panerai153

Tons of Panerai straps on the various forums with M2M sales, several good strap makers on each forum, you just need to decide what you want, and how much you want to pay. I like that 88!! I wasn't too keen on it in the past, but actually it's starting to grow on me. I have an 029 and a 063 incoming, I do like the models with the sec @ 9 layout. Few folks said they had problems with the movements, but quite a few others have commented that theirs was running fine. Congrats on getting your watch, nothing finer than getting that long awaited package in the mail.

Damn Andy , you are going to cost me more money!!! Lol. I respect what you say my friend, I know that you are a Guru when it comes to watches and movements. I really do like the 237. 088 is nice but not too keen on the different subdial color. I might start looking for a 237. I know that rep movements are pretty much a crap shoot. Lots are OK, but there are some lemons it there. Biggest problem that I see with these, is the lack of parts. If you get a bad one, you are pretty much out of luck.

Actually that is just what I did, I already had a M2M 029 incoming. I was interested in one with the sec @9 like the 88 or the "ghost" but after reading about potential problems with the modified A7750 movements, I decided that I would stick to the 2836 models. Maybe older models, but less drama!!! Thanks for the help.

Congrats, Happy Anniversary!!

JLC for today. Very seldom wear this one!!

I didn't think about these models that are using the A7750 movement. The only ones I have had in the past are models with sweep seconds that use the 2836 or 2893-2. Probably much more stable and "fixable" movements. Don't need any more watch drama in my life!! I have plenty with a couple of AP's with sec@12. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I haven't had any PAM's in several years, not really sure why, but they came, they stayed a while and then they went! I have always been partial to GMT's. The second TZ has real utility to me, as I travel and my wife travels, plus we often travel together but need to check in with the home base. It's not hard to figure out what time it is if I'm at home in the Central TZ and my wife is in LA, but when one of us is at home and the other is 7-8 TZ's away, it helps to be able to glance at my watch and see what the time is where she is. So long story short, I'm looking at PAM GMT reps. I have had two old Eddie Lee's with the 2893-2 movements, but that was years ago. Now those are selling for big bucks. What I would like to know is from the experiences of the PAM guru's here, is which model and maker has the best "out the box" PAM GMT. I'm not really interested in so pending a small fortune on mods, although I have a brand new ETA 2893-2 movement sitting in my parts box ( bought for and I'll fated attempt to transplant into a Rolex GMT IIC. If there is something out there which would accept this movement, I would be interested in that one for sure. Thanks Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

What this proves to me is the insane amount of money floating around. When you have hedge fund managers making 100 million in salary plus bonuses, what's a 32K bezel. Somebody owns a very nice 6542 with a worn out or broken insert, he told his watch guru, "find one". When folks with unlimited resources tell their agent "find one" that means I don't care what it costs, or where it is, if it's in good condition, buy it. Problem with this philosophy is once it's yours, you better plan to keep it. Down the road, if the owner decides that collecting vintage Rolex watches is no longer the "in" thing to do, and he decides to disperse his collection, the prospective buyers will not be impressed that the bezel/insert cost 32K. they will be willing to pay what the watch intact is worth, which probably would be no more that 2X what the bezel cost.That in a nutshell is what happens when you pay too much for something and then later try to sell it.

First question is where are you located. If you are in the EU, I would see about getting Domi to replace the crystal with an AR'ed one. Possibly if you are in other parts of the world, I would ask him if he can sell you just the crystal. There are other folks who do good AR work around the forums, so it might be easier to get it done by someone closer to home, unless you are close to Domi. Reason I'm bringing this up, there SEEMS to be and increase in packages getting opened and watches seized in the UK, and some in France, members here have been saying for a while that German customs is particularly difficult to get watches through unless they are coming in from another EU country. These seizures seem to be cyclic, they get intense for a while, and stuff gets confiscated, then everything cools off for a while. Right now, I'm not getting any watches from the EU nor would I be comfortable selling one outside the CONUS. At the moment, the USA is not experiencing any more than normal problems with customs, It's the stuff going into EU countries that would bother me.

No, the one you wrote to me about was my genuine 16750. it's a 94XXXXX Serial which dates it to 1984. another worthy project watch, although the genuine models are not crazy priced This one:

I believe that one suggestion would be to go over to the Rolex forum, lots of real experts there. The 50's are the hardest, primarily because genuine parts from that era are scarce and incredibly expensive. It is possible to build a fairly credible late 50's era Rolex without hocking your plane, but you got to know what to look for and what to pay, because while there is good stuff out there, there is lots of trash as well. If it were me, I would jump forward to the 70's or probably The 80's as that time frame is still recent enough that lots of gen parts are available at fairly reasonable prices. But if you want the 50's here are a couple. Rolex really began producing dive and sport watches in earnest in the mid to late 50's, before that most were not what we would consider "sport" watches. Here is a Rolex 6542 GMT, case is from 59, so it would qualify. And next is a Tudor Big Crown Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Both!!! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

So what you are all saying is if you use the H5 CP, the hands will work OK and not have the problem of rubbing the GMT hand on the dial indices. I'm not planning anymore mods to my GMT IIC, but should the movement that's in it now go south on me, I have a brand new 2893-2 that could be used.

Not just how deep the numbers are, but the width of the numbers, that photo above is a great comparison. if you could lift the "18" off the rep dial, it would fit inside the "18" of the genuine. Just no comparison. Here is a better photo of the gen insert on the watch. I didn't realize how much off the GMT was until I added the genuine bezel/insert, dial and crystal. I know that the ICHS drives lots of folks away, but only during that brief period when the hour hand is over the GMT hand is that a "tell", the others are all the time! BTW the photo in my post above was taken before the dial was changed to genuine.

I don't think the OP has done enough research, or knows enough to even formulate and opinion!!

The bezel insert is still not right. The numbers are too thin. Also, they have not been able to duplicate the platinum coating on the numbers. They are getting better, but not there yet Here is mine with a gen bezel/ insert

Pretty much what you like and what you feel like you can pull off. Generally, I would say that most younger guys stay away from solid gold, TT is very popular here in the USA, but as you said generally guys who are a little older. Since I'm really old, a fairly successful professional and not overweight, I can probably pull the TT off!!! I think the GMT is a really nice watch with a lot of utility, especially if you travel.

I hope that you can get this one built. My experience was not good. I bought a GMTIIC several years back as well as a brand new 2893-2 movement. I sent it all up to Ziggy and he felt like the movement was a no go in that case. Same problem, couldn't get the GMT hand to clear the raised plots without bending the hand up, then you had the GMT hand very close to the hour hand. If you go back and find the old threads about the GMTIIC and 2893-2, there were several threads. A couple of guys built them but they all said "one and done" wouldn't try a second one. Also, BK was going to offer them, either as a complete watch or his watch your movement, etc. he may have done a couple, but that project never got off the ground either. I really wanted to get one built, as the old versions of the 2836 GMT had lots of problems, GMT hand slipping, not tracking accurately, all which would have been solved with the 2893-2. The newer 2836 movements seem to be a lot more robust and don't appear to have the same problems as the first ones. No doubt, the 2893-2 is a great movement as it is a purpose built GMT. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Unless he is the latest reincarnation of DW!!

Second to what automatico said. if you stay away from vintage Rolex you can build a really, really nice watch for that 1600.00 USD range that you were talking about. Contemporary Rolex parts while not "dirt cheap" are readily available and not too expensive. Here are two of mine which were both put together for around the amount that you are looking at. Both cost me more than that, but I had several false starts which cost more money!! To build a really believable AP ROO you are looking at around 3-4K for the base watch, parts and the work. The biggest problem is that even with a nice strap, and lumed hands/numbers where appropriate as well as an AR'ed crystal and Cyclops, the rep watch is too tall, and the pusher position is wrong. I would probably never notice, but anyone who knows a lot about ROO's would pick up the differences. First is a TT Submariner, case is an ST3135 case which takes genuine parts. and aftermarket 18K bezel, genuine bezel insert, genuine dial, crystal and crown, ETA Swiss movement and a TW Best TT bracelet and clasp. Second is a GMT IIC Which has a BP case, Swiss 2836 movement, genuine dial, crystal, bezel and insert.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Amazing, why don't these guys at least do a cursory search? About 99% of their questions would be answered. Anyone who believes that any rep is 1:1 or 99% to the genuine really needs to have a look at this fine bridge I'm selling!!! I've been trying to build a 99% rep for 15 years, and I ain't' there yet. Why would these guys think they can get one out the box for 300 USD? Maybe 3000 and they would be close, but still with "tells". And I digress as usual! I do like the FC ROO's, just too darn big for me. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk