Watchmeister

Absolutely stunning strap (and not a bad watch either ). Congrats on both. They look great.

Congrats but it isn't surprising. I have probably sent more than 100 packages over the last couple of years - most recently a couple of gen PAM's that needed service and not had any issues.

RL- You have to shoot a couple of comparison pics when you have a moment.

If it is one watch and not my money I go with one of the Uhrwerk's. Only ever seen one and thought it was so cool. Those independent turbines are a horological masterpiece. I had always thought I would want the Freak but actually tried one on and subsequently lost interest. Really doesn't bode well for ever being satisfied with one watch. Then again, that is why we are here.

Enjoying the "twitter". Keep it coming.

I was pursuing one for a while (before I got sidetracked with another godforsaken project) and I found that the going rate for one in good condition is $2800-$3200 with papers if not box as well. You can find them in the low $2k area but typically not in great shape and of course no box or papers. If you are trying to find out what is going on with the dial you might ask the seller to remove the back as Rolex service usually marks when it was last serviced and that might help.

You are right that there is no 162 rep other than the one that comes with a blue dial. I happened to have Rob servicing the 162 (and fixing a completely askew bezel) at the same time he got parts we needed for the Panda rep so I got them both back at the same time. I thought it was a nice pictoral juxtaposition in any case. It was actually very interesting to hear his comments as he was rebuilding one movement at the same time he was servicing the other. It turns out that the PAM 7753 movements have substantially more reworking than the hand winds. I am hoping that he will post up an article on this at some point in the future when he has some time. I know he is very busy at the moment. It will make all those with gens feel better.

Absolutely stunning pair. I would kill for that 4B - it looks fantastic.

Thanks for the kind words. And yes, the original pic from Paneristi of the proto does show a standard ETA date wheel. The pic of the other proto daylight with black dial and silver subs has the appropriate Panerai font on the date. Who knows. I kept the standard ETA date wheel just in case I do ever see a real one and can confirm which one is correct.

At the moment the black but 2 hours ago the white.

Just got back a pair from the Great North. Sent off a pair to Ziggy with significant movement issues and the final aesthetic mods on one. Of course, they both came back from Ziggy keeping COSC quality time. Thought I would share some quick pics this morning. The matched set: The Work of Art: The Newman Panda which is the legendary prototype to the original Daylights has been one of my labour's of love over a period of years. Although this one has a better date wheel and new crown and tube, the real artistry is in the dial. The standard dial comes with shiny (and obviously wrong) subdials and an incorrect glossy overall finish. Ziggy worked his magic and relumed and refinished the dial and it makes a huge difference. Although my pics don't do it justice the dial is drastically improved and it now looks IMHO as good as any ever will - unless of course someone produces an original protoype. Here is the gen for comparison: The obligatory wristshots:

Congrats on a great project. Some day I hope to reveal one myself but for now - I love Angelus projects.

Looks great. Congrats on what I know was a fun project.

Richard- That is a fabulous gen. I have come close a number of times. That and the 93 are my two favorite non-standard PR's.

We all know the answer to that one. Because you can. I followed that rational to its natural conclusion and I ended up with multiple MBW's and 4 Daylights. And guess what, time to reload. Having said all that, there is no denying that a Franken Daytona is a lifetime keeper. When we are all 80 and you can't hold up that 44mm on your wrist anymore that Daytona will still be infinitely wearable and timeless.

My kind of lunch. Did anybody eat anything?

Absolutely beautiful watch. Wear that one well. I am hoping to do a 5002 by the end of the year myself. That one looks as good as it gets.

Welcome. Take your new vehicle for a spin and see what she can do.

Much thanks for an excellent tutorial. Everyone should try it at least once. Rebrushing a bracelet or case can make a huge difference on our reps. For all of our complaining about a slightly off sub-dial or wrong typeface for a tiny word on a dial a poorly finished bracelet or case just screams fake a lot faster. All Gerald Genta design sports watches (AP ROO, VC Overseas, Ingy, etc.) never mind the standard Rolex bracelets need that simple refinishing to their bracelets to give it that gen look. Muted satin is the most basic (and uniform) brushed finish but after you have done it a couple of times you can even begin to match the refinish to the gen itself based on the pad or tool you use and the level of aggressiveness of the brushing. Gio, thanks again.

If by Watchmaster you are referring to Kenzo (original partner of Maria)I have owned a number of his PAM vintages but have never seen a Pre-V case.

BC= Big Crown. Watch looks great. Wear it well.

What a wonderful gesture and a beautiful watch.

A little late for that. I was on the fence on this one but the market made up my mind for me. Out of my league.

Ken- A big Happy Birthday. And if you can still party hard you are doing better than me.

Ubi- Great looking watch. It will definitely have great "wrist presence". Enjoy it.