DSN's Ti PAM 091

[OSRep]

Hey, hope everyone's well.

Ok, so after receiving my first rep watch a few weeks ago I needed another (well, not needed, but had to get ). Seeing as though Panerais are one of the most popular reps I thought I would check them out. Naturally I kept an eye out on the sales forums (but the good ones get snapped up real quick - i think they go up when im fast asleep )......as well as some of the popular dealers i.e. Sead, LH and ofcourse DSN. It was the DSN Ti 091 that caught my eye - simply for the gorgeous dial.

So I shot DSN an email, he replied straight away saying he has a few in stock woohoo! I guess this is an appropriate time to stress that David is a brilliant dealer. His communication is excellent. He offers various options for payment (but no PP), I was hesitant with sending money with Western Union but thats the option I used. It took a day to get to HK - and he confirmed payment had been received "phew". Throughout my emails I had been asking for the faster shipping option (instead of the standard air mail), but David insisted the air mail was good to EU (so I though "hmmmmmm, odd, im ASKING for the faster option and will pay for it", but he doesnt want to offer it to me), but David being David sent the watch out by EMS and it took two days - awesome! Ofcourse, the watch was well protected and wrapped in lots of bubble wrap in a box which was wrapped and in a padded envelope. So here she is..........

First impressions: NOTE: I have never held or seen a gen PAM 091 - so this is based purely on what I see and feel!! As with the Aquatimer Chrono "I was really impressed by what I found in the box - WOW!! "What a beauty".....AND she was nicely “ticking” away......!! Everything was in tact, and functioning properly.

Specifications

Unfortunately im not well conversed with Panerai's, but I believe the genuine 091 was introduced as a "D / E-series" i.e. introduced in 2001 until 2003.

• The gen has a Titanuium case with brushed SS bezel - there are rumours that the CG is also steel? but I havnt come across any info on that

• The DSN uses a brushed Ti case / bezel / CG / crown and caseback. The quality of the Ti and finishing is excellent, very cleanly machined!

• The gen comes on a SS / Ti mix linked bracelet

• The DSN is shipped with 2 leather stock straps with Ti buckles (wearable). Pam’s definitely deserve a good quality strap though.

I like how member "unregistered" compares "Rep V Gen"'s i.e. "just follow the numbers" so I hope he wont mind me using his style........

Head on, the DSN dial seems to have a very close dial colour to the gen. The dial on the 091 is quite a special one as it "changes" colour depending on lighting, surrounding, clothes you wear etc etc. Sometimes it looks grey, silver, and on the gen sometimes blue (however theres no blue effect on the DSN dial - its more of a champagne at certain angles).

1.Noticeable difference in crowns. The gen looks thicker with a polished finish (looks SS). The DSN has a matte Ti finish (unless thats just lighting)- and is very well made.

2.The text is placed nicely, but is a little larger / thicker on the DSN

3.Lume markers on the seconds dial are a little thick and "stubby". Same goes for the lume markers "dots" around the dial which are larger on the DSN.

4. The "6" on the DSN looks thicker too. The "12" looks pretty spot on. Also, the "L Swiss Made L" is bigger on the DSN

1.Although very close, there is a slightly more pronounced curve on the lugs of the DSN, seem thicker too.

2.Case profile looks similar too, however a slightly more pronounced curve on the bottom edge of the case on the gen.

3.Bezel angles look similar too, slightly larger "lip" on the bottom of the bezel on the rep.

CG looks good....(hey Panny fans, What say you?) Nice and chunky with a clean curve. Ofcourse the pin could do with a slight flattening and polish, otherwise great The lever is tight, no play / looseness. However, from the first photo below you can see the lever isnt properly machined (where it pivots around the pin)......

Good looking solid Ti caseback. Major difference noticeable is the "Ocean Chronometer" on the DSN? Does anyone know if any other PAM models have this printed on the caseback? Also it seems the DSN has the correct "OP 6558".....also says "xxxx / 2000" as per gen.

The date magnification and print is another big issue with PAM reps, and as this is my first I cant really comment on how good or bad it is? Its quite thick on the DSN which I think is good. Anybody? However the cyclops is a little bit misaligned.....by millimeters though

This is DSN's superlumed dial - exposed under light for 1 minute. As you can see it GLOWS! Very nice, however, doesnt last very long on the "12", "6" and hour markers. The hands continue to glow faintly for longer though......

One thing that really lets this gorgeous watch down is the positioning of the Ti markers on the dial in respect to the lume markers (see below).

For some reason, on the left side of the dial all the titanium markers touch the lume markers, and on the right side theres a bit of a gap (as per on the gen). Now this may seem like a small thing, but its noticeable, and if youre anal (like me) then its an annoyance.

CONCLUSION

DSN is a brilliant dealer (great communication, very helpful, super fast shipping). Out of the box, the 091 is VERY well made, cleanly finished and very beautiful. Not 100% sure on the accuracy of the colour of the Anthracite dial, but it does change from a grey > silver > champagne depending on lighting. The gen apparently “turns” a bluey grey too (pic below).

The watch uses an Asian 7750 which has been working well and keeping good time, crown feels solid and date / time set without hitch. The crystal has a very faint layer of AR with a light blue hue. The CG is machined well and the lever feels solid and fits with a nice “click”. The main thing that (for me) lets this watch down is the Ti hour markers not being consistently placed in relation to the lume hour markers)…….Otherwise, if youre looking to pick one up then go for it! I dont think youll be disappointed. As for coming across one in "the wild" I reckon that is highly unlikely.....so I wouldnt be worried about being "called out".

Enjoy the rest of the pics

If I have made any blunders in this post then please forgive, and correct me. Please feel free to add any additional comments and feelings - input is much appreciated.

ATB

/OS

Edited February 10, 2010 by OSRep

[Drulee]

Very nice review, haven't had time to finish reading it all yet as it is a comprehensive one I'm just about finished my 091 build (DSN dial and hands, everything else sourced elsewhere).

The genuine has a brushed SS crown guard and bezel.

[OSRep]

Very nice review, haven't had time to finish reading it all yet as it is a comprehensive one I'm just about finished my 091 build (DSN dial and hands, everything else sourced elsewhere).

The genuine has a brushed SS crown guard and bezel.

Thanks Drulee.....I tried my best! Its harder to compare when you havjt handled a gen version! Ooooooo COOL you have a 091 too? I havnt seem Many around, please post pics when youre done. Thanks for clarifying about the SS crown guard (I thought so....). Please correct me or add anything where you feel necessary.... I need sleep! night.....

[dluddy]

Really nice review. Wheaton has the Gen so his opinion would count here. Gotta love the anthracite dial though - very unique

[lanikai]

Very nice OS.. and very thorough review .. your fast becoming one of RWG's go to guy for reviews..

thanks again OS!!!! .. I'll have to take a closer look at this one..

AC/Lani

[StormTooper4]

Sweet write up and some great photos, it really is quite a different PAM and all the better for it.

I think a few members have chosen this as a GEN , but given there are only 2000 around you are unlikely to bump into one.

The Date font is always and issue and I wish it wasn't the case not sure what magic panerai work on their cyclopes but its seems to have the rep manufactures stumped.

Thanks for taking the time for putting this together.

ST4

[Eton]

Fantastic write up and review OS! Thanks for going into such detail and taking such great shots, it's much appreciated

Cheers

[qwest905]

great write up..thanks for that =)

i have a 091 aswell but an older version with a cheaper CG and my caseback is not engraved like yours...but i still love it =)

i did buy the new caseback like yours as well waiting on a a t48 crown and a brushed SS CG in the mail.

but this is it for now

[wheaton26]

wow os ... great review of one of my favorite watches! as dluddy mentioned ... i have this gen. in fact, i'm wearing it right now. lol. i did a quick overview of this when it first came out and i've copied it below for your refernce. thanks again for the review and pictures ... we know how long it takes to put something like this together! please feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding the gen. all the best.

Posted 22 December 2008 - 09:18 PM

i really wasn't expecting this release, and at first glance the watch looks great. i would have jumped all over this a couple of years ago but as some of you may or may not know, i was able to find an amazing deal and now own the gen. i still may pick it up for comparison sake. with that being said, let's start picking this apart ...

first off, it should be on a brushed tt and ss bracelet, tapering from 24mm to 20mm (double or single push button deployment was available in the "e" series). everything on the rep is titanium which will make it lighter than the gen. the bezel, crown guard and crown should be ss. the actual case, crown lever and caseback is titanium. the dial looks good but i'm not sure how the anthracite color compares. the gen actually looks different at different angles and can change from a light grey, to a blueish grey, to a dark grey and even all black ... very cool and unique to only a few panerai models. the font is a little off and there is a frame around the date window that should not be there. also, there seems to be a ridge line around the subdial but that is getting pretty picky. other than that, the placement of the numerals, sticks and "l swiss made l" is pretty much spot on. the worst looking part of the dial is the lume. not the actual lume color (it looks very strong in the picture), but the small squares that are lumed. the complete square should be lumed and it looks like they have lumed only 3/4 of the square. probably hard to tell from the naked eye, but it is really jumping out at me in these pics. the hands and canon pinion look great, although the actual pin on the gen is polished. date font looks ok but the mag is bad (like most panerai reps). as members have already mentioned, the crown pin should be flat and also a couple of mm higher. the caseback quality is poor ... the gen does not say " ocean chronometer" on it.

in closing, if you've been waiting for this rep since http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA6W-0x-TfI, i would go for it! and although hard to find, there are tt and ss bracelets for sale from time to time. i wish i felt up to taking some comparison pictures for you but i'm a little under the weather. here is a close-up of the rep from davidsenjpn (i hope it's ok that i copied it here) and my dial which will give you an idea. all the best!

rep

gen

[deniz21]

great job man

a real good review of a awsome watch, and it looks perfect on your wrist but be careful bro, these beasts can addict you in a minute

thanks for your work bro and enjoy your new watch

and mate think about a watchcase i think you need it very very soon

denz

[OSRep]

Really nice review. Wheaton has the Gen so his opinion would count here. Gotta love the anthracite dial though - very unique

Thank you dl. I think Wheaton heard you as he has chimed in

Very nice OS.. and very thorough review .. your fast becoming one of RWG's go to guy for reviews..

thanks again OS!!!! .. I'll have to take a closer look at this one..

AC/Lani

Thanks big bro! Wish I could have done it more thoroughly if I had a gen....but it should help those considering the 091! I cant believe you dont have this in your collection? :shock: Its definitely a looker. Wore it out to dinner yday and my best friend (practically brother) wants it.....so I may give it to him (as Ive ordered another model from DSN) :bangin: Thanks bro, God bless.

Sweet write up and some great photos, it really is quite a different PAM and all the better for it.

I think a few members have chosen this as a GEN , but given there are only 2000 around you are unlikely to bump into one.

The Date font is always and issue and I wish it wasn't the case not sure what magic panerai work on their cyclopes but its seems to have the rep manufactures stumped.

Thanks for taking the time for putting this together.

ST4

Cheers ST4. I agree, it really is a different PAM. I do love the "railroad markers" - they should make more models in this style. I found it difficult finding info on this model (even on google), there were a few sales threads thats all. One member "wheaton" has the gen (lucky guy). Hahaha....I think that magic is $1,000,000,000's of dollars in R&D Tc bro.

Fantastic write up and review OS! Thanks for going into such detail and taking such great shots, it's much appreciated

Cheers

No worries Eton.....RWG is a great place for me, so only fair I try and give back..... Plus its great fun writing about watches.

great write up..thanks for that =)

i have a 091 aswell but an older version with a cheaper CG and my caseback is not engraved like yours...but i still love it =)

i did buy the new caseback like yours as well waiting on a a t48 crown and a brushed SS CG in the mail.

Thanks qwest. Ooooooo you have good taste in watches hehe. Is yours a DSN as well? Looks great - but yeah I see what you mean about the CG (looks slightly "thinner")....ask DSN if he can send you a newer version? Hope youre enjoyiong your 091.....its a beauty

wow os ... great review of one of my favorite watches! as dluddy mentioned ... i have this gen. in fact, i'm wearing it right now. lol. i did a quick overview of this when it first came out and i've copied it below for your refernce. thanks again for the review and pictures ... we know how long it takes to put something like this together! please feel free to ask any questions you may have regarding the gen. all the best.

the bezel, crown guard and crown should be ss. the actual case, crown lever and caseback is titanium. there is a frame around the date window that should not be there. also, there seems to be a ridge line around the subdial but that is getting pretty picky.

Hey its the man with the gen PAM! hehe. Good of you to pop in Wheaton. Thanks for posting that, there were things that I didnt pick up on (above), so that has cleared things up a little better thank you! Hmmm do I have any questions about the gen, yes, CAN I HAVE IT? haha. Its a beautiful watch....the gen must be gorgeous.....enjoy it thoroughly.

great job man

a real good review of a awsome watch, and it looks perfect on your wrist but be careful bro, these beasts can addict you in a minute

thanks for your work bro and enjoy your new watch

and mate think about a watchcase i think you need it very very soon

denz

Thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank you bro! You are too kind with compliments haha. but yes it does look good on my wrist hehe. My best friend wants it :S oops. Might give it to him. Yes I need a watchcase too.....

Catch you around bro.

[wheaton26]

Hey its the man with the gen PAM! hehe. Good of you to pop in Wheaton. Thanks for posting that, there were things that I didnt pick up on (above), so that has cleared things up a little better thank you! Hmmm do I have any questions about the gen, yes, CAN I HAVE IT? haha. Its a beautiful watch....the gen must be gorgeous.....enjoy it thoroughly.

lol. thanks.

[deniz21]

man your watches deserving a real nice place to stay you made real good pick ups mate, great classy taste

see ya around

[unregistered]

Great review OS. You're right DSN's new Ti CGs are great. They are mildly inaccurate from what I've seen and he uses them on both auto and manual PAMs, but that big chunkiness is lovely and a big step up from his old ones.

[OSRep]

man your watches deserving a real nice place to stay you made real good pick ups mate, great classy taste

see ya around

:thumbsupsmileyanim: Cheers Denz......

Great review OS. You're right DSN's new Ti CGs are great. They are mildly inaccurate from what I've seen and he uses them on both auto and manual PAMs, but that big chunkiness is lovely and a big step up from his old ones.

Thanks UR. Inspiration from you none the less Mind clarifying why they are "mildly inaccurate"? (as I said PAM's confuse me)..... Whats the difference between an auto and manual CG?.......

[unregistered]

I'll type the response out tmrw if its ok? I'm knackered and I need to source the pics from my 240 review and my 040 review. That should illustrate it quite nicely.

[OSRep]

I'll type the response out tmrw if its ok? I'm knackered and I need to source the pics from my 240 review and my 040 review. That should illustrate it quite nicely.

In your own time buddy. Thank you

[unregistered]

PAM240 (Auto PAM) J series onwards

From the side

You can see DSN's is missing the top curvature, which means he is missing the downward slope you would see if you looked up from the lugs. It's nice, thick and beefy, but wrong, though the top down profile is good.

BTW, this is indicative of how it should look on a 176/177 and your 091 if it's post G series.

PAM 040 (Manual Pam) B series

From the side

Again very nice side profile, accurate with the exception of the top portion being thicker than it should be. Personally I think thick is good in all things in life

From the top

Accurate profile with the location of the pin being mildly off.

So yeah, though DSN's Ti CGs have improved leaps and bounds, in some cases they are more accurate than in others, so still flawed

[OSRep]

Brilliant . So are you saying that on all auto PAM CG's there should be that curvature? And the manual ones dont have that curvature and are slightly "thinner"?

Thanks for adding value to this thread

OS

[unregistered]

No, I'm saying you gotta look at the series

Its the same as my CG thread. A-F have thinner flat CGs. Pre-V/H~current have thicker curved ones.

Auto pams have more variations in the CG in that they are polished even for the curved versions (SS), whereas with manual is clearcut, they are all brushed.

Edited February 15, 2010 by unregistered

[OSRep]

Thanks UR, I think ive got it now

[Drulee]

OSRep, I just noticed that the DSN case back on your 091 seems to be engraved, not etched, is this the case?

and your 091 if it's post G series.

Just to clear somethings up here, and update the thread for accuracy . The 091 was only a D and E series offering, so a post G series very thick and rounded CG would be completely wrong. Also the CG was made of brushed SS with a Titanium lever only, not completely Titanium (along with the bezel). So an accurately shaped CG would look like the one on the PAM 086D, if you can't find an 091 pic.

PAM 086D

PAM 091D

[OSRep]

Drulee thanks for the update I no longer have the 091 (due to the markers on the dial + as you say there are a few SS parts together with the Ti).....

Im keeping an eye out for a more accurate version of this beautiful rep though.

Regards

[Drulee]

Drulee thanks for the update I no longer have the 091 (due to the markers on the dial + as you say there are a few SS parts together with the Ti).....

Im keeping an eye out for a more accurate version of this beautiful rep though.

Regards

I think the DSN with your own custom mods will be your only option. I don't think any of the factories are even considering putting out a new one of these. DSN also seems to be the only dealer who does anything in Titanium nowadays, except for that Radiomir one.

Sorry, what didn't you like about the markers?

[OSRep]

I think the DSN with your own custom mods will be your only option. I don't think any of the factories are even considering putting out a new one of these. DSN also seems to be the only dealer who does anything in Titanium nowadays, except for that Radiomir one.

Sorry, what didn't you like about the markers?

Yeah I did ask him if he could put together a custom one (but he said he wont mix the SS with Titanium parts - which is fair enough)......I had a bit of trouble looking for a brushed SS bezel, so I lost interest

Umm well, the hour markers (the titanium ones) were irregularly placed i.e. some were close to the lume dots, and some were not......which bugged me alot (because that could be a great rep)....