16710 Pepsi F Series

[jcatt]

16710 F series no holes Pepsi. Looks like the bezel is aftermarket, but other than that it all looks legit to me, including the serial and reference engraving, and the laser crown etching- which are not in these pics.

Does it all look good to you?
CATTMAN

[springer]

Looks fine. Insert, as noted, is not genuine.

[jcatt]

Originally Posted by springer

Looks fine. Insert, as noted, is not genuine.

Thank you for your feedback, Springer!
I am very happy to have this one.
Re. the aftermarket insert, were the incorrect 2's the tell, or do you see something else amiss with the insert?
CATTMAN

[ALF61]

How can you guys tell the insert is not genuine ?

[jcatt]

Originally Posted by ALF61

How can you guys tell the insert is not genuine ?

In this case, the easiest "tell" is that the "2"'s are wrong. The top of the curl extends further than the base. And the "22" doesn't follow the curve of the bezel perfectly. I will get a genuine insert when I get it serviced, but for now it's not bothering me at all.
JCATT

[springer]

Originally Posted by ALF61

How can you guys tell the insert is not genuine ?

Visit the reference section. There is a lot of good info there.

Here's a thread on GMT inserts - to include fake inserts

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=462474

[breitlings]

here is my issue. Why would you go aftermarket on the bezel. They are cheap and visible. What else isn't real rolex on this watch?

[jcatt]

Watch has been authenticated by my AD.
I hear you- you raise a legitimate concern that would have dissuaded me had I not done some pre-purchase homework, including researching the seller, their return guarantees, the PayPal remediation policies, etc.

That said, there are many reasons for an aftermarket bezel: ability to very inexpensively change the look of your watch- all black, black/ red, blue/red, and now even black/blue. It also enables one to easily replace a lost/ broken/ scratched one inexpensively. I'd venture that most owners don't know/ can't tell the difference between a genuine insert and an aftermarket unit. Just reading this site tells you that. Just a few posts above someone asked how we knew the insert was aftermarket- not an unusual question here at all- and these are the most caring of owners.

I personally would spend the extra to get a genuine unit from the RSC or AD, but I can see where someone else wouldn't bother or care enough to do so. My guess is that the seller or last owner changed it at some point from all black to pepsi because pepsi is today more desirable and easier to sell, and most buyers would only care that the watch/motion/dial/bracelet are authentic, wouldn't know it's an aftermarket insert so wouldn't negotiate the price down by a couple hundred bucks to get a genuine insert. I did.
JCATT