Leaderboard

First of all a big thanks to Toro Bravo for a lightning fast delivery and smooth transaction. You can't go wrong with him and he is definitely on his way to being one of the best dealers throughout the boards. So here it is guys. My review and opinion on the new p3000 clone. I will not go into the watch itself because member Ale has done some very extensive research and has aded all the info to his 'panerai bible' so look it up. I will start with a short 'management summary' before I continue to the pictures. This movement is not based on an existing movement. It has 2 barrels and the movement design mimics the genuine p3000 design. It is however completely different. Genuine parts are absolutely not interchangeable. I have never taken apart a genuine p3000 so I can only go by internet pictures. If I would have to set my money on a manufacturer of the p3000 clone it would be the factory that produces the IWC Jones movement. In terms of finishing and design I get the same vibe. Besides both barrels the movement was oiled properly and clean. Parts were finished well according to rep standards. Some plating issues here and there and discolouration of metal. But when dealing with Chinese movements this is normal and it does not affect long term reliability. The p3000 clone was easy to take apart and is absolutely serviceable. Getting it back together is a different story. The gear train is extremely wobbly and the gear train plate very difficult to assemble. You need a special tweezer in order to reach all the gears and align them properly with the jewels. It was perhaps the hardest bridge I have ever had to install. Especially because spare parts are non existent. So if you break one little pivot say bye bye to the movement. Also because most jewel holes lay very deep it is almost impossible to see what you are doing when oiling them. Even with a 10x loupe you are almost working in the dark... But when finished this movement runs like a champ and I see no reason why it would be any less reliable than an 6497. I think this p3000 clone is on par. I can not yet comment of the power reserve as I immediately torn the movement apart to review but I suspect it will reach those 72h without a problem. The details: When I first saw the p3000 when it came out a couple of weeks ago I was very excited. The p9000 clones could not get my motor started as they did not clone any of it's functions. Only the aesthetics was looked after with some decorative plates. A pig in a dress or whatever you want to call it. But this new p3000 clone however was a whole different story. I could clearly see this was not based an existing movement (e.g. 7750/ 6497/2824 etc). So I did not hesitate and ordered one right away to review... Upon arrival I could not take my eyes from the back. The movement just looks gorgeous. Nice detail inside case back They even hid the ugly movement tabs underneath the pretty ones lol. Before taking the movement apart I put it on the timegrapher. It runs at 21.600 bph and the amplitude was ok but rate and beat were off. As this new movement has a free sprung balance (so I thought) I was a bit terrified as regulating it can be a b!tch. However upon closer inspection I noticed the rate stud hidden order the bridge. Thank god! That means the stellar screws on the balance are for show and this movement can be regulated like any other. Here you can see it more clearly with the decorative plate removed. An incabloc shock absorber which is also very reliable. Solid bridge and underside balance view. Clean "POL" engraving underneath the balance. No clue what it stands for. The oiled barrel jewels Look at the 3 layered dial!!!!!.... That will need a special canon pinion right? Huh?.. That is a deep hole. No special canon pinion but special hands. So forget replacing them.. Here you can see the base plate with the dial removed. Nicely finished and clean. No date option and a normal keyless which has some grease... Some part close ups.. Here is the barrel bridge removed. Nice and solid. The 2 barrels exposed The underside of the barrel bridge (I used foil with this movement as the brushed plates are prone to scratches) Barrel 1 (clean but not oiled) Barrel 2 (clean but not oiled) Here you can see both main springs. The barrel 2 mainspring is longer. Here is the gear train. Completely different than the gen p3000 with a aded pinion to transfer the power to the top of the movement: the canon pinion (= minute wheel) The pinion I'm talking about Other parts are also well finished Final shot on the timegrapher taken a hour ago after full service and regulation. Performing like a gen ... Here is a genuine p3000 (pictures from Google search) and you can see the similarities and differences in bridges and gears. Well that was all folks. Hope you liked the review. Based on my findings I would say the watch is definitely worth the extra $100. Although not a 100% the same in appearance and function as the p3000 it comes very close. Maybe the closest we will ever see? It is a reliable movement and it will give you that extra dimension of a genuine feeling. I'm still testing it so unfortunately I can not yet comment on the power reserve whether it actually is 72h. But I think it will come close. Tanks for reading Mark

Well it's New Years Day here in Oz (8:30am) so Happy New Year everybody let's all make 2014 the best year yet. Ken

Same to you mate and all our great members, here's hoping 2014 is a cracking year for all of you

Happy New Year RWG!! Gonna break out some old iron today, they've been languishing in the sock drawer for too long while the Big Gonzo gets all the wrist time. Start with my birth month/year watch Then to the Heavy Metal And finish up the year with something classy

Nice watch and welcome to the forums! The comparison between the 16610 and 116610 shouldn't be to make comparisons rather the contrasts. They are different in most every way except for the base movement. The bezel rotates using a different mechanism hence the different feel and sound. The weight on the 16610 is lighter due to the hollow bracelet and the stamped sheet metal clasp. The TC is pretty spot on afaik, minor tells that would take an expert to spot (like most of the guys on the forums). Both reps are gen style construction true to their gen model counterpart. Congrats and wear in good health!

TC V6

If you want a really, really good one, get in touch with mymanmatt, he's the master of the Rolex Datejust and Day/dates. He can build you one with a genuine dial, genuine crown and genuine bezel. They will stand up to scrutiny anywhere. Here is one he made for me a while back. As you can see the case is not engraved with any markings. if you fit it with the Rolex President bracelet, which Matt has as well, you cannot see inside the lugs, so no one will ever know it's not a genuine case unless the bracelet is removed.

Can't wait to hear more about the teardown! Got mine form Toro also today and the movement feels rock solid!

After a year apart, my 6263 twins --not quite identical-- are back together again.

Yes it's a 21j I think I will do some mods ..