PAMman

Davidsens stuff is the least accurate in terms of interchangeability with genuine items. I agree that fit and finish is hit and miss (mostly miss). Look at his crownguards and levers for example. The CGs seldom seat onto the cases snugly and the corners protrude above the top edge of the case. The CG levers on the H series are too short and don't close down against the cases. When you combine this with cases and dials that are bigger than the gens and the standard reps I really cannot see what the attraction is. The overall build quality of the normal rep is much better and they are more accurate and more easily modded.

I have been aware of a few Ebay dealers in South America offering fakes or frankens, mostly Omegas or vintage IWCs, from Argentina and Columbia. Also there are lots of redialled and recased Omegas from India - these are often presented as SS cased, black dialled Seamasters that use genuine movements from less fashionable variations. Eprey catches the unwary.

AFAIK River had them a few months ago. Springbars replace the screws when the threads in the lugs are stripped.

I have both with 5 gen Omegas, including a vintage Seamaster 300 date, an IWC, a Panerai and a few other military related watches. I have a couple of frankens and about 10 - 12 reps.

I have the white ETA on the genuine rubber strap and you could take this watch anywhere. While I don't think that taking reps into ADs is a good idea I doubt if anyone would catch this one on. It is the best rep 'out of the box' for sure and the ETA movement is the correct base for the genuine Breitling movement.

The watch is to be sent in the next few days so I won't have it until next week. My photo skills aren't great and I'm not sure how to post photos so I will need to do a bit of research first. I didn't find tritium - I found (bought) a genuine NOS tritium dial and hands. In fact I bought 2 'T' dials as I also have a 003 preA / A / early B series 003 dial and tritium hand set. These were not cheap, believe me, but they really are the 'mutts nuts'.

I'd do what I have already done - I'm waiting for its safe return from The Zigmeister. A genuine Panerai preA1 tritium dial, gen tritium hands, gen crown, gen crownguard, gen stem, Jimmy fu case/bezel, sapphire crystal, CDG decorated ETA/Unitas 6497 movement (same stripe pattern and sunburst wheels as genuine preA), cannon pin fix with ETA parts and a preA caseback from Davidsen. I got mine fitted with Jimmy Fu's see through caseback so that I can admire the movement for a while but I'll fit the caseback later for accuracy. I think that this is as close to a perfect PAM as it gets and the preA dial with its recessed fat tritium markers is just magic. I'll post pics when it arrives, as soon as I figure how to.

Thanks Kruzer, I will send an email within the next few minutes - I want 1 for a 2893 PAM 029. I'll send payment as soon as I read your reply.

I think that there is at least 2 different patterns of genuine bracelet, where one is thicker and more rounded in profile and the other thinner and flatter. Also one is more polished or shiny overall. There seems to be a lesser quality bracelet on the more recent genuine SMPs when compared with the older watches. Cousins lists these as 2 separate bracelets in their spares catalogue.

The movement may not be designed for repica modders but I have yet to see it in any genuine branded watch. Similar to any other spurious component (car parts etc) the cloned part should be fully interchangebale with the original. There seems to be little point in replicating a watch mvement which could be marketed as a viable replacement for the more expensive ETA equivalent and then failing to hit the target by altering the hand sizes. Lets start to campaign to have this irritating anomoly sorted.

The Asian 7750 manufacturer should also make the posts for the hands the same size as the Swiss movements. This would avoid a lot of hassel and also allow their movements to be used as a replacement in gen watches where the ETA movements have died. I cannot understand why they have opted to use a different hand size as this has involved manufacturing new hands for watches where the older Asian 7750s were previously used (Navitimer etc).

I have mine on a genuine Breitling rubber strap and nobody is ever going to spot it as a rep.

I fully agree with Usil - the Steelfish bracelet is easy to adjust when you understand that 2 screws need to be removed to remove one link. Because of the angled links the screw heads that relate to one link are located in two separate links on the other side. Just remember that the screws go straight through the bracelet rather than following the angled design of the links.

I am in Armagh, but I'm frequently in Belfast too. We aren't too far apart.

I don't disagree with Pollux's guess although I tend to think that it's further south. Lough Derg? I'm in Northern Ireland too BTW.

OK, I'm still in for one SS for my ETA 2893 powered 029.

I don't have the Costeau divers but I understand that it's much larger than the GST so it's unlikely that the bracelet would fit.

Excellent. I particularly like the 029. I hope to get one of the gen crowns as part of the group buy and I'll use it ion my 029 nstead of the Palp crown that's not fitted yet.

Yea, I saw that you had been posting that day. I fly a different flag over there.

I went into a local AD and asked to see 'the Aquatimer' that was in the window display. I was brought a TAG Aquaracer and then I had to explain that it was an IWC that I wanted to see. I was wearing my gen Tudor chrono and the guy said 'Tudor - I've never heard of those'. This was also a Rolex dealers and he'd never heard of Tudor. I think that we sometimes credit these guys with more wit than they deserve. Given the many versions of the various Omegas e,g, the Seamaster I doubt if they would descern a rep from an earlier model gen in many cases. However I won't try it but I wonder if I could persuade them to order a set of hands for a IWC GST Ti so that I could fully mod my rep.

I'll take 2 SS crowns. Thanks.

In UK the 22mm are

I have my Panda Porto on a Hirsch Rally and it looks really good. Sets the watch off beautifully.

Aye, I'm in Ireland and I believe that there's at least a couple more but I can't remember who they are.

Your Steelfish is supposed to be waterproof to 1000m so I would be surprised if you could remove the caseback with anything other than the correct opener.