The Forged Carbon Diver (Diver Bee). 2.5 Months into ownership (a review)

[FightOnSC!]

It’s been roughly two and a half months since I’ve come into owning the Forged Carbon Diver from Audemars Piguet. It’s usually at the two month mark that I feel like I’ve really gotten to know my watches so I’ve become accustomed to thinking about and writing about my pieces critically at this point in my ownership (although I needed the extra two weeks or so to get my ass around to writing). This particular watch, affectionately known as the “Diver Bee”, has become a favorite in my collection, and below I will explain why.
First, some background: This is actually my second Diver. I purchased my original Stainless Steel Diver in May of 2012. As many on this forum have come to find, it’s a particularly loveable watch. The Diver lineage is one of the finest in the Audemars Piguet family. Its versatility is simply unmatched in my humble belief. I wore my Stainless Diver everywhere, and it’s accumulated a few “love marks” in its first full year of ownership under my guise.
The Forged Carbon model was different enough in my eyes to be in the same collection as the Steel version without being repetitive. Sure, to the uninitiated it’d be easy to think, “you already have one Diver, why wouldn’t you get something different?” It’s pretty easy to see that while they may be the same watch on the inside, everything about the outside is different.



The Forged Carbon material and the Ceramic bezel was the draw for me. While the Steel version was my “go anywhere, do anything” watch, I was accumulating blemishes at an alarming rate. Coming from a Ceramic Rolex GMT-II, I got pretty spoiled with the durable ceramic bezel and the abuse it can withstand without showing wear.
My first foray into Forged Carbon was with my purchase of the ROO Ginza in August of 2012. When I got accustomed to how durable and light the watch was, I knew it wouldn’t be my last Forged Carbon piece. When I purchased the Ginza I thought “this is going to be my last purchase for a while…” and it was. At least 7 months had passed (for me, a long time) before I lusted after another watch.



I had the good fortune of coming into the Forged Carbon Diver somewhat by chance. I had decided with an upcoming trip to Tahiti that I wanted a durable Dive watch. I had seen that Audemars Piguet had created a Ceramic Diver and that particular piece really caught my eye. I dialed up Oscar (bodybump) to find a BNIB Submariner-Ceramic because for its intended purpose and from a price point perspective, it just made more sense to pursue the Submariner over another Audemars Piguet (collecting AP’s becomes quite expensive). I received the watch on a Wednesday, and was content enough (I admit, it wasn’t anything special, it was simply a tool watch for me), but on Thursday I got a frantic text. “Bro, I have a Forged Carbon Diver from AP for a great price”. Being weak to temptation and “enabling”, I asked if I could return the Submariner and wire him cash (the cost to benefit ratio of the AP vs Rolex clearly gone out the window).



Sight unseen (never handled a FC Diver at an AD) I had made a transaction that involved returning that fresh Submariner for full purchase price. Friday morning, FedEx delivered this Yellow beauty to my door. (by the way, if you haven’t done a deal with Oscar, you’re blowing it. Nicest guy, and he’s quick. Fair pricing, and will do what he can to make a deal happen for you comfortably). In a span of 48 hours, I had bought and returned a Submariner for another Audemars Piguet (a sick obsession). The best part about the deal was, I got the Forged Carbon Diver for a price that was similar enough to the Ceramic Diver’s. At the very least, if I didn’t like it, I could flip it for a profit I thought. (my justification, but I knew there was no way I wouldn’t love the watch).



The Yellow and Black contrast was very cool off the bat. I will admit though, I didn’t know how I could make yellow match the clothes I wore. I typically dress in very black or white fashion. Bright colors aren’t really my thing. But as the days passed, I grew fond of my black and yellow timepiece. It slowly became my everyday watch.


The titanium parts used on the watch are what make it more casual in my opinion. It adds some life to what would otherwise be a very “black looking” watch. Unlike my Ginza which is a very “black looking” watch, the Diver has more of a casual and sporty look. The yellow accents probably a big portion of why it has that certain aesthetic. It really disguises its price tag well. I get compliments for “how cool it looks” rather than “oh wow, that must be an expensive watch”. I love how under the radar it is, but still exudes a great deal of cool. I’ve always had a fascination with the original Chrono Bumble Bee ROO, but felt that it was too showy or “loud”. Perhaps something I could purchase when my collection was a bit more “complete”, but the yellow in this watch definitely gives it a bit more of a purposeful look as a dive watch without attracting the wrong kind of attention.



Every day that passed, when I looked down at my wrist, my grin just got bigger and bigger. I became less interested in making the watch “work” with a certain outfit or look. Quite honestly, this watch just looks good in general. No matter what I wore with it, the watch complimented the look. As a result, I’ve worn it everywhere. Concerts, Las Vegas, nice dinners, the beach, the post office, you name it, it’s been with me. It’s held up particularly well. The forged carbon and ceramic combination offers so much peace of mind that it’s worth its price tag and then some. We all love our watches, but let’s be honest, we are all a little worried about blemishing our wrist-wear. Forged Carbon and Ceramic eliminate those petty concerns. I’m an active person with an active lifestyle and I wouldn’t think twice to wear my Diver no matter what I’m going to be doing that particular day.

It just wears so comfortably. The tang buckle and Diver strap are my favorite. I’ve fitted my other watches with the same combination because the comfort just can’t be beat. Given how light the watch is, there isn’t one thing about the whole thing that is uncomfortable. It’s so light you forget it’s on your wrist. It just becomes a part of you. Due to the forged carbon case, the sound of the inner portion of the watch working can be heard. I think that’s pretty cool. I find it particularly amusing when I’m driving on the well paved roads of Los Angeles (yeah right) the vibrations of the road translate to the watch and you can hear the insides working and moving.



In full disclosure, it did take a trip to Clearwater, which I did post about some weeks ago. The 3120 movement found in this watch is the same as the Steel Diver and the ones found in the Royal Oak line. I had what AP calls a “rebanking” issue that needed to be rectified by putting in a weaker spring (I had been gaining time, about a minute and a few seconds a day while resting, and about two minutes if I had been wearing it). It was after the watch came back that I really developed a deeper appreciation for it (not to mention, it only gained half a second over the 5 day course of wearing it upon it’s return…it keeps as close to perfect time as it can get in my book)

In short, if you want to own a Forged Carbon piece that has a little bit of heritage, as well as a sporty aesthetic, I think the Forged Carbon Diver is a winner. It’s now my every day, do everything, go everywhere watch.

[Hairdude1]

Greats pics and writeup

[Lange1]

Where did you buy the AP Ginza ? Do you think it still available, I think only 200limited edition .


Sent from my iPad u

[FightOnSC!]

Originally Posted by Lange1

Where did you buy the AP Ginza ? Do you think it still available, I think only 200limited edition .

purchased it from the Audemars Piguet Tokyo/Ginza Boutique.

I made a similar review here https://www.rolexforums.com/showthre...t=ginza+review

Watchcollectinglifestyle.com also wrote about my Ginza here http://www.watchcollectinglifestyle....offshore-ginza

enjoy

[singe89]

Great review. Got to say the diver bee is really growing on me. Didn't like the yellow at first but its got all the great attributes of the SS diver plus a FC case, ceramic bezel and Ti parts...awesome watch.

[Demonoid]

Jason, great review. Thank you for sharing. I wanted to ask you: You mentioned being worried about how to be able to manage your wardrobe with this watch. This has always been my main concern with the yellow screaming out every chance it gets. And also, how different is it really to your steel diver? I mean, is it really justified? I ask you because I have the ss diver and some of the things you mentioned have been my concern. Getting a second diver? For more money?

Thanks and again great piece.

[benlee]

Excellent review! Thanks for sharing.

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by benlee

Excellent review! Thanks for sharing.

x2!!

[HKRolexFans]

Thanks for the detailed review and it certainly reinforced my belief to get one FC Diver over the stainless steel one. I hope I can echo your review soon. cheers

[Glenn422]

Don't dunk it! It is only splash proof! Just kidding

I love it! Looks similar to my BBee at a glance but I like the dial more on the diver :)

[travisb]

Thanks for the nice write up and pics! Great watch!

[dsk28]

Wonderful review jason, I was mulling over the FC Diver before ending up with the 44fc. Now the diver is on my mind all the time, and I do not know when I will get over it!

[joeshen90]

Nice review!

[diver2012]

Good review, cheers.

How do you decide between this and the Ginza as both are very similar models?

[nick c]

Awesome review

[nishant]

Excellent review ... Made a great read !

[gummy]

Jason

Great post!

I have just added the FC Diver to my "list". I really like the way the yellow pops in your pictures!

My favorite picture on your post was the concert pic...Looks like everyone is grabbing a picture of the concert and you went for the AP FC Diver wrist shot - classic.

[csi-n]

Nice review Jason. Thanks for putting it together and sharing.


Sam (another 'SC grad)

[FightOnSC!]

Thank you all for the kind words. Being that I wrote this post in the middle of the night in California, I'm sure I rambled a bit and my punctuation and grammar was horrible, but I am humbled by the support and positive vibes from you all.

I will attempt to answer some of the questions posed below:

Originally Posted by Demonoid

Jason, great review. Thank you for sharing. I wanted to ask you: You mentioned being worried about how to be able to manage your wardrobe with this watch. This has always been my main concern with the yellow screaming out every chance it gets. And also, how different is it really to your steel diver? I mean, is it really justified? I ask you because I have the ss diver and some of the things you mentioned have been my concern. Getting a second diver? For more money?

Thanks and again great piece.

Concerning the yellow and it "screaming", well, it does but it doesn't. It's not like the Chrono-Bee in that it's extremely yellow. it's got "pops" of yellow. from a far it looks more or less like a black watch. I think the little bit of yellow makes it more casual and since dive watches come with yellow hands and bezels at times, it just makes it more sporty. it's really a non-issue. it's a fun piece.

and about wardrobe? I was kind of hung up on that at first, but I think yellow and orange are such bright colors that to make your wardrobe match your watch would be a fashion no-no anyway. I don't know about you guys but I don't wear bright yellow shirts. If anything, my wardrobe consists of shades of grey for the most part. I'm not an east-coaster so it's not like I wear a lot of pastel colored polo's or anything (sorry for the generalization, that's just how i tend to imagine people from the east coast in the summer). I'm a black, white, or grey V-neck kind of guy or button downs in similar shades. But again I stress: no need to make the watch match the wardrobe. It doesn't attract the wrong kind of attention anyway so if it stands out a little bit, so be it, it's a deserving piece!

about how "different it is" or how I justify owning two divers: well man it's pretty simple: One you can wear decently carefree (forged carbon), and one is susceptible to nicks and dings.

I've written about this in another post where someone was trying to decide between the material of his future Diver but it really comes down to how active you are. I am decently young (27). I like to live an active and adventurous lifestyle. I appreciate and love fine watches more than any other material possession a man can buy. But as much as I love them, certain pieces just won't stand up to the way i carry on in life. I hate feeling like i am "babying" something, but given the price tag of these timepieces, i feel like if i wasn't being cautious about how i wear them, then i'm simply blowing it and reducing its value by exposing it to wear. the Steel Diver is one of my favorites, but it can now take a break and enjoy a little more of a subdued and pampered life given that I have another watch I can wear to concerts, while traveling, and so forth now. the Steel diver will find an act 2 in my collection: nice lunches, nice dinners, cocktail parties and so forth. the Carbon version will now be attending: parties, concerts, camping, marine activity, surfing, and so forth.

from a visual standpoint, I think the stainless steel version is quite flashy in a sense that the polished portions of the bezel reflect a lot of light. the ceramic bezel on the forged carbon creates a more muted look. elegant yet sporty. I don't think most expect a black watch to be an expensive one, so in that sense I like that I can wear it and feel pretty low profile.

Originally Posted by diver2012

Good review, cheers.

How do you decide between this and the Ginza as both are very similar models?

the Ginza is reserved more for night time outings these days. Since the Ginza is more black in appearance (lack of yellow and lighter titanium accents) but still maintains a little bit (subtle) bling factor (jewels on the 7 o'clock and rose gold accents) I wear it more at night or more formal occasions. To give you an example, I recently went to Vegas. During the day and at the Pool, I wore the Diver. At night for the clubs and dinner I wore the Ginza. I typically won't wear the Ginza now a days unless I have a black shirt on, or at the least, black jeans on and a darker shirt. (i used to wear the Ginza with everything anyway, I'm a fan of black)

Originally Posted by gummy

Jason

Great post!

I have just added the FC Diver to my "list". I really like the way the yellow pops in your pictures!

My favorite picture on your post was the concert pic...Looks like everyone is grabbing a picture of the concert and you went for the AP FC Diver wrist shot - classic.

funny you notice that. I like to take wrist shots to commemorate the occasion or the activity. Coachella Music Festival is one that is mostly outdoors. Given that it is surrounded by desert mountains and the grounds themselves are lined with art and interestingly clothed people, it always provides a nice backdrop to any sort of photography. also, the lighting can be pretty fantastic. I'm sad I didn't take more, or that more didn't focus properly, but I did want to show that I wear this watch fearlessly, and concerts can be pretty rowdy and there's definitely a lot of bumping into people or objects. whenever i felt my wrist tap something or something tapped my wrist, i wouldn't sweat it.

this might also be a useless fact but the Electronic Dance Music scene has quite a few fans in the AP brand at least in terms of the artists who produce the music. some of the biggest names are usually photographed with a rather large Swiss watch on their wrists as their mesmerize the crowds...

[FightOnSC!]

Originally Posted by csi-n

Nice review Jason. Thanks for putting it together and sharing.


Sam (another 'SC grad)

Fight on brother! PM me sometime if you wanna talk Trojan

[kilyung]

Well written, Jason, and dead on in your assessment. Gotta get one myself soon.

[Bigbadbns]

Great review Jason. It's always great to hear people journey to acquiring such precious timepieces. The story always make the watch more personal.

Go SC!!!

[craniotes]

Spot on, brother! I was considering doing a write up of my journey to the "Diver Bee" as well, but thanks to your review, it's now a moot point.

Seriously, though, there's definitely room in a collection for both the steel and FC Diver, and indeed, if I had been able to, I would've kept my steel Diver. That said, when the FC Diver is on my wrist, the last thing I'm thinking about is the steel version; yes, it's just that amazing, and for all the reasons cited. Additionally, the internal bezel mechanism is much improved, with more positive clicks and zero slipping; and the case positively shimmers in the sun. Add to this the fact that no two forged carbon cases feature the same pattern and you've got yourself an incredibly unique and capable timepiece.

As for matching with my wardrobe, I wear black, so it fits just fine (I don't know about other "East-coasters", but New Yorkers wear black regardless of the season; it's in the contract ).

Originally Posted by kilyung

Well written, Jason, and dead on in your assessment. Gotta get one myself soon.

Yes, you do.

Regards,
Adam

[benlee]

I already own a SS diver but I am actually thinking of adding the FC diver, not so much bec it looks better ( no, the SS still look the nicest for me ) but for it's scratch resistance and wearability. But on 2nd thought, maybe It make more sense to get the Bee instead.

[texex91]

Loving the write up! Thanks for thoughts.

[h999r]

Nice duo ! congrats !

[Jim12345]

Great review, and great photos

[FightOnSC!]

Originally Posted by craniotes

As for matching with my wardrobe, I wear black, so it fits just fine (I don't know about other "East-coasters", but New Yorkers wear black regardless of the season; it's in the contract ).



Yes, you do.

Regards,
Adam

haha this is true, i imagine people on the cape and in the Hamptons wearing these light colors and tennis outfits. ive only been a few times and my observations there stuck with me i suppose, apologies adam!

[Rashid.bk]

Love this write up. You covered exactly the concerns I have in buying a watch. The durability of this watch seems exactly what I've been looking for. Thanks for posting.
One thing's for sure after this write up, the FC Diver is officially my grail, at the top. Also that I'll stop looking at photos because the only way for me to afford it would be sell my GMTc and Deepsea, so a two for one, yikes.
Amazing pictures, what did you use to photograph it.

[kilyung]

Originally Posted by kilyung

Gotta get one myself soon.

Originally Posted by craniotes

Yes, you do.

Stop that, Adam!