's a type of instinct in watch collectors/fans that have developed a taste over time, If you have to "digest" it and "make" yourself like it that requires more than a week or so, probably something's not right
I think there is often a "this isn't for me, therefore it is bad" idea among watch collectors.
AP has in the past done a good job of reaching out to new, different, younger, and more diverse audiences with their watches becoming popular with rap stars a decade ago. This is important because the market for mechanical watches will otherwise dwindle e...
Not a watch for me
But then neither are most other AP's as I have no history with a Boutique or AP AD my chances of getting any regular Royal Oak's or even the Off Shores at retail within the next decade are virtually non existent. I may be be able to get a Code 11:59 or so...
+1 well said. I wud add most ppl here seem oblivious to the mindset, sensibilities and passion of collectors who ascribe to these fictional/religious characters. Hand engrave a Japanese anime, or Indian God or Arabic holy verse. Most ll be surprised how..
...many records will those ltd pieces break. Largely Untapped market. May seem cheap tacky chintzy or abomination watever to us but unsuccessful it won't be.
Sure, a balance of demographic/audiences doesn't hurt
But too much appeal and relevance to rappers and hiphop over time may turn off other audiences. AP will definitely gain some new fans (as well as off-put some existing ones) with peices like this
It's a bold piece - but does it have a global audience?
I was pretty surprised that the Black Panther watch auction winner was based in China. I don't recall Black Panther being that popular or successful in the China box office, so do you think this model will be interesting for collectors in China or anywher...
Many auctions are won by Chinese buyers ;) There's a certain level of irrationality in the market
when it comes to luxury/art and more outliers due to population, but the feedback in general from the Chinese watch circle (me being a part of it) is a lot of head scratching.
I'm still waiting for 11:55 and 6:30 pictures,,😅😅😅😅
I guess some collectors like you are not happy to see their high complicated models "downgraded".
Lol... is see you looked at my Instagram page ...
Just included the dickture here too
Having previously owned a couple AP's
the steel 15400 and an ROO Diver, this is a silly collaboration, IMHO.
I think whats going through peoples minds is total confusion...
...as AP are considered part of the "Holy Trinity". Being part of that elite group, it's fair enough to ask "would Patek/Vacheron collaborate with Marvel...?" and I suspect we'd all suggest not. Citizen has made a fantastic Marvel collaboration as we woul...
Completely agreed, and confusion that is unlikely to dissolve anytime soon
The "Would Patek/Vacheron do this" is a perfect analogy
And once it’s 10.55 hrs... it will only get more weird
Yes the black panther has a HUGE .... ( you know what ) 😂 ...
Same money, how many people would take the black panther over a triple split? I'd have to be able to lose $150k between the couch cushions before I think of spending this much money on this kind of watch... and that's the rub...
How does producing this kind of watch reflect on the AP brand, on it's values, and on who it wants it's customers to be? This doesn't represent everything AP is but nor is it an insignificant statement of how Francois sees the brand and it's relationship ...
I really like this watch. Here's why:
1. It mashes together two stand-out pieces of modern culture 2. It upsets conservatives just as Gerald Genta did in the 1970s when he designed the Royal Oak 3. It does what GG did again in the 1980s when he put Micky Mouse, the Pink Panther and Popeye on ...
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I enjoyed reading your post :)
I'm not an AP die hard fan and won't be able to speak up on how AP fans will react etc. And not that I can easily buy this watch too so my comments won't mean much. For me, this watch does not appeal to me design wise. I do feel the Marvel collab is not a...
I won't go so far
to call it an "abomination". But yes, I don't like it and I think AP made a big mistake. It's a very well made but ugly like hell watch, and how can anyone at AP not noticed that the hands, especially when they are aligned 24 times in a day, strongly rese...
Speak for yourself. I don't buy for image AT ALL.
I do buy purely for the watch, that is all that matters to me. I also don't feel the watch is an F-U to me, and I have collected them over 20 years now.
Really?
LOL... so the brand on the dial does not matter to you at all? That's a first for me. Of course I am speaking for myself. You sound so defensive. Perhaps not to you but if this is not a "F-U" to most collectors, how you explain the overwhelming negative c...
Yes, really - the brand on the dial does not matter to me.
I buy watches I like for me. Not to impress anyone or be in a club with others. And I was buying this brand long before the current craze. You stated: "When we buy into a brand like AP, it's not purely just for the watch itself but also the brand image". ...
Buying a ‘brand’
doesn’t necessarily mean you want to ‘belong in a club’ or ‘impress others’. Besides liking the watch (of course!), it can mean you trust the brand, both technically and, why not, that you align with its design language. Imho, if AP keeps the current appr...
I'm merely saying I don't care if a watch says AP or Laventure
I really don't, and anyone who really knows me would agree.
Ok then. At least we are 2!
Most of my personal friends who collect watches are the same too.
I hear you gents...
and I of course respect that view. But caring for the brand and the overall design language of the brand do NOT equal to just ‘caring for what other people think’ or ‘wanting to belong to a club’. I do care about the brand’s overall design preferences reg...
Also per interview with FHB...next release of Marvel model in 2024?!?
If the interview is right, they are timing releases with the origin stories, next in 2024. If true, that is a very very long cycle until the next model come out. Maybe cooler heads will prevail and we will see the long term impact of this collaboration? A...
It's a gutsy move, I'll give 'em that!
Looking into my crystal ball, AP will have the last laugh, along with all the purchasers. Remember the early Daytonas that were a flop? Who's laughing now?
Commercial success is a different matter
I do not believe that commercial success of a model should be equated to horological excellence. Many models can have astounding sales due to ambush-marketing coupled with short term trends. But they lose their relevance over time and have limited nostali...
When you think this very company used to supply Patek P. with
calibers, movements, parts etc...around 150 years ago... So sad..
How I wish they did something sensible
.. AP could have demonstrated their serious horological strengths by way of a true collectors’ dream machine, in the light of some scintillating offerings from Patek ( 5236); Lange ( Lange 1 perpetual; Triple Split); Chopard ( Quattro Spirit 25); Vacheron...
A year or two ago, I was seated next to a twenty-something woman at a cantina . . .
. . . who, while trying to make small talk, said something on the order of, "So who do you like better, DC or Marvel?" 🙄
How sad that most here only see the world through an octagonal steel lens
I’m new to AP from an owners/collecting standpoint, but I’m a seasoned collector. I’ve been fortunate to actually handle and try on this new AP Concept watch (note the word Concept) and whilst it’s not something I would personally buy or actually wear it ...
Your point of view is understandable
“Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”, they say. And so it is ; and hence subjective. One important aspect though is the viewpoint of the great majority of AP collectors + fans who have strongly expressed their sentiment against this particular offering...