Panerai - Pam212 Or Pam253

[Chronus]

There seems superficial differences between the two. Which do you prefer (if you could only choose one) and why ?

[bigpops]

253.

Reason being, i already own a 192, and i think the 253 is just different enough to warrant a purchase, unlike the 212.

[swdivad]

I like the 212, the hobnail on the 253 doesn't look great to me and I like the simplicity of the 212.

[JWR]

I really don't care for the text on the dial of the 253, or the single blue hand... make them all blue or something.

that being said, my two favorite pams are the 212 and the 222, so it would seem as if the 253 would almost be a hybrid of the two...

[Watchmeister]

253. Has correct caseback markings. Blue second hand also breaks it up. I like the 2893 PR and GMT with textured dials. And yes I know the textured is not as deep as the gen. But how many flat black dials can you have.

[Chronus]

Both are available with ETA 7750, so maybe I'm slowly converting from 212 towards 253 seeing as I have neither, and when I get the cash to get one, it has to be one or the other

[Chronus]

So far, for the 253, I have looked at Joshua's. The ETA 7750 version.

I can't see the hobnail dial in his pictures

There should be no more problem with the tachymetre tick markes now I think

The crown guard and pushers should be polished but this can be a DIY thing in any case?

[kanerich]

My 212 is my favorite pam rep, it gets more wrist time than my modded 005 that's cosmetically more accurate. I don't own a 253 (why bother when I already have such a similar model), but it's hard for me to imagine it would be more of a pleasure to own than a 212.

[Chronus]

I've found pictures of the PAM253 which I will post later tonight, but it appears that the one on the Panerai website is a prototype, and that was the one repped.

The problems I see are the tick marks on the outside, which on the genuine is on a smooth track on top of the hobnail dial. The pictures will explain everything. (Finally signed up to photobucket!)

Also, there are a few tick marks between each big one, while the one on the Panerai website has one small one, one big one, one small etc like the PAM212s that we've seen.

Any thoughts from anyone else?

Now I'm thinking maybe the PAM253 is not as accurate as I once thought. Of course both 212 and 253 rep have no flyback functionality.

[bigmouth]

I love my 212! It's my favorite PAM. 253 is also nice but why buy an almost simular watch if i already own a 212

[Chronus]

I'm trying to decide between the 2. And yes if you own one, you shouldn't really want the other.

[Chronus]

Ok here are the pictures.

Here is the picture from Panerai.com:

Here is the rep (from Perfect Clones), so you can see the tick marks (which are similar to the picture above, looks like the rep manufacturers used the same ones as the PAM212):

Here are pictures of the genuine watch, firstly zoomed in so you can compare the above pictures "tick" marks to the genuine's. You can also see it is on a flat smooth round ring and NOT on the hobnail dial. Same thing with the "Swiss Made" bit:

The original picture:

And another picture:

Edited October 19, 2006 by Chronus

[Finepics]

All you dudes with the older mineral glass 212's don't worry - the sapphire crystal with AR will not be long and very reasonably priced too.

[Chronus]

I think I'm leaning back towards the 212 now... There's always something isn't there? At this rate I'll be a pendulum between the two.

[Watchmeister]

I am going the other way but now I am leaning more towards the 243 while awaiting the 7753 187.

[Chronus]

My 212 / 253 was paid for a long time ago so it's just up to me to choose now.

I am like you, waiting on the 187 with ETA 7753. Me and you both were asking for it long ago

What makes you like the 253 over the 212 at the moment? Last week I thought the 253 was more accurate but after looking at pictures, I'm not so sure.

[Polynomial]

my 2p worth: I am about to get me 253, it is bit more accurate then 212, hey, how about the movement, it has those nice blue screws and all, but I just love the look so much more then 212, so far Agnus and Josh have the same 7750 ETA version, excellent stuff -- I guess River still stocks only Asian, no sign any of the lower-cost dealers will have this any time soon, hence I'll have to pick where to buy...$58 difference in price, who can ship it faster?

[Chronus]

I think the caseback engraving is accurate on the limited edition 253, but the movement decoration is wrong for both

[bigmouth]

BTW girls love the 212 From all my watches the 212 gets the most attention from girls. About accurancy, people really do not know much about Panerai. Most people here in Amsterdam have not even heard of the brand so only WIS know about the lack of AR, engraving, movement, crown guard, saphire glass etc. Nobody ever asked me if one of my PAMS was real or fake, just comments about the beauty of it. If i wear my Rolex sub i get "is it fake"questions about all the time.

[Chronus]

I guess the accuracy issue is more for me than anything else... The 212 is plainer and cleaner, while the 253 has the hobnail dial. Most PAMs have a plain dial so the 253 is a little different and is also a limited special edition, maybe less people will have seen that?

[hambone]

Tough choice, found myself with the same comparison debate and decided on the new 253 with the 7750 and AR coating. The aesthetics of the watch are just more appealing to me. Now I have to convince my wife to let me buy my second Panerai within two weeks, but that is another matter altogether.