Jurgenk

Thanks for the feedback

Yes I agree, some sun turned the dial closer to an off white, and hopefully more sun will get to that cream color.

I didn't realize the AP bands was such a hassle.

Couldn't I just install the metal stubs from my rep bands into the AP Bands (coz i noticed some bands like strapluxe don't even have the stubs in them)

Just some observations on the 048

Trying to be J or K series with roller wheel

But dial is before I series since it is missing 9 o'clock hour marker

Date aperture looks small, DW is recessed and with a small font

This won't mod well

I have the gen

My 0.02

thx for the feedback

a few more pics.

the finishing on the case is gen like, IMHO

Exactly my point-- I got this watch fully aware that it was not the most accurate of the seconds 12 o'clock models, but felt it was the best look of all of the dial/case/strap combos.

I think with a good strap it won't matter how gen the dial looks, it will look amazing and you really can't argue with that. It's a watch that AP should make, but doesn't actually

So I am with you on that bro...

I just got this in recently and I thought it might be useful for some of the others who've expressed interest in this watch to have some more data.

I'll try to avoid repeating what's already been said already too much.

The fit and finish on this watch is quite nice. The case is very precisely cut, and the brushed and polished finishes on the edges seem to match exactly what is found on the gen SS versions of this with very little in the way of obvious flaws.

The quality of the rep'ed strap looks okay for about 20 seconds but is clearly pleather fake hornback. It does have some nice thickness to it and gives you a sense of how a decent strap ought to feel on this watch.

The dial is not just stark white, but maybe even silver-white, along with the outer dial ring. I would say that the subdials have the correct color spot on, but the rest of the dial needs to be cream colored, along with the outer dial ring. This is the main flaw of an otherwise well excecuted dial in terms of detail. You might say, why not get the MBW if the cosmetics are so important. The problem is I want the watch to function with the correct counters at 9 and 12 o'clock rather than what is in effect a faux chrono with mismatched functions at 9 and 12 o'clock.

The texture of the back of the case itself is amazing, a rough textured steel that seem to match all the pictures of the gen to a T. (not talking about the screw caseback, which is also really well finished but just a brushed circular pattern).

I found some disappointing pieces of debris (very small) on the inside of the crystal and even on top of the magnified DW. They are very small and not noticeable, but for $518-528 you might expect better.

BOTTOM LINE: ACCURACY of the dial color is a dead giveaway from about 6 feet away. QUALITY of the rep hornback strap is a dead giveaway from about 10 feet away.

Get a good dial (maybe a swap from an MBW safari, although I'm told that it won't fit correctly either due to datewindow location or subdials or both) and a gen strap like Roger's or at least an APBANDS hornback and you might be good to go.

Dude, that 89 looks too good. Where did that DW come from, and the CG looks better than usual as well. Care to give details?

awww shucks

those ultimate 088s put my 089 to shame... seriously, tanya and scoobs you're making me feel bad with your 088s, esp the lume jobs... so nice

I would have to steal the hands off of an ultimate 088 to get my 089 right, don't really know what the chance is of that happening

the CG is my customization to reflect an earlier CG style, I'm told D-F or so. The DW is pure LELLO (please come back!)

The 088 ultimate is an expensive proposition but most of the folks seem to agree it feels pretty close to gen, it's really got only one minor flaw.

AND THE 088 IS SUPPOSEDLY THE BEST SELLING GEN PANNY OUT THERE, EVER.

4700 made last year!

oh boy

there goes the neighborhood

I have a weakness for PAM GMTs

very nice...

i am giving the pams a rest for a while...

and going with this

I totally know what you mean

I had been hearing things about this watch for a while, but it all sort of just hit me in the past 2 days and then I had to pull the trigger

I actually did it before seeing any of these or rogers pictures, but seeing all this just reinforces the whole decision

the only reservation is the lack of the silver dials and off white dial color on the safari rep, its just all white.

but the combo is still beautiful with the hornback with any light colored dial.

getting antsy waiting for this one

Those safari pics (gen and rep) are gorgeous

I'm surprised by how reasonably nice the rep hornback looks, although I might eventually break down and get the gen hornback...

TECH:

I assume The Zigmeister is going to service the @12 transfer gears...

Is there a place on this dial for lume too? What features actually have lume on the gen or rep?

Been wearing these in rotation

gen 048

lello modded 250

I've also had to switch on father's day to this

So many unfinished projects

yes if he came back it would be a miracle

otherwise you can always spend $428 from the cartel to get the ultimate 104, 088, 229, etc...

but that doesn't quite seem right

exactly my point

The wife and I were shopping today so I went in one of the jewelry stores that sells high end watches. I was wearing my rep white gold day date which was about 1/3 visible under my shirt sleeve. When the clerk eyed my watch, he couldn't pull rolexes out fast enough for me to examine. That was the good part of having the rep on. The bad part was that there was no way I was taking my watch off to try theirs' on. All I did was handle the watches that he showed.

The most interesting model that he showed me was the new submariner in white gold. The watch is really heavy, much heavier than I recall the old solid gold model. The clerk indicated that the extra weight was due to a new ceramic bezel and completely solid links on the band. The band itself has been redesigned and no longer has the sheet metal type design at the clasp. The clasp design seems more in line with the overall quality of the watch as compared to the original. Overall the watch was very attractive. However, I'd have to say that the blue dial and bezel don't look as striking against the white gold as they do against the old yellow gold. That's not to say that I was a fan of the older yellow gold, it was a bit too much bling for me. It's just that the white gold on the new watch doesn't complement the blue as well. The watch prices out at around $29,000 U.S. That seems like a lot for a watch that most people can't distinguish on sight from stainless.

The white gold sub like other white gold rolexes has a shinier more polished finish than the SS models and stays that way more so than stainless on daily wearing. it sparkles and is very eye catching IMO. It's not easily captured in photos but in the hand it is pretty obvious, you wouldn't get this with any stainless case w/o obsessive polishing. would love to see pics of the new white gold sub tho

scoobs

the dial is a stock rep dial here

DSN's dial is interchangeable into this case

DSN's dial is superlumed and has different placement of the L SWISS MADE L

both styles are correct for different PAM series

hope that helps

@archibald

the River 089 caseback that I have says titanium but has no serial number, alas. The pursuit of perfection with your hybrid parts is admirable. Do you have a source of ultimate 088 hands short of buying an ultimate 088? I would worry about 036 compatibility with a true DSN case. My information however is that recent DSN cases are equivalent to standard rep cases so you may be okay.

@jetzeus

push out the crown guard pin from the caseback side every so slightly so that it sticks up in the front. Protect the rest of the CG with some tape. Get 400 grit sandpaper and flatten the top of the pin. Then tape the top surface of that pin and push it back down just so that it sits below the surface of the CG to creat contrast.

Good luck

My understanding is that the new "ultimate" 088 has upgraded hands, datefont, cyclops but still recessed/small datewheel window, and average rep lume.

I haven't seen any offering of an "ultimate" 089 at the moment.

My info is that DSN's offering is the best out of the box 089 you can get still, but you can use his parts with a stock 089 like I have to get a hybrid.

I've noticed that there is some variability in the styles of crown guards in Gen's and in reps with 44 mm standard steel or titanium cases in the Luminor style.

I've seen varying crown guard styles sometimes in the same model of watch, but probably having to do with series / year of manufacture.

So for you gen Panerai WISs out there, please tell me what is more accurate. I present here two variations of rep crown guards for a PAM 089 Ti Anthracite GMT.

Here is the rep case as it is shipped, with a little filing down of the crown guard pin. Please note the curved contour of the front of the CG which follows the contour of the case front of the watch:

Here is the same rep, now with a flattened (filed down) CG front, more akin to the style of DSN's latest reps of these and base luminor watches:

Here are two gens with the former style:

And here are two shots of a gen with the latter style:

So the question is, which one is more accurate for which series, and which one looks better?

Moreover, are the currently shipping DSNs with this style of CG accurate for the H series' casebacks they carry?

Thanks for your opinions

That watch is pure GEN -- from the front view at least

For $1200 the engraved plates and incabloc should also be identical as well.

basically if LH could sell his completed watch with perfect lume, CG and crown, and replicate the perfect OFFICINE PANERAI engraving on his CDG series H plates with a swiss incabloc, $1200 would work for me.

Otherwise I'm happy with my "budget" DSN based approach

I agree, there's no debate that LH has the best dial, the debate is what the actual product looks like, as I haven't seen any installed pics or reviews from people who have ordered, and of course, whether it's worth the $$$ even if it lives up to its pictures.

Those comparison shots are priceless

The LH dial top is perfect AND I am jealous!