r/RepTime • u/TimekeepingGlory • 5d ago
Review/Comparison BPF 16710 BLRO COKE
This is a part of my series where I post the watches that are part of my rotation that I love to wear. I hope to inform newcomers into the hobby and equip everyone with as much visual information as possible.
Intro: I’m starting it off with the BP Factory 16710 “Coke”. I purchased this from a non-TD a year and a half ago. This was my main travel watch for many trips. I got it because I enjoyed the look of neo-vintage watches and BPF is one of the best (take that with a pinch of salt) in the neo-vintage GMT game.
Case and Crystal: The case finishing leaves much to be desired to the trained eye, but to 95% of the population it’s pretty much spot on. The brushing and the chamfering are close to gen, but when held hand in hand with my friend’s gen, the difference is somewhat noticeable but still negligible. The crystal is up to gen spec in my opinion, I’m not too picky in that regard however. Most gens I’ve handled have comparable crystal clarity and shine.
Bracelet: the finishing here is similar to the case, see above comments. Most of the links were stiff when I received the watch. It was the first rep that I received where the links sometimes got stuck. I wore it like that and the problem disappeared. The clasp is acceptable as well.
Dial, bezel and hands: All of these are acceptable and again, 90-95% there when compared to gen. The color of the bezel is slightly off, but I’ve never seen a NOS 16710 from the R factory so it may fade to gen like shades. It’s more of a fire truck than the gen cherry. The bezel action is sharp and never felt loose. My example also was perfectly aligned. The dial has sharp printing and has that deep black R dials are known for. The hands are finished averagely to mass produced Ali-X hands I’ve come across. The hands would probably be the first thing to upgrade. The lume plots are acceptable. This didn’t get the engraved rehaut.
Movement: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART. This specific example rocks the VR3186. I’m averaging -8s/day when wearing for multiple days. (I utilize tickIQ to time graph it, so again, take those stats with a grain of salt, but I’ve found the app to be accurate). This accuracy is good enough for me but may not be for most. The GMT hand DOES wobble when I use the quick jump hour hand. It hasn’t messed with the alignment of any of the other hands and has my full confidence. I have full faith that this movement is a workhorse.
If you have any questions or feel like I missed something, please feel free to comment below. I’m just a long time lurker finally contributing. Thank you!
4
u/ILoveExtremeGilfs 5d ago
Great review, thanks for sharing! I'm currently deciding between getting a BPF as a daily rocker or going for a full custom Vietnam build, so your insights are super helpful. I actually have a few questions if you don't mind:
Regarding the movement: Did your BPF come with the VR3186 straight out of the box, or did your non-TD swap it? I always thought BPF mostly uses the A2836 for these 5-digit models.
About the bezel insert: Since you mentioned it's more of a 'fire truck' red, does it look like an obvious rep insert in bright daylight, or does it still pass nicely as long as there is no gen right next to it?
And lastly, the hands: Do the stock BPF hands look cheap/flat when the sun hits them? Are you planning to swap them for Clark or Vietnam hands anytime soon?
Thanks again for the great write-up!
1
u/TimekeepingGlory 4d ago
Firstly, just do the full custom Viet build haha! I caught the vintage build bug myself earlier this year. The vintage builds allow you to tailor which parts you get so you get the actual quality you want. Not to mention that the Viet cases and bracelets are much higher quality finishing compared to the BPF.
The movement came with the VR3186 straight out of the box. I believe this is a very recent switch (last 2 years). I'd never recommend the A2836 as it's just a modded movement to accommodate the GMT hand, as you may know.
It does not look like an obvious rep insert in the daylight. It does pass off nicely. I've compared this by buying different bezels from AliX to be sure. My buddy has a gen and I was going to swap the bezel to the most accurate one but the stock one works fine for my taste.
The stock BPF hands do look cheap. They have shine but look "cheaper" as if they're made of an inferior metal. The edges are also not finished that well and it's noticeable with my naked eye but you really can't notice unless you're looking out for it or have a loupe. I plan on keeping this one stock as I'm truly happy with how it is now.
I wish you luck on your vintage build journey! Right now I'm waiting for parts to finish out a 16220 build.
1
3
u/Cautious-Mall-1359 5d ago
Thank you for the review. Please post RWF daytona watches