Leaderboard

It has been some time since I purchased another Pam rep, and as I own the 5218/203A, it seemed redundant. Not so. This watch is every bit as well made and gorgeous as it claims to be. The DLC/PVD finish has a pearly gleam to it, the raised, superblu lumed dial gives it a historic authenticity, that the Paneristi were seeking to pay homage to the gentlemen whose passing prompted the creation of this watch in his honor. A little more about that... The back story of this watch is that it was created and designed with input from the Paneristi.com forum moderators and other Panerai collectors/enthusiasts. The other part of the story is that this watch was created in memory of a Paneristi.com community member who passed away and went by the moniker WWBBQD or simply "BBQ." When the 360 was announced, it was decided to nickname the 360 in memory of this departed and honored paneristi.com community member hence the nickname BBQ is synonymous with the 360. RIP BBQ.... What makes this watch controversial and near impossible to find anywhere is the method by which this watch was distributed/sold. THIS WATCH WAS NOT SOLD IN RETAIL STORES OR THROUGH AUTHORIZED PANERAI DEALERS. In order to get this watch, you had to be CHOSEN to receive this watch. The official process was to submit your name in a random lottery and be specially chosen to receive this watch. Although no one in the Panerai collectors community was surprised over who actually was 'chosen' to receive this watch. In any case, according to Panerai, Over 2500 people entered this lottery and only 300 people received this watch!!!! BUT WAIT THERES MORE!!!!! What really fuels the fire and makes this watch such a powderkeg waiting for a match to blow this thing up is that the Paneristi.com watch trading forum prohibited the advertising or resale of this watch on their watch trading forum citing that resale of this watch at a profit would somehow besmirch the memory of BBQ. SO NOW YOU'VE GOT THE WHOLE STORY AND KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THIS WATCH TO BE DANGEROUS (and have an opinion)!!!! As far as I know, this is among the first BBQ PAM360's to be posted publicly for sale - For whatever that is worth......I am certain all of the Panerai forums will be buzzing with this news tomorrow along with rampant speculation of who the original owner/recipient of this BBQ 360 really is. Here is a photo of the gen. The rest are my new 360 in a gator strap. ] Of all the Pam reps I have owned, this is by far the most authentic in appearance, detail, lume, craftsmanship, and asthetics. Truly a beautiful, and accurate timepiece. Good work Andrew.

I agree that you should never judge a book by its cover but honestly whether the person is dressed elegantly or like a homeless person it typically becomes fairly obvious pretty quickly. When was the last time someone tricked you into thinking he was poor when he was rich or you stumbled upon a rich man cleaning up your dishes or parking your car. .

Capt_MJ I gues by the lack of response, its not a good watch! LOL LOL

Before coming to these forums, Rolex would be my obvious choice. Now, I guess it depends on a wearer and the context. A local grocery store owner near our home wears a Breitling, which I'm sure is a rep. On a second thought I don't even care if it's a gen - it looks fake on him. If you are going hiking, don't wear you Portuguese, if you are serving tables, don't wear your Patek. Even if it's a gen you got as a present from your grandfather - it's a fake. Reading through these forums I've come to appreciate a well executed rep as much as a gen. I believe that to replicate a fine watch to the smallest details takes as much energy and ingenuity. I respect a brand, but today I respect the watchsmith more. I don't think I care if he's a Swiss guy working for Panerai or a member of this forum modding and remodding his Speedmaster. In short: "wear your watch well" - is not a cliché.

The Swiss movement doesn't have that notch on the jewel. It's suppose to be a solid disk. Sometimes those dealers mix and match parts but from that pictures it sure looks Asian to me.