chrgod Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 About two years ago, one of my friends asked for some advice about Panerai replicas. He liked the Luminor Regatta model, and was very happy when it arrived. Soon, his father and a colleague also wanted their 253s, and as the official "Watch nut", I sourced the watches and sold them with the normal cautions and maintenance advices applicable for mechanical timepieces and replicas. Here is the tale of the three Regattas.. The first watch lasted about a year. My friend was helping his girlfriend moving into a new apartment and the next morning he discovered that the crystal was gone! Likely knocked it against a door post during carrying some furniture. Luckily there does not seem to be any damage to dial and movement. The watch has been sitting in my watch closet for a year, while I without luck have traced a new crystal. The second watch was taken for a swim in the North Sea this summer.. Here is the result, some months later. Some part of the movement is stuck above the rotor.. I am actually amazed about the size of the debris which have entered the movement... On the dial side, there is a white dust under the crystal and on the dial (salt?). Well, while this watch is beyond repair at least I have a replacement crystal for my friends watch.. And the last watch? Its movement have stopped. The case has some scratches, but no visible water damage. It has taken some beatings. Guess a repair/service is beyond my capabilities. Time to do some tinkering when the weekend comes! These are actually very nice, big watches. Just take care... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drulee Posted November 24, 2009 Report Share Posted November 24, 2009 Chronos are the hardest reps to waterproof, as the pushes are almost never sealed properly. So I'm not a bit surprised that this happened. Even if the back, crystal, and crown had been properly lubed and sealed. As for the debris, I get the feeling a lot of it started as algae and other microscopic organisms, which grew along with fungus and other "goop". Glad you made use of the crystal at least Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoFaster Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I swim with a Dayto Rep and no problems ! Then I prefer with Sub or SD... Your second Pam is really in bad condition... good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drulee Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I swim with a Dayto Rep and no problems ! Then I prefer with Sub or SD... Your second Pam is really in bad condition... good luck Rolex rep buyers are fortunate in this respect, as there is an abundance of aftermarket parts manufactured for gens, which are available for sale to anyone. Panerai specific parts are much harder to find, and even then, are not always compatible with the rep parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StormTooper4 Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 My Watchsmith tells me time and time again never swim in those cheap watches , he is an AD for a Mid-High end Brand and highly recommends that you never swim with ANY chronograph watch whjat so eevr even teh ones he sale. He is mildly paranoid but he has a point me thinks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbchubb Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 There is a big difference between a Daytona rep and a PAM253... screw-down pushers and screw-down crown. The more openings a watchcase has, the more chance for failure. I would never take my rep 196 Daylight for a shower or swim, and that's what separates the gens from the reps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toadtorrent Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 There is a big difference between a Daytona rep and a PAM253... screw-down pushers Screw down pusher do nothing for water-resistance though...only to prevent accidental tripping of the chrono functions...so they are still a potential point of egress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoFaster Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 Yep I know there is a Big difference between Dayto and Pam253... but the title of the Topic is: why you should not swim with a replica Then my Dayto is a Rep'... But that's right they are really different and a Pam Chrono could have more problems with water that a Sub...especialy with chrono's pushers Poor Panerai......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I'm sick of hearing this "don't get reps wet!" myth. I've had one rep fog up under an immersion test (104) and the replacement was quite happy going underwater The only time I actively keep a watch out of the water, is if a ) it is on a fabric or leather strap or b ) I know that the rear o-ring is not in place, having removed it for another watch Can watches flood? Of course they can. Do the majority? I would say 'no'. People can get unlucky, but I do believe that it is simply a case of bad luck rather than a flaw inherent to reps... Who remembers the photo Pugwash posted of a fogged up Seiko? So much for 'gen waterproofing' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I have to agree with TJ here, I have swam in a 3717, a blackbird, but not my moon watch, i would not even swim in a gen, if some basic maintenance has been done it has been no problems for me. But you need to be able to do that basic maintenance or have some one to do it for you, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakemaster Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 lol. So what was he timing in the ocean? Average speed of a Mackerel? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew maximus Posted November 25, 2009 Report Share Posted November 25, 2009 I have a PAM 253 and while I havent gone swimming with watch, I do bathe my daughter with it(the only watch ive worn in water). I havent had a problem for last 2 years. Now have I submerged it and pushed the chronograph buttons, Hell no. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mbjoer Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 The message should not be "don't ever swim" with a rep. Rather have it pressure tested, and you may be pleasantly surprised how good some are. If your watch fails a pressure test it may not be a design fault, but purely the lousy manner in which the reps are put together. I have two $70 watches (Rolex and Breitling non-chrono) that both have been tested to 5 atm and had no problems. I also bought a Breitling Skyland chrono advertised as waterproof to more tham 50m which could barely take 2 atm. This has subsequently been waterproofed by Domi and is fine. I swim with that regularly. However this leads me to a general complaint: All too often this aspect of the watch is ignored. And for sports watches like the PAMs above being water proof is essencial. So I really think more pressure (no pun intended...) should be brought on dealers to do a test before they ship from China. If they can spot the problem watch out there it would be a lot easier and cheaper than having to do it here. Also this should be a key aspect of any review of sports watches here. To have to take off your diving watch before you swim is a huge tell, whereas lume-dots are not. Yet I frequently get the impression that reviews focus the other way round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watchmeister Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 IMHO, the real moral of the story is not "don't go swimming with reps". The real moral is don't go swimming with any watch which has not been properly checked and serviced. I have ruined a gen AP and Breitling taking them swimming without having them tested. Chrono's definitely are higher risk with all those entry points whether rep or gen. By the way have you ever noticed that most gens are listed as "water resistant" not "waterproof". That is not an accident. Personally, I tend to swim with properly sealed and serviced reps rather than gens since I am less vigilant on servicing the gens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoFaster Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Now I think that we must never forget that a Rep' stays a Rep' and we take Risk in playing with water... If you prepare your Rep' to Water resist it's different... And for finish...with Rep' you are lucky or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chubbchubb Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 Screw down pusher do nothing for water-resistance though...only to prevent accidental tripping of the chrono functions...so they are still a potential point of egress. Well true and not true. Screw down alone is not the solution. Greased O-rings and/or flat rubber gaskets are required as well. In addition, it is essential to have a certain design and manufacturing quality with very small tolerance and a quality control that deserves to be called so. None of the aforementioned makes a watch waterproof, it's the sum of all which gives you a timepiece which in theory could be waterproof. When you have all that, screw down makes a difference, because not only does it prevent using the chrono underwater, it also applies limited pressure to the gasket and makes sure that they sit tight. The Panerai crown guard lever though with a different technique, follows the same principle. On top of that, a tight fit between the tube's and the crown's (or pusher's) thread will limit the amount of water that needs to be detained by the gasket. My personal opinion: If you buy a gen which is sold as waterproof, get it wet. If it fails, you've got a warranty. If the watch is a supposedly waterproof rep or a gen who's warranty has expired, have it tested. It costs very little, takes no time and gives you peace of mind.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted November 26, 2009 Report Share Posted November 26, 2009 The message should not be "don't ever swim" with a rep. Rather have it pressure tested, and you may be pleasantly surprised how good some are. If your watch fails a pressure test it may not be a design fault, but purely the lousy manner in which the reps are put together. I have two $70 watches (Rolex and Breitling non-chrono) that both have been tested to 5 atm and had no problems. I also bought a Breitling Skyland chrono advertised as waterproof to more tham 50m which could barely take 2 atm. This has subsequently been waterproofed by Domi and is fine. I swim with that regularly. However this leads me to a general complaint: All too often this aspect of the watch is ignored. And for sports watches like the PAMs above being water proof is essencial. So I really think more pressure (no pun intended...) should be brought on dealers to do a test before they ship from China. If they can spot the problem watch out there it would be a lot easier and cheaper than having to do it here. Also this should be a key aspect of any review of sports watches here. To have to take off your diving watch before you swim is a huge tell, whereas lume-dots are not. Yet I frequently get the impression that reviews focus the other way round. Absolutely so IMHO, the real moral of the story is not "don't go swimming with reps". The real moral is don't go swimming with any watch which has not been properly checked and serviced. I have ruined a gen AP and Breitling taking them swimming without having them tested. Chrono's definitely are higher risk with all those entry points whether rep or gen. By the way have you ever noticed that most gens are listed as "water resistant" not "waterproof". That is not an accident. Personally, I tend to swim with properly sealed and serviced reps rather than gens since I am less vigilant on servicing the gens. Now I think that we must never forget that a Rep' stays a Rep' and we take Risk in playing with water... If you prepare your Rep' to Water resist it's different... And for finish...with Rep' you are lucky or not I think it's a reasonable risk... Reps aren't waterproof... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakemaster Posted November 28, 2009 Report Share Posted November 28, 2009 There is nothing wrong with wearing a gen diving watch while diving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.