Geeeyejo

Lol, no not jail. One day at work, about 25 years ago, I decided that watches were too controlling an influence. Always sat on your wrist whispering "don't be late" or "you haven't got time" or worse "you'll never make it in time".

So I took it off and determined to take a much more relaxed approach to life and over the past years this approach has served me well. Interestingly, it also gave me a healthy regard for being on time for anything important and consequently I am very rarely late for anything, in fact often the opposite.

So, I have a dilemma. There is a piece that I am destined to own - a watch that I desire - I'm sure you can identify with that. However, this is balanced by a healthy fear that owning and wearing the thing can only be detrimental to my internal equilibrium. It's like, a Yin and Yang thing. Pandoras box begging to be opened.

Torment?. You haven't even scratched the surface.

Perhaps go for a manual wind watch and never wind it - even the stopped watch is correct twice a day...

Good mix of big and small there!

Thanks - unfortunately the smaller watches rarely get any wrist time - hard to go from the B&R and the Fiddy to anything less than a 44mm Pam...

Years ago I purchased reps and was invariably disappointed with the quality and reliability - hence for my 40th B-day I treated myself to a gen Omega SMP - wore it exclusively for nearly 6 years until I recently stumbled back into the rep watch world. I now have 7 reps - 4 of which are "perfect" enough to pass as gens to all but AD's and replica watch forum devotees. I get all my reps in China Town in NYC and save upwards of $100 plus plus versus most web based dealers. Sure lume is not perfect, no AR, short canon pinion, my fiddy does not have the swan neck regulator - but all are very functional works of art. The wind up Pam movements seem fairly bulletproof and I expect long life from most of these.

Looking back not sure I would have purchased the Gen SMP...

Welcome - may you drink deep from the well of replica watches...

Not a PAM I know, but WOWZA!

Where did you get it?? Nice pics, BTW.

Thanks! - actually made all the straps myself - my dad dabbles in leathercraft and I took a few scraps to play with - had to include the B&R since the strap will fit the 44mm Pams...

Ooh, yes. I've seen it before, but never realised it was brown!

A purple croc on a gen 111. Wicked.

Purple Croc - Awesome look!

Here's a few of mine:

Pam 111H on Yellow Ostrich Leg lined with Beige Lambskin

Pam 127 on Black Emu lined with Black Lambskin

B&R BR01-97 on Brown Ostrich lined with Dark Green Lambskin

Pam 92 Arktos on Black Elephant lined with Beige Ostrich

Was a little bored, so figured I'd get all the watches set together and running:

1915 Gold Filled Elgin, Gold Rolex Day Date Rep, Bell & Ross BR97-01 Rep on Ostrich Strap, 1970 Manual Wind Elgin, 1970 Westclox Electronic Transistorized, Pam 92 Arktos Rep on Black Elephant Strap, Pam 111H Rep on Distressed Leather Strap, 1928 Curvex Type Gold Filled Elgin, Pam 127 Rep on Emu Strap, Circa 1990 Quartz Bulova Marine Star, Pam GMT Automatic Rep on Alligator Grain Deployment Strap - not pictured Baume Mercier Spirit Fantasy Chrono Rep, Gen 1968 Rado Manhattan on Gen Bracelet & Gen 2001 Omega SMP Black Face, Steel Bracelet

As my collection has grown, service has become a greater consideration.

The Zigmeister is finishing preventive service on the second 7750 that I have sent his way. At this time I have at least one more 7750 that I hope to send his way for preventive service in the next few months.

The non-chrono ETAs will probably wait a few years before I have them serviced, unless of course one happens to break down before then.

Non-ETA regular (non-chrono) watches will probably be retired when or if they die.

New purchases are evaluated along with my service plans as part of my overall hobby budget.

What does The Zigmeister charge for a PM?

Ah to service or not to service. Personally I find it hard to justify the expense - since I pay $60 to $80 for my reps on the street. I just upgrade the bands and wear them. I have a gen Omega SMP that is approaching its 48th birthday this summer and is overdue service - trouble is the SMP service will likely cost several hundred dollars - money that could land me several nice reps! Hence I wear the Omega less and hopefully postpone the inevitable failure...

Awsome! Love that case back engraving! Enjoy!

Thanks - any other Arktos fans out there? Really happy with this movement so far - have not removed the caseback and not sure if it is 21J or a 7750. The movement hacks, autowinds very smoothly and so far is keeping great time... Like the domed engraved caseback as well - really adds some thickness to this model!

The 111h is likely the best rep for the money - 44mm though - pam makes 40, 44 & 47mm mostly - not aware of any 42mm models

111h

If looking for something sportier - the Arktos (Pam 92) appears smaller than it's 44mm due to the bezel and smaller dial

I like the looks of this watch and am considering purchasing it. However, prior to purchasing, I thought I'd ask if there are any negatives associated with this watch that I should be aware of? Thanks in advance for you input.

If sapphire crystal they are prone to failure. I like the manual wind Panerais - pretty reliable movements

Hitting the weekend with today's acquisition - Pam Arktos with Elephant Hide Strap:

Very nice watch - where was it manufactured? Chinese?

Just picked up this Arktos today. Nice, heavy rep - pretty accurate from what I have seen - Came on the rubber strap (cheaper one without the deployment buckle) - Not a bad deal though for $70 on the street - As soon as I got home I had to make a change. Put together this exotic number - Black Elephant hide lined with Tan Ostrich. This is my 5th strap creation. Rugged skins that match the nature of this watch - what do you think?

Thanks guys,

Whats the canon pin and also what are the series you are talking about, dont tell me apart from the different model numbers there's more to know :-)

the canon pinion is the shaft that the watch hands attach to - in the gen Panerais, the pinion is a little longer and protrudes just a bit past the hands - in the unmodded reps it is a bit recessed

The series represent different years within the series hence 111h is a year newer watch than the 111g. Over the years movements and some other changes (sandwich dial, etc) change a bit

The prior day I might have been dealing with the same guy - it was the day of the big raid and only two stores were open - guy wouldn't go lower than $80 (started at $120) for the BR01-97 - went to another booth following day and scored it for $60. Not a bad place if you know the accuracy & quality you are looking for on specific models

Makes sense - have saphire on my gen Omega SMP and haven't had a scratch in 6 years - then again no loose diamonds or diamond rings around to cause a problem...

Thanks! the Pam GMT, Pam 127, Pam 111, Baume & Mercier, Rolex & Bell & Ross are reps - the Omega & the Rado are my two "better" gen watches...

Seen some carbon fiber that look pretty cool - the Panny's also look good on the OEM type rubber straps with a deployment buckle...

Definitely not.

Breaking/popping/exploding prevalence (not tendence):

Sapphire 90-100%

Glass 0-10%

Plexi 0%

Scratching prevalence about the opposite:

Sapphire - o%

Glass -?

Plexi - 100%

lol

Noob on this board (been spending some time on one of the others) Thought I would share my collection of reps and gen watches:

All together

Old Stuff - circa 1915 Elgin 10 k GF - Driving watch? #12 where #3 usuaally is and 1928 Curvex Style Elgin 10K GF

Circa 1970 Manual Wind Elgin - note "tic-tac-toe" board crystal, Rolex President (close as I get to "Bling"

Circa 1990's Quartz Bulova Marine Star

Pam GMT, Pam 111, Pam 127, Circa 1968 Gen Rado Manhattan auto movement, Circa 1970 Westclox Electronic (cool pre-quartz battery movement with manual gears and springs

B&M Chrono Style Spirit with Auto movement, B&R BR01-97 Power Reserve

Thanks - gets alot of wrist time lately - seemed the only way to go after the Pam 127 - you get used to the big watches and they get addictive - kinda hard to put back on my Gen Omega SMP at 40mm , lol

kasigi, was it sapphire?

@geeeyjo: @80 USD your 127 hardly is sapphire -- hence also hardly going to break / pop out / explode.

No, pretty sure mine is plexi - are they subject to the breaking/popping/exploding problem?

Pays to fix it then - love those super lume mods...