PAMman

Have you a source for a genuine strap? Can anyone confirm if the genuine strap fits OK?

I may have 1 or possibly 2 sets of Jimmy Fu's silver - I know that I have a couple of pairs of JF's gold. PM if interested.

+1 I would like an accurate rep of the 'Old Navitimer' using the older Asian slow-beat movement so that a Swiss 7750 could be dropped in. It would sell very well and the same basic case would do the tri-compax layout for anyone wanting that.

I just can't understand someone doing that - he exposes your 'double life' but in doing so he exposes his own - otherwise how would he have recognised your pics? If he can spot your pics then he is here as much as the rest of us. The truth is that we are all watch enthusiasts and the majority of rep owners will own just as many gens. The only difference is that we have both rep and gen, with frankens and customised watches thrown into the mix.

Start wearing it now, as you would regularly wear it each day, and check it each 24 hr period. Then, before you do anything else, determine whether it is losing / gaining time during the wearing period or during the night. If it is accurate while you are wearing it leave it alone and try the various overnight positions to find which is most accurate. Rolex include this information and tell you which position, crown up / crown down etc will be + or - and so on.

As far as I know the auto movement cannot be fitted into the quartz case - the 2 cases aren't the same internally. Far better to start off with the correct HE position rep case even though you will pay a premium price. I went through a string of reps to get the best case and dial etc for a black ETA SMP. Then I liked it so much that I bought a gen. Next I bought one of the old-school Bond ETA reps (wrong HE though) with the intent of using the 2 reps to build an ultimate correct HE Bond SMP to pair with my gen black. Then I bought a Bond chrono rep so the project won't go ahead. If anyone wants to buy a correct HE black SMP rep with an accurate dial & hands and a correct 'pinned' bracelet etc send me a PM. It won't be cheap but it will save a lot of grief. If it's really a Bond you're after I'll sell both - the old-school Bond is also ETA and has the curved link 'pinned' bracelet and has a genuine clasp to swap the outer. (The whole clasp isn't easily interchangable as the pin sizes are slightly different).

I am one of those who prefer the black SMP to the PO or the Bond SMP and I have a genuine, black SMP together with the Bond chrono rep. The rep chrono has an AR'd crystal and I have it on a genuine Omega blue shark strap so it is really close to the genuine. I think that it is one of the best out-of-the-box replicas at any rate and the Ar and gen strap complete the effect. There's a Swiss 7750, fully decorated with an Omega 1164 rotor (possibly a gen Omega movement) waiting to be dropped in, together with gen hands should the Asian movement fail. Maybe add a gen crown and tube when that time comes. My advice is to go down the same route - the black SMP is one of the classiest sports watches on the planet and the Bond chrono is one of the best reps bar none. The gen parts and Swiss movements are easily available to upgrade the rep so you will have a killer pair.

+1 Your budget should buy you a mint Speedy Pro still under warranty. Very hard to beat. It has already proved capable of withstanding the test of time and remains as desirable as ever. It would be my first choice, except I already have one.

I tend to buy only 'supereps' of brands that I am sufficiently interested in to already have gens. For example I have a couple of genuine PAMs and 2 or 3 really nice frankens. I also have a genuine Omega black SMP and Speedy Pro, together with a rep SMP Bond chrono. I have a gen chrono Avenger together with a rep Swiss SOSF. These are all really good reps and I don't think that any of my contacts would recognise the reps when they appear in rotation with the gens. It helps when the SOSF and Bond chrono are on genuine OEM straps as they really feel the same as the gens.

Just wait until he starts reluming.

Agreed, that is not the sought after 'EL' dial - it may have been supplied by EL later but it also seems to have been varnished which has totally destroyed its appearance. I recently sold my EL Fiddy to another member and I can confirm that the font colour is practically spot-on. In fact, I have a friend who has a genuine 1950 and I have been able to compare the dials - EL's best is so close that no-one will ever spot it as a rep. BTW, River also sold the same version at the same time, so it wasn't exclusive to EL.

I am in the process of trying to significantly reduce my watch collection - both rep and gen - but this is one of the very few reps that I intend to get. I think that this is 'pure class'.

I have had a few of these and I don't recognise any of the usual teltales of a fake. It may be a franken but I certianly would but it if I was certain that I would receive the watch in the pics.

I've just had a call from my local Rolex service centre to say that the new insert for the bezel of mine has arrived. I have to bring it in to have the insert fitted and I have arranged that they wil fit it 'while I wait'. Interesting to see whether they fit it or chase me. I called in to the AD/ service centre and asked them to order the insert for me - I didn't have my watch with me.

I have a gen dial and Swiss 7750 in mine. The gen dial is marginally too large and will need to be cut down to fit. Just be very careful that the gen dial you are looking at is for the Valjoux /ETA 7750. Breitling used a variety of movements with the same layout so you could easily get one that looks right but won't fit the movement.

The only Swiss 6497 movements, i.e. those manufactured and assembled in Switzerland, are the genuine Panerai or the 2 grades of ETA 6497. Both grades of the ETAs have the standard 'square' bridges, similar to the original Unitas / ETA & pre E series Panerai. Everything else is Asian, even though some Asian movements may contain some ETA parts. Anything which resembles the current Panerai movement has originated from Asia and is wholly dependent on Asian engineering for functionality. As far as engineering integrity is concerned any displayback 6497 watch should be considered to be non-Swiss. My 6497 Panerai reps are all closed caseback models with either the decorated CdG striped movement or the standard finish version. My autos are the PAM027 with the ETA 2892A2 and the PAM029 with the ETA 2893 GMT movement. Therefore, all of them have movements that were fully assembled alongside the genuine Panerai.

Don't know where you got the H0197/2000 from. Your's is one of the F2052/4000 casebacks which is good for a 111F. However the F series movement has the PANERAIPANERAI engraving instead of the H & onwards CdG stripes. Apart from the wrong dial for this case you have the wrong caseback for a 111H. However, I would also be concerned about that CG - it seems to me that the pin is so close to the edge of the bridge that it has deformed the shape of the bridge piece. The crown looks dire too. Who on earth supplied this POS? It has got so much wrong with it that I'm tempted to suggest that it's one of DSN's 'custom' pieces.

Black or brown dial? - hard to tell from the pics but that may be my monitor settings.

I have had an IWC GST Ti rep for this past 2 years (at least) and it gets worn on a regular basis. The chrono works perfectly with the minute counter starting to move at about 59.5 secs and fully clicking over at 60 secs. It is also a fantastic timekeeper, well within COSC standards, and my only gripe is the slightly vague method of setting the time initially. I advance beyond the actual time, then back up to the minute marker, as you have to do on any 7750 (Swiss also, including my gen Tudor chrono). The problem with the A7750 is that it has slightly more 'slack' which makes it harder to sync the min and secs hands, but apart from that I have had no issues whatsoever. Once the hands have been sync'd there is no further problem - it's not as if the min hand or mech has any play and continues to be loose. I must add that I have at least 6 watches with this movement and thay have all been OK, with the exception of the secs @ 6 Portugueser. Howvever the GST is the oldest and the most accurate of them all. I haven't had any serviced and I am loath to send the GST for a service when it's working so well. I even have a perfect genuine dial for this one but don't want to mess with it so the dial & Swiss datewheels aren't fitted yet.

Yeah I suppose I was just being sarcastic. Listen, I can be anal about my Panerai reps too but at least I admit that it is only for myself. I have never met anyone, other than at an AD, who would even recognise the brand. Certainly even the most dire rep would not 'scream fake' to the general population so lets not kid ourselves. Sure, upgrade and modify your rep but nobody else will even notice.

You know you're getting old when your blood type is no longer available.

Compared to DSN most Panerai reps are OK.

Generally speaking 'T' dial PAMs didn't have any AR and over the years the AR coating varied in colour cast, including no visible trace at all. With older watches having been fitted with replacement crystals and newer watches (like my G005) having no colour trace to the AR any blue tinge will not be the issue that 'screams fake'. Unless you already have a Jimmy Fu case & CG package, gen crown and genuine dial the crystal should be the least of your worries. When did you last meet anyone who had ever even heard of Panerai?

I bought a Mont Blanc Starwalker, fineliner and fitted it with a genuine refill. I had to enlarge the hole at the tip fractionally and the genuine refill is now a good fit. While I was initially impressed with the pen the refill dries out quickly, indicating that the cap is not fully airtight. The case is a good replica of the gen but the quality is simply not there and the finish soon fades. I won't buy another as I really prefer something like a LAMY instead. These are good quality, reasonably exclusive and IMO a better alternative. I suppose the same could be said of watches if I am really honest.

Prior to the E series all 44mm handwind models had closed or solid casebacks and unaltered, but decorated ETA 6497 movements. Then the E, F & G series had display backs and the same shaped bridges as the one shown above, but with the PANERAIPANERAI engraving. The decoration changed to CdG stripes (as shown) for the H and subsequent series. Hope this helps.