hooky

also a very good choice, great model. And DSN has great lume (relumed so a lot better than standard replume) I guess DSN asks around 430usd.

Agree as well. better send it back AND discuss custom risk of sending it back with the dealer. he might want you to use a specific shipping method for him taking custom risk!

Great combo Lani! Also very nice fit on the lugs on the case. Even the white sweater on the picture matches with the white markers on the dial!! The rate you are getting your watches and straps... Are you wearing watches on both your wrist to still be able to enjoy your 'little' collection?

Not all about the classics like the pam111 or pam183 or the Fiddy. How about the PAM252, newest version? Pretty accurate. And with a good AR coating. Spend the rest on a good strap, for instance one from Gunny Straps. You will stay within your budget and it looks KILLER! In terms of dealers, Trustytime/Andrew is a good dealer.

also have a ETA smp. with what case did you switch it? with one with better crown guards?

a better (MORE SHARP) picture might help. what you always need with replica's are some (cheap) screwdrivers. You need one that will fit in the hole on the movement to push in to get the crown stem out. Easily findable on ebay. a rubber ball to get the case back open is also helpful. put in the search bar on ebay the words: panerai ball. and you will find what i mean. I had both pink and yellow. the yellow worked better for me, more stiff ball. Cheers!

The PAM253 will look a bit bigger. difference is because of the chrono pushers and the higher crystal. Like Pre-V said, you could mount a big think strap with buckle on it. That is what I did on my pam253. And a brownisch color strap makes the watch head 'pop out' more than a black (rubber) strap, because of more contrast. I believe V3 has more white lume. Gen has more greenish (c3) lume. And v2 has some issues with font. difficult to choose....

Sending it back would cost you more than doing this yourself or by a watch smith. I don't even think you need to reinstall the running seconds hands, but maybe you can just gently push it in place with a tooth pick. Then first you need to get the movement + dial out. should not be a too biggie problem. start with looking here: http://www.rwg.cc/members/Installing-Valjo...ewh-t37058.html http://www.rwg.cc/members/Guide-replacing-...n-7-t24754.html or find some more info on how to remove the crown stem. Good luck and post us the update!

Great Review! so the best thing for now is get a older version crownguard and mod it for a tight fit against the case. And to relume the dial and hands to get the correct color (white instead of C3 green is a big tell) and better thickness of the font and also to get the gen appearance in terms of luminousness. Which is also visible in daylight with relumed dial, because the green is a bit more brighter. Actually much more visible than a wrong no 1 font on the subdial which can hardly be seen from 1m distance, the normal minimal distance for people to see the watch.

advise to bring it to a watch repair shop. tell them it is a replica of good quality with a Asian Valjoux 7750 movement. Most watch smith will help you. also notify the dealer. Sending it back to China will also cost around 15-20usd for a good shipping method. I have a lot of reps. my watch smith repairs around 95% of all these small problems economically.

Hi Omegaman, most times it is just a very small problem. First thing is not to directly send it back to the dealer, because of the customs risk or small risk of loosing the parcel in China. So better first find a local watch smith (does not have to be a jewelry shop, but just a guy who only works on watches). Maybe it is a quick and cheap fix. You could also open the case back and make a good picture of the chronograph module. maybe some of the members here might be able of help.

The Black watches are definately a fashion statement these days. Time will tell how long they will stay 'HOT'. one of the reasons the Black Steel Breitling is such a beauty is that the case is not completely real black but some shaded lighter, between dark grey and black. The steel really shines through the dlc.

It depends if you want a rep for just 1-2 years working or for a longer time. Most A7750 need a service out of the box, even if they are running 'well enough' in terms of power reserve and time keeping.

Of course the Zigg is totally right. In addition, you should ask your watch smith if he performed a service on ASIAN 7750 before or not. Like The Zigmeister said, the A7750 has more challenges. If your watch smith had dealings with the A7750, that will build some trust. Most times they estimate their rate based on the real ETA, which has far less small problems en challenges during service than the asian. and indeed it is quite a low price. my watch smith quotes 250usd. And if I remember correctly, The Zigmeister is around 200usd and he has lots of experience with the A7750, so he will probably spend less time with a service than a watch smith who never or had just a few dealings with A7750. good luck.

sinowatches and hont still work together. hont is in GZ and gets the watches for sino.

you can try to grease the ball bearings of the rotor. open the case back get the rotor off gently put some very small grease dots on the ball bearings and make sure you don't put too much. get rid of extra grease and keep things clean. you don't want to get it in the movement. it worked with bergeon No 2588-50 KT 22 grease. The more expensive ETA or clone ETA movements are better and will make less sound in general.

ooops, you are right. it is 22mm, i just measured it. I assumed that it was 24mm because a member put a Greg Stevens Panerai strap on it. and those are always 24mm.

24mm width. If you buy a color strap which is lighter in color than black, the contrast will make the Black Steel (and it superb quality) POP out even more.

Why would you want to buy a Portuguese Chrono? out of the box around 4 out of 5 will have big problems in the first 2 years. Please do a search on RWG and you will find out that these watches are HIGHLY irreliable because of a badly performed modification to get the running seconds from the 9 to 6. cheers & good luck.

www.apbands.com ??

fellow member Rogerthat made some very nice pictures with a Greg Stevens Panerai strap, called Crazy Horse: http://www.rwg.cc/members/Blacksteel-Rep-t91678.html It made me buy the strap for one of my Panerais, the pam252 and made me buy the Black Steel as well.

You can use it without the tubes and use the similar of the new strap. what kind of strap did you get? from where?

Vaccum relumed the dial and hands. Which will be better than the standard DSN hands and dials in terms of luminousness. you also might want to think of total price of modding including a standard watch to be modded. and also time to modd, because it takes lots of time. DSN is directly ready to go. don't know about his AR + crowns though.

THIS IS NOT TRUE AT ALL!!! I have had 2 parcels lost in Belgium Customs: both times NO letter from customs. It was just on the tracking info. I have had 1 parcel of 8 watches lost to Dutch customs: no letter was sent. Seizure was verified through the shipping company, not by customs. Sometimes the customs don't send out letters. Saves them administration time probably.

Hi, the stem of your pam253 broke. The other part is still in the crown and one part still in the watch. it is very difficult, nearly impossible to get the stem out of the crown, because it is glued down. Getting the stem out of the movement is easy. you can find on this board on how to do that. use the search button. what you do need is a complete crown with stem inserted. That is the easiest thing. To get that you should ask the dealer from who you bought it. If that don't work, you can ask another dealer. Most times they not just want to get you the crown, because that won't earn them money. If you buy your next watch from them I am sure the dealer will get it for you, FOR FREE. good luck.