ubiquitous

You can always try to tone down the finish of the V1 with a cape cod. I did this with one of my davidsen PVDs and the color went from a chalky black to a slightly sheen gun metal grey.

chieftang hit the nail right on the head. Karma, baby. However, knowing you A, making the right decision and walking the walk is just your way of life. No question. Good stuff!

Stunning!

Mon: Tues:

I'm not sure which post that was, TJ. Might you have a link? (I tried searching for his post, but didn't find much that was easy to quickly identify...)

The closest to a ladies' size Sub is the Tudor Mini or Ladies Submariner. So, they make one; just not with the coronet on the dial.

The reason why I ask... From the referenced archive review for Pre-A and T-SWISS-T Panerai: The Second Pre-A OP 6502 Series; Pre-A's with Prefix "A". Immediately after the 1000 Historical collection Luminors and Luminor Marinas, and well after the 400 numbers reserved for the Mare Nostrums, around serial number BB 971400, a second series of Luminors and Luminor Marinas saw the light of day. Again, in total, 1000 OP 6502 PAM 001, 002, 003, 004, 009 and 010 were planned, but this time only about 300 watches were actually made. The second series of a 1000 watches (or to be more specific 300) is known as the pre-A series WITH prefix "A". Is this contradictory? Not at all, see the above comments by Dirk Grandry. While these watches do have prefix "A", they definitely are pre-A models. They can easily be distinguished from regular A-series models by their serial number. Again, there is a consistent logic between the BB-number and the millesimation number. For all Luminor Marinas within this batch (PAM 001, 003 and 004) it is even easier to tell. The millesimation format for pre-A here is A0XXX/1000, where for A-series Luminor Marinas the format should read AXXXX/1500. This is the reason why it is possible to have a PAM 001 Luminor Marina with an A-prefixed millesimation of a 1000 pieces. In the regular A-series ONLY Luminors (bases) have a millesimation limited to 1000, while of the Luminor Marina A-series, 1500 were made. Likewise, an "A" prefixed Luminor with a matriculation number higher than 300 cannot be a pre-A watch. [ picture #14: Example of an OP 6502 case back with prefix "A". ] For pre-A OP 6502 watches with prefix "A", the last four digits of the BB-number or serial number minus 1400, should equal the four digits of the millesimation number. Format: BB 97XXXX

Ahhh, yes. The 6500 would be best for an early Pre-A, but wouldn't those use the thicker lug/case Pre-V case? I thought 6502 was the one I needed for a later series 2 Pre-V 'A-Suffixed' thinner case? Or am I splitting hairs?

NICE pic! Absolutely gorgeous!

I've been looking through the available casebacks out there on the market from DSN and the sort; I'm not sure that the accurate caseback for my Pre-A 002 exists. Based on the documented Pre-A and T-SWISS-T discussion regarding these neo-vintage gems, it seems to me that I'd need an 'A-suffix' second series Pre-A back which would be a little more period correct for the Jimmy case I have. Essentially, this would be the one with 'A0---/1000 (1000 for the Base series), less than 300 for the milesimation figure and with a numerical difference of 1400 between the BB number and the milesimation. Having looked at the available backs out there, nothing seems to fit the bill (or maybe I'm not looking in the right places). At any rate, and just as a sanity check, can the experts chime in to confirm if I have my understanding correct (V, FGD, Rolli, Kruz, or anyone I may have missed)? Perhaps a later A serial back (though I'd assume these should have the non-hyphenated T SWISS T)? Or, if I'm being a little too critical and knitpicky in details, please feel free to reality check me there as well I want my project to be as correct as possible; but if my expectations need to be adjusted because they are elevated beyond reason, I'd appreciate some thought on that matter as well. It's easy to get carried away with these sort of things, and my enthusiasm for this particular project has me somewhat tunnel visioned Cheers, R

Please have a look around. Enough information has been provided to get you started and to point you in the right direction. Take a few minutes and search the forums; this topic has been discussed quite thoroughly, and I'm certain you'll be able to find the answers to your questions. If you have further inquiries regarding the specifics of what's been discussed, please feel free to ask. Best of luck! R

The typical movements found in reps are ETA 2836-2, 2824-2 and in some instances 2892-2. The numbers indicate a model designation- Each one is a little different in physical dimension and sometimes function. i.e. the 2836-2 is a day/date/time movement (though oft times, the day wheel/function is removed), and is 11.5"' in diameter and 5.05mm in profile. The 2824-2 is a date/time movement and is 11.5'" in diameter and 4.8mm tall. The 2892 is a date/time movement and is 3.6mm in profile. Because of it's thin profile, this movement is ideal as the basis for additional complications through the add on of specific modules (i.e. GMT function, power reserve, chronograph, etc). It should be noted that there are also Chinese replications of these movements as well. Sometimes you have to keep a close eye on the type of movement you are getting, as discerning the difference between a Swiss and CN variation requires dilligent attention. If you have an MBK TT Sub, it should have the 2836-2 inside...

ETA isn't an acronym per se, but is rather, I believe a truncation to the name Eterna (ETA was the subgroup that produced the movements for Eterna). As for SEL- This is an acronym for Solid End Link, which describes the final link that attaches to the case/lugs of the Rolex Oyster case. The origin of the SEL goes back a few decades in which this style of end link was used primarily for 18k solid gold models; in the mid 80's the 16660 employed the SEL in SS format, and from 1999/2000 on, has been the primary end link of most production pieces from these serial ref's. Here is an SEL affixed to my 16610: And here is an SEL dissected: In contrast, this is a Loose End Link: The major difference between the two is that the Loose End Link is a folded flap of metal and can be removed from the bracelet, whereas the Solid End link is milled from 3 solid pieces of metal and incorporates the bracelet to make it more integral.

My vote is for the 009!

Few more teaser pics... So close, yet so far...

A very achieved, amazing individual with an unrivaled, generous philanthropic heart. A great loss... And a sad day.

I may be going the relume route, depending on the material used to do it. Think... 'not Luminova or superluminova', but instead something a little more period correct. I've said too much...

Some quick dial mod pics. FGD's dials come with a brass backing plate to add stability and height to the dial over all. I had a left over DSN sandwich dial sitting in the parts bin; the base plate was the same thickness as the brass backer. I removed the top layer of the sandwich, used the brass plate as the size template and turned down the diameter of the DSN base to the correct smaller size to use as the new backing plate (since it has dial feet, I wanted to go with this option instead). Since I didn't care about the appearance of the DSN backer, I simply affixed it to my dremel, treating it like a cut off wheel. I then held it perpendicular to a grinding surface to turn it down. Pretty easy, and nice clean results at the edge.

DL- The 004 would have the seconds subdial at 9:00 methinks; I believe FGD has only done base dials thus far. However, you could do an 009...

Yes, indeed... I have always fancied neo-vintage PAMs. Until now, I've considered an accurate Pre-V/Pre-A/Early A to be nothing more than a wishful thought, but FGD has helped to bring that daydream to a reality with his great dials The project thus far consists of an FGD 002A dial, NOS Jimmy case, Kruzer crown, CG of unknown origin. To wrap this up, I'll be adding a Swiss 6497, DSN hands and some work with Ziggy to get the fine case details worked out. My wife has purchased a beautiful NOS Dirk PAV style strap for me (to which I can't have until Christmas ) and the final touch will be a big smile on my face as I strap this one on my wrist. As for my dial choice; I went with the 002A for a few reasons. The feasability of having such a watch seemed a little more reasonable for me to have vs. a Pre-V watch. I'd have loved to have had a 201/A, but I wanted to stay on the 'down-low' side of things with a more subtle dial, and for me, less usually seems to work out to be more. Also... I had this fantastic Jimmy case, which is a special case to me because of the extremely kind and generous gesture it represents from a dear friend of mine I wanted a great dial for this one, and now I have it. Perhaps if we have some nice Pre-V style cases come available down the road, I'll venture into that 201/A (and/or other Pre-V) world... For now, I'm more than pleased with the direction this project is heading! @Frank- Still unsure about the dial luming. I've discussed some interesting related topics with a couple of friends of mine here; who knows? We may have a very interesting (and accurate) luming option soon! So for now... I'm going to wait it out and think it over for the time being Cheers and all the best! R

I'm able to access? No problems here...

Something a little different for me today... Sat: Sun:

What can I say? I'm a late adaptor

But thanks to kruzer, archibald, ZZ, and FGD (along with some influence from V), I have to say that I haven't been this excited about a PAM project in quite sometime! Although it's several months out, I can already taste the completion of this one... Where's that 'jumpy' emotioncon when I need it?! Some preliminary Neo-Vintage 'sketches'... More to come...

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