Finepics

Well it is simplistic because busines is exactly that - simple business. And you might be the lucky one who is able to buy this watch for say $190 in a couple of months - believe me no-one loses out in these deals or they wouldn't do it.

Ok here's the verdict - I only took one pic as I am not setup for macro work with flash. So here is a quick pic: Well what do we have - the case is nicely made with sharp edges and a fine brushed finish. I suspect this has come from the same factory as the other subs and possibly Honpo's 187. The bezel clicks around in minute clicks. The crystal is about 3mm thick - not the 5mm it should be but certainly not something you could tell just by looking at it although I cannot tellif there is an AR coat - if there is it's not obvious. The massive diameter cyclops is built in like all the rep sub range. The date wheel has the usual disappointing skinny font so that is ripe for an upgrade. Now we have all seen the problem with the 8 and 10 markers - they are rotated away from the subdial and so out of alignment with the hands and minute markers. As I suspected the markers have 2 pins on their underside and are glud to the dial. So they have to be removed very carefully, one of the pins ground off and then reglued using a tiny drop of epoxy glue. I have done this already and have just finished the lume. On e thing I did notice, and you can see this in the dealers photos, is that the corners of some of the hour markers are showing the chrome plate (the markers are made of plated copper then painted) through the blue - you can see them as highlights. A quick fix is to touch them up carefully with a TDK blue CD marker pen. Luckily this is about the right colour and enough to touch them out. One of my markers was particularly bad but looks fine now. The most interesting thing is the bezel lume dot window which, to my suprise, is glass. The only way to lume this was to break it out by gently tapping it with a screwdriver. I have now filled it with SL and will use a clear resin to replace the window later. The bezel markers have also had a polish up as has the cannon pinion top. Just waiting for everything to dry now!! The CG needed a little bit of metal removing from the feet to tighten the lever to the crown - I am confident of certainly 999m if not 1000m!!!! The movt is the now familiar 7750B1 - the rotor is not decorated but there is a proper metal movt ring. The strap is the newer more stretchy type rubber divers strap so that will need to be changed but looks the part for the moment. Conclusion - as we expected. There are a couple of niggly things - the dial markers are for me the biggest issue as fixing them means a lot of adrenaline and sweating!!! But whatever - it's a must have and bloody heavy too.

Well it's on my wrist - it's dark outside here so cannot take any daylight piccies, all I can do are flash shots which are not so good. Back in a bit.

I'm with Richard Tracy on this. It's a simple case of business is business, economies of scale and supply and demand. The group buy was through one of our respected dealers who has now got business from me that they might not have done otherwise. When I buy a rep I usually try to get it as cheap as possible. For a given watch that best price might come from Andrew, it might be Joshua and so all the purchases I have made have have been on that basis. So most of the dealers here have had business from me fairly evenly and since the fact that they are all here at all is because they give this level of service, but I'm sure we can all recall times when one or more dealer has let someone down for one reason or another. Sure we all develop relationships with a particular dealer but remember that we are not their only customers. There must be many rep buyers who are unaware of this site but buy reps direct from the various websites and they are going to be paying RRP. The dealers at the end of the day are only in this for the money - it's a business and Silix must still be making a profit. In fact if we were that bothered we would all be posting that "I just bought X from X so next one will have to come from Y so as to be fair"!! There is a new dealer here - Sash5 - do any of you care wether or not he makes it here (actually I have just bought one from him) and how will he be able to compete with the established dealers - what will his angle be - a 10% discount? How many of us paid $350 for something that later ended up being $200 - do you think the dealers care about that. Would any of them say to us "don't buy X just yet as next week the price will come down $75 so wait a week". Don't get me wrong - I have been extremely grateful to certain dealers here who have helped me with a spare part but that's because I have spent a lot with them in the past - as I said business is business and I don't feel remotely guilty.

Am I the first to get one? Will do some piccies tonight!!

No problem to Uk either.

Just seen that Ken has posted a bulk buy deal for some of the most popular models - 2x PAM's for $455 which includes shipping and an RWG disount, or 5 x PAM's for $875 inc shipping and the discount. Not bad and he takes paypal. See his post in the dealers section.

I know - what the hell this has got to do with a fake watch I don't know. We should turn this thread into a "My La Bamba experience"!!

That info came from Joshua and I think Andrew will have them as well.

Dude - sorry I have just realised what you were referring to and maybe it's me smokin [censored]!! You are right as well - I had not noticed that. Will have to rush to Harrods again tomorrow to have another look - still not a big enough deal for me to fret over though. @jake48 can you PM me those BP details as well please - thanks.

Any watchsmith should be familiar with a 7750 as they are a very common movt - but some do not like to work on reps so really The Zigmeister would be the best option here.

Nice one HFC - that told him!!!

No no gentlemen - La Bomba is the PAM64/87.

They have also now stopped making these with the Molnija - only available with an ETA now! I am having my crown engraved with the BREVET + as they should be as mine was the newer type with raised letters.

La Bomba has landed and will be adorning my left wrist tomorrow - yeah!! First thing to do is sort out those bloody crooked markers and give it a bit of a lume up!!!

I just assumed it was 44mm - my mistake. I got the book when I was in the Wempe shop in Berlin - its that big book with a metal looking ships porthole on the cover. Was produced this year.

Ah - of course it's the Slytech 202. The rep has the wrong shape case which is why I did not think of it. It can't be the 194 as that has a similar bezel to the 187 with numbers and lozenge markers. The real thing is it shows how the bezels are constructed which could be useful to disassemble the 187 to replace the markers. Can anyone work it out?

Was going through the photos in the big black and white Panerai book and was looking closely at this pic to see how the bezel assembly comes apart when I realised that this is a 44mm 1950 style case, a chrono movt, helium valve, screw down crowns and a submersible bezel. Anyone any ideas???

Now that is [censored]!!

The pinion has a little clutch on it which allows the movt to spin while the hand is held still by a little brake lever. (Hope The Zigmeister won't mind me using his photo). You can see the white plastic brake lever against the pinion preventing it moving and it's very likely this has slipped out of engagement with the pusher lever (as the caption in the photo shows)

The thing is they are bloody nice watches regardless of it a fake or not. What other watch could you buy from a regular high street jewellers for the same sort of money? A Casio quartz!!!!

Only about £2-3 per letter - whole job should be £30-40 with the securicor to and from there. It's not a lot in the scale of things!!

Only said that cos I wondered if the [censored] in SA is better than it is here

Absolutely!! Why not?

Wow this stuff is unreal and dammit that is a bloody Angelus 240 8 day that they've hacked to bits!!!!!!!!!