The Ginza...a Month and a half into ownership

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I always enjoy reading posts from people who have owned their watch for some duration of time after ownership. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an in-depth review, but just some words to describe what owning the watch for a period of time has been like. We all have preconceived notions before purchasing a watch. We all have certain expectations. Most often I feel (on this certain subsection anyway) people are truly satisfied with their purchase. There are also the few unfortunate cases where people are unsatisfied or decided to sell their watch. Below is my account of having the privilege of being one of the few owners of the Ginza edition. I’ve had the watch for almost a month and a half now. It’s nothing too in depth, but just my experience and the things that I love about it. (yes, this is a positive review).



In my first post about this watch, I shared the story of how I acquired it. In short, I first heard of the watch while reading a magazine in Japan a while back, then researching it further on the internet. I go to Japan for work every so often, so I saw it in Tokyo at the AP Boutique and fell in love with it. After going back to the States I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I’d just sit and look at the article that talked about the watch and stare. I knew I had to go back for it next time in Japan. Perhaps the extra effort and the inability to acquire it stateside makes it that much more special to me, but the watch also has some significance tied in with the Tsunami/Earthquake that affected Japan in March of 2011. Being half Japanese, this piece stirs up a bit more emotion in me than my other AP watches or Rolexes.


I never knew how much joy a watch could bring me until I acquired this one. There’s something about this Ginza that is special. My first AP brought me much joy, but this one tops it. First of all, there is nothing better than Cermet/Ceramic. Although I’ve gotten over having to “baby” my other AP watches to the extreme, I was still cautious since the bezel on Offshores (in steel) because they stick out so much that it is just asking to get nicked or dinged. It’s been over a month and this watch shows no sign of wear whatsoever. The bezel in perfect condition, as is the case. Even after going to parties, football games, traveling a bit, it is still flawless.

The dial on this particular offshore has no tapisserie detail. It is a smooth dial. Somehow I didn’t notice this while at the boutique. I was perhaps just too mesmerized by the other details that it just completely slipped past me. By being smooth it lets the other details sing. The delicate and thin rose gold border on the subdials are fantastic. I really wanted an AP with some rose gold on it, and the diamond encrusted “7” is fantastic. I was worried the diamonds would be too much, but from a distance it looks metallic, and not a detail that one can notice until close by. Even non-enthusiasts have given me compliments when I sit down to talk with them or dine. They don’t even know what kind of watch it is, but tell me it’s beautiful or love the subtle accents and details. (always give me a big smile)

The watch originally came with crocodile, but I switched to the rubber that is found on the Rubberclad models. This change is what has made it into an every day, everywhere kind of watch for me. It is very comfortable and really brings the watch into a more casual look. The dial has the glamorous details, so it is still very much a going-out type of watch. The versatility in terms of being able to dress it up or dress it down is fantastic as with most AP pieces. My go-to piece for every day and everywhere prior to this was the Diver. Although the Diver might be a bit more versatile in terms of the outfits you can wear with it because of the steel bezel and case, unless I am wearing a lot of light or pastel colors (which is very rare), I find the Ginza looks superb with almost anything. I am usually a jeans and a darker shirt kind of guy (or plain white T) the Ginza almost always finds a way onto my wrist (and a big smile ensues).

One major detail to me, although small in size, is the date wheel being in black with white numbers. One thing that I cannot get over is the white wheel with black number on the Bumble Bee’s dial. I love the BB, and still someday plan to own one, but this has always been the one detail that turns me off, which I am so glad they went the opposite route with on the Ginza. The white pops as a smaller accent, and the date wheel just blends in with the dial otherwise. Much of this watch is very stealthy, and that is just one of the stealthier details that I love. It’s not the type of watch to scream for attention, and I like that. The details are noticeable up close, and I think that’s how it should be (ok, I still do have a big soft spot for the Bee and the attention it gets, but that’s for another time in my life…).


Much like the Panda, the Arabic numerals on the dial are in a darker (almost black) tone, so I wasn’t expecting much performance in terms of luminosity, but to my surprise, the lume works way better on this model compared to my Panda. Although you won’t get much brightness out of it when holding it up to a lightbulb, if you have it in natural daylight and come indoors, the lume is very noticeable. I don’t know if and when AP will step up their game concerning lume, but it’s not that big of a deal. Though I do wish my Diver retained its glow a little bit longer... but that’s another review.

One potential complaint other buyers may have is the lack of contrast between the gray and the black in the second-hand sub dial at the 12 o’clock position. It’s not very legible, but I rarely ever used the second-hand on my Panda to track time, and it won’t be much different with the Ginza. That is what the chrono feature is for!

Had the Ginza not been available, the obvious other choice was the 44mm FC ROO that is available. I visited my local AD numerous times to look at it and try it on, and a part of me still thinks that there are enough differences between them to justify owning both the 44mm and the Ginza, but I think the Ginza would just get too much more wrist time to justify owning the 44mm. The Ginza is considerably more money than the 44mm, but I think it’s money well spent, and since a portion of it goes to relief efforts in Japan, you can somewhat feel good about the money you spent being used partially to help those in need (it’s a great excuse to make that final push towards purchasing it perhaps).
Us watch enthusiasts are a nutty kind…even after acquiring the watch that you thought would be THE watch, our minds and hearts naturally wander toward what might come next. It’s a familiar feeling and one I experience quite often, but this one has captured my attention and my heart the longest of any other previous watch I have owned. There’s a pre-existing list in my mind which naturally points to the next one I wish to acquire down the road, but this Ginza here has made me in no rush whatsoever to go out and acquire it… If you couldn’t tell, I am absolutely in love with this piece and can never, ever in any way ever foresee myself selling it in the future. Thanks for taking the time to read this super long, not-too-in-depth or enlightening review of my Ginza.