bruce79

Yeah, the weight/size of this thing is border line insane. I'm looking for a nice leather strap for it but as anyone with big wrists know, easier said than done. Same thing with shoes (size 15). I put my Di Modell chrono strap on it and it looks quite nice but I'd like to find a nice croc grain strap. All the OEM stuff including the rubber are all standard length and are not nearly long enough. Putting the UPO on a strap is much needed from time to time, really makes it so much more comfortable to wear.

Here is my attempt at a photo review of my new UPO. I know there are several in depth reviews on this particular watch so here are just some additional photos and brief thoughts to go with those reviews. My thoughts: When the postman handed me the box my first thoughts were, "My God, what's in this thing". Very substantial piece. To say this thing is a beast is an understatement. I'm 6'5" 240lb. with 8"+ wrist and this thing is big on me. Right on to those smaller wrists rocking this thing. This is my second Omega rep, never owned a gen but I checked out a PO at the AD a couple of weeks ago which is what prompted me to get this guy. I'll start with the cons: As many have said, not much wrong with this watch for being a rep. On my watch, the 12 & 6 hour indices are ever so slightly crooked. I've checked out some other photos of UPOs and they all seem to be slightly off. It sucks but it's a rep, right? The pearl also seems to be a little too green...when the indices and the pearl are charged, they all glow the same color green but the pearl stays green constantly...not sure if this is how the gen is but I doubt it. Also, it appears that the crown sits out a bit from the case, as if it's open a bit...doesn't sit flush with the case. Not a big deal but I wouldn't trust this watch in anything H20 other than washing my hands. Now for the pros: This watch's finish is the best I've seen on a stock rep, period. By finish I mean 'finish' as a complete watch. This is something that cannot be seen in photos but only fully understood in person. (Those of you who have them know what I mean.) The crystal shows very light ar but it really seals the deal with this watch. In the right light, this watch really pops. Where the brushed edges of the case meet the polished edges, very nicely done. Just an all around classic watch. Due to the size, this watch is probably not for everybody but it's definitely a milestone for reps and a testament as to just how far reps have come...certainly since I got in the game just over 2 years ago. Enjoy.

Here are a few pics of my current inventory. From left to right: TW Sub (gen dial, insert, crown, drilled lugs), UPO stock, Tissot Seastar, 112h (palp crown, zig lume), tw datejust, TT sub.

The pearl has a crystal over it? It's funny, when the lume is not charged, the dial indices are white and the pearl is green. When all are charged, all glow the same color green. If the pearl does have a crystal over it, is it possible to remove it?

Is it just mine, or does the pearl look a little too green...doesn't really match the dial lume when not glowing? Just curious.

I'll go $20.

I've owned a Tissot Seastar for nearly 3 years now and I can say it's a tank of a watch. I've worn it in the surf too many times to count, and it looks just as good as the day I brought it home. I got a leather Di-Modell strap for it and a rubber diving strap too to mix things up. The Oris is a beauty of a watch too. I recently helped my friend get one from TZ and he's loved it. Good Luck

If you do some searching, there are a few posts on this very subject. You may actually find it easier to just remove them, that's what I did on my franken 16800, you won't even know they're gone.

tons of stuff written, try doing a search

Just a note, I've been wearing my sub around today and it may just be me, but the loose end link bracelet makes the head of the watch look bigger. I've always noticed that the head of my tw classic sub seemed just a touch smaller than the gen (I know the bezel is) and I've always had a SEL bracelet attached...but now that this new bracelet is on there, the case looks huge. Definitely a god thing in my book.

Well here are a few pics of my finished product. The end link on the bracelet got a little bent in the process, but it's hardly noticeable once the bracelet is on and is tucked up under the end link. The only issue that resulted from this mod is the curved portion of the end link is pressing against the bottom of the bezel which is making it hard to turn. I shaved some metal off the curved portion last night with my bezel which helped but I might have to do more in the near future. This morning though, the bezel turned pretty freely. That may just be one of the advantages of loose end link bracelets...more room for play and to adapt to your wrist/watch. Just wiped it down with a cape cod cloth, can't wait to get it all scratched up for the early 16610 look

Well, after taking some time to dremel the loose end link, I got the spring bars to snap in. The end links seem to be pressing against the bottom of the bezel making it hard to turn. I might need to take them in a little more. Just curious, how much play should there be between the last bracelet link and the end link? They seem to be rubbing against one another making it sort difficult for them to swing freely like the other links. Any thoughts on this? They'll probably loosen up a bit as I wear the bracelet?

Thanks for all the tips. I fooled with it last night and tried enlarging the holes by breaking apart the weld with a screwdriver rather than drilling them. The end link on the bracelet warped a little bit but it's not that bad and I can probably mess with it to make it look less bent. But it worked and the 2mm bar fits fine and the metal still feels very strong, it's actually kind of hard to see where the weld broke. As far and the loose 580 end link is concerned, I tried to do the same thing with the screwdriver and ended up breaking one of the little metal tubes that guides the spring bar right off. But like what was mentioned above, the tubes don't seem to be that necessary. I just need to dremel down the curve in the loose end link so it fits better with the case and allows the bars to snap in. I can get one of the sides in but not the other.

I'll give it some thought. Drilling seems pretty ridiculous considering the wall of the tube for the spring bar is like 0.1mm thick. I'll keep you posted, thanks for the tip.

I've been thinking of breaking that weld but then won't the bracelet be just as susceptible to falling off as if I drilled the hole wider? Perhaps even more so. How strong is that last link on the bracelet if the weld is broken? I'll admit it certainly sounds easier than drilling.

Got it, I'll get to it and perhaps post a tutorial for everyone. It's not a big mod but an important one.

Just received my 93150/580 bracelet from Josh and need to modify it to fit gen bars. For those of you who know loose end link bracelets, do you have any advice for this particular mod? I remember reading in a prior post that just clipping the end link holes and stretching them out a bit will do the trick but the bracelet is a different story. The hole in the bracelet is rather large and it looks like the 2mm bars would work but alas it is just a bit too small. It seems a little fragile to take a drill bit to so can the mod experts offer some advice? Should I just try and pry it open a bit with a piece of metal? What do you think?

It probably won't glow much

Shoot, this is absolutely a stunning 16610. It's the best I've seen on these forums, period

I've removed the bezel on both a cn sub and tw sub and have had very little trouble. Now getting them on is a different story. The cn sub has a little bent metal ring that will have you cursing for a couple hours. The key is to put the bezel on with the metal ring before attaching the insert so you can guide the metal ring from the inside of the bezel. Those of you who have tried this know what I'm talking about. For the tw this is not necessary since the click mech is different. You just need to press evenly on the bezel which is very hard to do without the the right tools. I used the palm of my hand and a properly sized cap to a vitamin bottle. Took a couple dozen tries and 1/2 a bottle of vodka but finally got it. Good luck.

I installed a gen 16800 insert on my tw sub and it needed to be sanded down as it was too large. I've got a tutorial link in my signature. Now my insert was for my transitional 16800 project but it will work for modern subs as the non mbw subs pretty much all have the same size cases and there is little to no variations in the gen inserts for 16610 and 16800 subs. The insert you're referring to looks good to me. Get it and be prepared for a bit of work.

Well I can only speak to what I own and I would wear both of my watches into an AD. They've been heavily modded which helps my cause by I'd be confident in 'wearing' them into an AD. Now handing them over for inspection is a different story. The finish of the movement on my 112 would give it away to an savvy sales person. I've actually worn my sub into an AD here in So Cal and didn't get any compliments but I got full attention from the sales rep who was quick to show me what ever she could...perhaps due to my sub, I dunno. Have reps gotten that good out of the box? Most have not, but perhaps a select few are getting there. I would dare any one to call me out on my reps though. Of course not any of you guys... but the rest of em.

But to me, panerai /owners collectors are different. Pams are a rare breed in the watch world and most owners pride themselves on cult status and owners of several pams are borderline crazy about them. One cannot compare a rolex collector to a pam collector. Two different breeds of watch owners, imo. Some may disagree but... This fellow didn't strike me as a typical pam owner. He couldn't tell a 112 from a 104, both of which he's owned. I agree though, he had no idea it was a rep until I told him. Damn, these pams are good.

I never did ask him if his was a rep as I never got a good look at it...he didn't show it to me on his wrist or off. But here's how I see it, with the several pams he's owned/owns, it seems like he should have been a little more knowledgeable about the brand/models. To tell me he knew my 112 was a fake because the buckle didn't say panerai and because of the absence of a second hand is crazy talk. As we all know collectors of panerai, rep or gen, are some what cultish about watches, especially their pams. I don't expect any gen owner to be able to spot flaws like we can but they should at least know a thing or two about pams. This guy clearly didn't and that's what gets me. His reaction to my confession was so as a matter of fact. It blew me away; I was expecting such a different explanation from him and I was speechless after hearing him out. Oh well, Edit: Perhaps his response was to hide his embarrassment of not knowing it was a rep...if he thought it was a gen when he owns several gens/reps???, it would make him look stupid so he just played along in saying he knew it was fake. And then didn't expect me to call him out in asking him how he knew. He looked at the 112 and just started naming the first things that came to mind as he compared it to his 104.

So this past Saturday I was at an event for my wife's company, an all day charity event type deal. I notice a guy who works for her company sporting a pam. I had on my 112 with a gef palombari and as I walked past him a couple of times I could sense him checking out my wrist. So I eventually broke the ice striking up a conversation with him about pams. It turns out he's wearing a 104. We exchange a few words and as he looks at my watch he says it was his first pam. He continues saying that he just bought the ferrari pam and that he owns a few other pams too. We go our separate ways but I can't stop thinking that this guy, who appears to be about the same age as me (late 20's early 30's), owns several watches worth several thousands of dollars a piece. Knowing what he does for my wifes company, I know he doesn't make that kind of disposable income. Perhaps he gets additional dough from other sources or his wife makes ton of money but it just doesn't seem likely. So after having a few beers and wanting to get to the bottom of it, I go up and ask him what he thinks of my watch as I hand it to him...he looks at it and says he likes it, it's very nice. I then tell him it's a rep and he sort of smiles and says "I know". I was a little taken back. I immediately ask how he knew expecting him to blow me away with the dial font or crown diameter. I mean my swiss movement 112 has had The Zigmeister super lume, the cannon pin fixed, and a palp crown installed. I was really confused at this point and couldn't wait to hear him out. He says he knew because the buckle was odd and didn't say Panerai on it (my gef palombari), this "thing" (crown guard) looked funny (it's brushed obviously and the contrast to the polished case threw him off) and it must be a vintage model because it didn't have the seconds hand like his newer model. I must say that I was shocked. I didn't know what to make of his response. He didn't even look at the movement but I was expecting him to add that the clear case back was a dead giveaway too. I couldn't tell if he was bullshitting or if he was truly just an ignorant pam owner without the foggiest. He never once used reference numbers when referring to his pams or mine, had no clue about after market straps and their popularity among panerai owners, and thinking that base pams are strictly vintage pieces and are not produced any more. Was this guy for real I dunno, it was just an odd encounter and I thought I'd share it with you guys. Not really sure what to make of it, what do you guys think?