Is OCTA Factory the same workshop as APS Factory?

Which name does the workshop use now?

OCTA. APS, APSF and APS Factory are the older names, and they stay on this site because they are what people search for. A page that says APS Factory and a page that says OCTA describe one workshop under two labels; there is no second supplier hiding behind the second name.

What did the rename change?

The name, and nothing in the build. The references, case dimensions, movements and the QC step are what they were before: a 41mm Royal Oak is still a 41mm Royal Oak, and the IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Blancpain families on this site are quoted on the same basis as the Royal Oak line. A rename is not evidence of anything by itself, which is why we confirm each reference with the workshop rather than treating the name as the proof.

How can you check it is the same workshop?

Three things travel with the watch and all three are photographed: the reference number, the movement family visible where the case back is open, and the bracelet or strap code. Those frames are taken after payment, on your watch, and sent to you before dispatch. If a page or a seller cannot show you those three, the name is doing work that evidence should be doing.

Has OCTA closed, or is it closing?

Workshops in this trade do close, and word that a factory is being shut down travels online long before it is true. What was read as APS Factory closing was the workshop being renamed to OCTA, not a closure. That is why the status of the exact reference is confirmed with the workshop before anything is charged, and why a reference we cannot source is marked as such on its page instead of being taken as an order.

Does the name affect price, shipping or returns?

No. The figure is the same whatever the page calls the workshop. Shipping is a flat $50 worldwide and tracked, with duty and customs clearance covered to the United States and Europe. Box and papers add 100; the parcel gets heavier, so shipping becomes 65 with one set and 125 with two. Returns run 14 days in unchanged condition, and every watch carries a 2-year warranty.

Which references on this site come from OCTA?

The Royal Oak 41mm line first: the 15500ST and the 15510ST. The catalogue also covers Royal Oak 15400 and 15450, Royal Oak Offshore, Royal Oak Chronograph, Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar, Royal Oak Openworked and Gem-Set, Code 11.59, and the IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Blancpain families. We do not carry Rolex, Patek Philippe or Richard Mille.

Is OCTA the same as APS Factory?

Yes. OCTA is the current trading name of the workshop this site has listed as APS Factory and APSF: the same references, the same build line and the same QC step.

Why do some pages still say APS Factory?

Because that is the name most buyers type. Both names appear here for one workshop; changing the label on a page does not change the watch on it.

Did APS Factory close?

No. The name changed to OCTA. If a page tells you a workshop closed and cannot name a reference it can still supply, treat it as a rumour until the reference is checked.

How do I confirm a reference is available?

Name the reference and we confirm availability and the figure with the workshop before anything is charged. We hold no stock list, so this is done per order rather than from a published count.