sssurfer

No need for [bad or good] feelings. Go zen.

Awesome!

mind telling us what you did to it?

interested in a step-by-step process in how you achieve that awesome look

Same here.

1000$ transformed in watches and PALP crowns!

That's a good thing... I'm going to suppose I have to give one kidney of mine in order to get any Palp's crowns...

i thinkk he ment just the clasp, not whole bracelet.

Ok I'll be more specific (I was just in doubt on whether posting a link to a dealer's page was a good thing or not):

Andrew's deployant buckle

EDIT: ok, got your point, buy deployant and take one pusher out

Yes it is on Andrew's site (page /Panerai/Accessories).

Some on ebay too.

Anyone heard form PAM in these few days?

I made the payment for 2 pieces and then hear nothing from him again despite sending PMs in last couple of days.

Nope.

I PMed him four days ago and the PM has been read, but no reply so far.

I would definitely buy from TTK (and I actually already did it on two occasions). He is a standup guy and a very competent one. Just follow his instructions to the letter not to make him nervous, he hates time wasters and those who can't even properly read what he writes.

Even if you piss him off, TTK will respect your dial, if any -- but one thing is having to do with a good-hearted TTK, a completely different thing is to bear with a pissed TTK.

On the contrary, I'll never use WU again because of their scandalous fees and because they even gain from currencies exchange. If you are not going to use the same currency requested by TTK (e.g. USD instead of GBP), that is a thing you should take into account.

Hi Dadog, unable to see the pics here.

I noticed there's a '/upload/' in their address. Perhaps that is the address to upload pics, not that to see them?

Same on all other recent threads of yours about the subject.

Behaviour

[6] - Anything discussions regarding politics and/or religion in anyway will be closed or deleted unless determined to be pertinent by admins/mods.

Is this pertinent? To replica watches? Or what?

Just on the note of different movements, my AD tells me Panerai changed from OPI/OPII to OPXI mov't (S/N reg, CDG etc) from their 000 and 005 H-series onward.

Only the first G-series of Base Logo and Marina Logo should come with OPI/OPII...I guess that makes it even more interesting to gen collectors. And if you happened to be lucky enough to get one of the first 80 'long arrow' 005 G-series - even better!

Interesting.

My official 2006 OP catalogue still tells OP II for the 005 (as well as OP I for the 000).

Naturally it would not make for the first time that OP say BS on their catalogues.

'Nuff to say that the first catalogue sporting logo models is exactly the 2006 catalogue, while those models were made since 2004...

Try using chemical means rather than physical means.

Lume paint is done with a thinner, so any thinner (acetone, 'avio' solvent, or so) should help in removing it.

I just wonder what kind of lume you stumbled upon, as I removed the lume off from my sandwich dial in a breeze...

Sure it will make a difference. Brightness and duration are related (to a certain extent) with the thickness of the lume paint.

If you double the lume thickness you might find troubles in re-fitting the hands on the dial. Been there, done that...

Great and bold project, congrats!

Just get rid of that logo.

As for the crystal, have a look at cousinsuk, they have tons of different crystals. Maybe you may find a domed glass that fits the need.

Only the movement. OP II in the 005 and OP XI in the 111.

OP XI has swan neck regulator and redesigned bridges.

sssurfer: OK. I'll concede that your first posted pic has "better" hands, and your second pic definitley has a "better" crown guard and your first pic I think has a "better" font. I think if you put the tiny hands on the second watch, you'd have a real "winner". I love the dial numbers on your middle yellow one. And the top yellow one has a certain "charm".

I have to admit it's a very long time that I am collecting and studying this kind of... err... uuhh... this kind of objects.

I posted a thread on them on the 'old' RWG, but then I got a whole bunch of new... err... uuhh... items. Maybe I'll post them here too, one day or another.

I love the dial numbers on your middle yellow one.

In my excitement I forgot to post pix of the movement and buckle.

....

It seems you made a better deal than me.

Well, maybe I'll see if fliplockbuckle can mod this thing for me.

it seems that the yellow pannie fantasy has a lot of sex appeal in that yellow dial

Maybe that guy had some other hidden quality too...

Wow, almost perfect! Congrats! (And a nice addition to my collection of pics of the worst PAM reps, thanks!)

Only three details to go to the 1st prize: hands, bezel and crown guard (I have to admit I too never found a watch sporting 100% on all details together though).

E.g., hands and crown guard should look more like this:

And here is an example of a 'better' bezel on a similar watch:

This is THE FAMOUS LUMINOR URINA. Congrats!!!

Don't let the yellow strap foolish you, this watch is not really yellow face.

Here are three versions of the true-and-only Luminor Urina:

Maybe this other pic could help too. Some details are out of focus, but other are more visible than in the former pic.

I have a low-cost 104 from Josh that looks exactly the same as your watch but runs perfectly.

You did well by sending it back.

Would you mind to let us know where did you get it from? (PM me if you prefer). Thanks!

I suppose you already have this?

Just be warned: I found it declared as a 176 pic, but OP 6570 is a classic OP number for the 116. I am unsure whether OP used that number for 176 cases too.

I too am a little bothered by the small date window of some of my watches, but I never had the nerve to actually do what you did, being too scared about ruining the dial (I also took in consideration some kind of square hole press/puncher rather than a file, in hope that it makes neater borders).

Maybe that your experience now makes me bold enough to have my own try at it. Thanks for sharing!

Now the text looks a little too dark, doesn't it?

Just kidding... It is perfect now, congrats!

(I just still wonder how you could be able to airbrush a dial and leave any text untouched...)

Probably. But look what is paid for the watches these crowns go on. Do you think you can get Pre-V parts from PAM?

Now I got a little confused. What have Pre-V to do with this thread? Don't they belong to that other thread? (which is awesome as well!)

And for those you who thought I was nuts to buy these crowns.

I still think you were nuts to buy those crowns.

But I have to admit the result is awesome! Congrats!

Perhaps not a "Hair gun" but I am 100% sure that a good ole' canadian tire heat gun (one used for shrinking heat shrink) would do the trick just fine.

Ubi mentioned this technique in the Rolex area and I just might try it.

My problem will be realigning the cyclops... I would not want have to remove and replace the cyclops 2 dozen times just to get it spot on.

Marking the center (or the contour) of the cyclops on the opposite side of the crystal with a magic marker before removing it will help a little -- but the perfect alignment has to be made at sight.

Moving the cyclops to realign it usually leaves small bits of glue around it that need to be removed. I am still experimenting about the best way to remove them (whether before or after curing the glue with UV light)*. Ideally, one should cure only the glue that is under the cyclops leaving the outer one soft in order to better remove it. But I wonder how this can be done. Maybe with an UV laser like those of dentists. But they are expensive, and there is a very good chance that light reflection, refraction and diffusion by the sapphire or glass will make it unuseful.

Where would one purchase UV Glue?

*Edit:

Verified right now. The best way is to remove the glue residuals after curing.

Somehow the UV glue hardens only where it is not exposed to air -- i.e. between the crystal and the cyclops. Glue residuals around the cyclops remain soft and they can get easily removed with acetone.

On the contrary, removing residuals with acetone before curing exposes to the danger that acetone seeps between the crystal and the cyclops.