projectologist

Just got through studying the pics more... you did a really great job on fine-tuning the case shape. Love the aging on the hands too. Really visually solid builds with very convincing aging. Doesn't look overdone

Most AD's (where I got mine) and the Boutiques stock them as they are part of the regular catalog now. MSRP for the 24mm version is $230 usd (same as the calf straps). May be a small price increase in April. No, it is the CG that came with it. I sharpened up the inside corners, then flattened and polished the lever pin as described in my OP. The H factory CG's are so easy to work on...

If you mean CG to case fit, mine is flush. The lever pin was slightly raised, and now it sits very slightly below flush per gen.

The brown dial really pops when the light is right. Indoors it's not as obviously brown but those Pre-V style gold hands make up for it.

You'll be impressed with how comfortable the Assolutamente strap is the first time you wear it. Congrats!

Just leaving the studio for the day and when I stepped into the late afternoon slightly overcast Cali sun I noticed it really emphasized the brown-nicity of the dial and vinty lume. Most of the daylight hours are a much cooler light temperature that turns auto set WB's toward blue, but when evening approaches the light temperature warms up considerably and my iPhone's WB delivered. In-person it was a much deeper brown, but in the pic it's lighter due to the non-AR side of the xtal reflexting a bit of the hazy sky. I wish the dial and lume looked like this the rest of the day... most of the day it looks like the second pic Also, I fixed the CG pin. Most of the H factory CG pins are ever so slightly rounded and screams rep for those of us afflicated. I popped it out, chucked it up in my pin vise and proceeded to flatten it with progessive grits and a final polish. Now it's dead flat with a mirror finish and re-installed just slightly below flush with the top surface. I is happy now

Try the out of state AD's so you don't have to pay sales tax. All current AD's and Boutiques are listed at the Panerai website with phone #'s. And Boutiques usually ship for free.

Great review and photos! Appreciate the time and effort you put into it. Looking forward to more like it as your collection grows

Utter BS. I just bought 2 more last week (the most comfortable strap OP has ever offered). Plenty of AD's that are just a phone call away (they ship). I wouldn't trust what a seller on ebay has to say about a strap being hard to find if he's putting a $100 premium on it for no other reason than to rip you off. The rep version does not hold up very well.... especially the stitching. Here's mine after 2 months of daily wear on another watch and transferred to this 390 the other day when it arrived...

If you're willing to spend that much, then why not get the OEM strap that comes with the gen 390. Msrp is $230 from any AD... Here's the XL version which you will need for an 8" wrist.

Well it sounds like you have a FGD dial that has been re-lumed. Crystraly and jagged isn't like gen, it's a sign of unskilled lume application. I think you're best bet would be to put up a WTB for a untouched FGD 201/A dial. When you receive it, you can get a nice finish on it by applying Tamiya TS-79 clear-coat. It will give you a gen-like subtle texture and sheen. Your off white hands are fine for your build as those would be the right ingredient for what is referred to as a non-matching version of the 201/A watch. So you are good to go on that. For a CG that will be fine you might check with DSN and order one of his newborn Pre-V CG's. Although not exactly 1:1 it has the "look" that says Pre-V. Good luck on your project!

My favorite...

Waiting until I meet up again, hopefully tomorrow or lunch this coming week. Will take pics and let you decide

Not really way off. Sausage in respect to that it's raised above the dial surface, in this case only slightly and not as domed as on as 005 for instance. Differences are so slight that they can only be noticed on a macro level. Last time I was out in public I didn't run into anyone with a jeweler's loupe As far as the color being darker, I didn't see that when I got a chance to see the gen today. Could be the lighting one of the posters was under when he made that observation. Also, you have to factor in inconsistent lume application with reps in general. QC is not something the factories make priority-one

Congrats.... one of the best reps ever!

This one is from the H factory. They have been known to rise to the occasion from time to time tominjo is right... OEM strap that's included with the gen 390. It has a couple of months of patina on it.

Be afraid... be very afraid Seriously, all I've got to look forward to working on with this one is refinishing it after it's got a couple of scratches from desk diving. After my 201/A project is done, I'm not sure what I'm going to do... LOL I've have a local friend with a gen 390, so a side by side comparison will happen soon... stay tuned! Hopefully it won't burst my bubble with this one. I'm holding off final judgment based only on random pics for comparison.

A couple more using my ghetto set-up... Camera+ and iPhone..

sausage lume perfection

Thanks guys... it's crazy when I think back a couple of years and how much time and money I would spend to end up with a watch like this... now it's just a click away for under $300 and you're essentially done.

Arrived to day... THANKS B!!! Geez this is nice. I've been whining about the lever tip and a couple of other anticipated mods but now I don't feel any compulsion to do them. The overall fit and finish of this one is so good I don't care Well executed gold Pre-V style hands and a flattened CP???... gimme a break Edit... Close-up pic of "6" post #8 Sitting in my car on my lunch break after putting on the Azz strap... Some more iPhone pics, the sausage lume is just right, not flattened and very close to gen. Using the iPhone app Camera+...

At this point after 5 years of the watch running without issue, I wouldn't touch it BTW, your franken is THE ONE that got me started with this aspect of the hobby. We've come a long way as we see with the OP!

Gen is a front loader and uses tabs and screws They are also there to keep the stem and dial in proper alignment.

Looking at the above pic I noticed both movement tabs and screws are missing.

Good eye. The dial's surface does indeed look like porcelain. Very glossy as well as the lettering. I've been going a little crazy trying to capture it with a pic