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The Pam That Dissapointed You The Most....


V

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WHat the topic says.. which Pam you bought and didn't liked it at all?

For me there are 2 contestants.. The 029.. and of course the Fiddy...

At the 029 I didn't liked at all the center seconds hand and of course the dial. It looked very cheap in my eyes..

At the Fiddy I think it was too big in the first place. Although I have 7,2 inches wrist and working out I think the best size for me is the 44mm.

I tried to love the fiddy.. Got many straps for it, relumed it put a saphire but nothing...

194971-3964.jpg

194971-3965.jpg

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for me, it would have to be the pam 048 and 049. i am trying to get my wife into panerai with these models and ordered these specifically because of the date font. the dates on my other panerai's suck to say the least. my brother bought a pam 050 about two years ago and the date is awesome ... very comparable to the genuine. all dealers still show this bold date font in their photos but in fact, there is a new version of this watch that doesn't have the bold date font. see pictures below for reference. it is just frustrating when you are expecting one thing and end up with another date that is hard to read. i removed the dealer logos from the stock picture on the left and my picture is on the right. i must have captured the date at the perfect angle because it does not look that good under regular circumstances. you can also see with the side by side comparison that the one on the right is not as bold as the one pictured on the left and what i thought i would be receiving. anyway, you asked for it. that is my latest disappointment. have a nice weekend everyone!

194987-3953.jpg

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Good thread. I must admit I'm the other way around. I got a 111h and was more impressed by it than I thought I would be, and then I won a 196 and got a 183 at the same time to save on the postage and a credit note I had with Silix for my Rolex GMT repair. I never appreciated the 196 or the 183 until I got them. They too impressed me more than I thought they would, and my next PAM is the one I think is the ugliest (apart from the Purdey ones), the 187. I bet I like that fugly puck too, just to be annoying. :blink:

ps. The GMTs? I'm kinda neutral towards them. That speaks volumes. Not even ugly enough to be interesting.

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my experience is similar to pugwash's....fortunately (or unfortunately?), i have really liked all my pams. the one that surprised me the most is the 187 -- initially when i saw it i was perplexed as to why everyone was drooling over it. but then it grew on me, and i was able to pick one up for a song from a member here; now i love it -- it is the ultimate sporty watch with a rubber strap, and looks completely different on my europelli shell cordovan vintage caramel.

i'm still not totally sure about my pam 063, but i'm going to give it the works (new cyclops, datewheel & superlume) and hope for the best. in the event that it doesn't work out, i'm sure i'll find someone who would love to pick up the complete package.

deltatahoe

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I have to say... I can't decide between my 090 and my 028 w/2892A2!

About the 090, I simply seem unable to love its face... or maybe its yellowish lume color... but it gets almost no wrist time, actually.

About the 028, apart from its cost, and all the crazy modding it needed (true PVD, relume, crown [which I am still waiting for], cyclops [which turned out too strong on this model because of the 2892A2 small 2nd date lens], etc.), I am quite [censored] with the very 2892A2. It needs a lot of wrist movement to keep a decent power reserve -- much more than, e.g., my $108-Asian-21J PAM 104.

Thanks God there is the PR gauge to help -- but even it does not work so nicely as supposed on a 2892A2: when the watch stops, the PR hand is still pointing well over 0 (almost to 10, actually).

With all those moddings I already spent more than 1000 USD on this watch (watch included), and it still is way way less than perfect.

Oh well, maybe that with a new cyclops and the Palp's PVD crown (if ever) I'll became a little less critic on it...

But then, there will always be that "OFFICNE PANERAI" mark bothering me inside.

Bah! :angry:

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Well, I started with a 111H which I loved then and still love today. I decided to buy another PAM to wear while I sent my 111 off to get the recessed pin fix and lume. So, I ordered a cheapy 104 w/ an Asian auto. It's the biggest piece of crap. Mineral glass, a cyclops that has basically no magnification (so you can't really even see the date...actually, the cyclops distorts the view so much, it would probably be better without it), basically no lume, a movement that just stops out of the blue for no reason while wearing, etc...

But, probably the the most annoying flaw is that the distance from the case to the lug screw is too short. And, the bottom of the case is extremely sharp. So, when you put those together, you can't put a decent strap on it because it's shortly chewed to pieces. I even took a dremel to it to try to fix it, but it's still crappy.

Needless to say, I only wear it for yard work, etc.

Still haven't sent off my 111 dammit!

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fun thread v! i would have to say all auto pams with 7750b1 non chrono movements. the crown functions are very cheap feeling and the date hard to catch on all of them. just feel cheap all the way around. next up is the 192.... i don't know why as it looks cool in photos. just not any wrist time at all. for some reason it just does not "fit in" too lightweight. all the unitas based pams i love!

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The 47MM Radiomir 232 would have to be my least favorite of the pams I have purchased so far. The dial was scratched and had to be replaced, the lugs are goofy and the screws got stripped to easily. which made the lugs rattle around a bit. I got a replacement 232 to make up for it, but the dial is not the color of the gen so it kind of leaves me a bit cold. With some work it could be a great rep

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Good topic.......We'll have collected many Pam in our collection,be it in 44mm or 47mm and believe it or not...I am more inclined to 44mm as the size is right,dressy and comfortable too :rolleyes: I do love to wear my fiddy or RXW for weekend outdoor activities though :winkiss: However, the Radiomir in 45mm and 47mm disapointed me the most......both are still unworn......don't ask me why as they simply don't grab my attention at all :thumbdown:

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The latest 111H/177H, the same ones sold by most of our dealers currently.

For me it was an impulse buy some time ago, and I even liked it (111H) at first, before I started comparing it to a gen 111H.

The list of obvious and some not so obvious 'imperfections' is too long to display here, so I won't event give it a try :mellow:

Yeah, I know, my detail-obsessed nature is a curse rather than blessing, especialy when it comes to all things reps :-)

cheers all,

babola

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The latest 111H/177H, the same ones sold by most of our dealers currently.

For me it was an impulse buy some time ago, and I even liked it (111H) at first, before I started comparing it to a gen 111H.

The list of obvious and some not so obvious 'imperfections' is too long to display here, so I won't event give it a try :mellow:

Yeah, I know, my detail-obsessed nature is a curse rather than blessing, especialy when it comes to all things reps :-)

cheers all,

babola

That's true.. they have a looooong way to go to do a seriously accurate H,I series Luminor rep... :rolleyes:

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That's true.. they have a looooong way to go to do a seriously accurate H,I series Luminor rep... :rolleyes:

Yet last year, we praised them for their accuracy. Now they're the same "Why can no-one get it right" category as Subs and SeaDwellers. Maybe all reps are like that, but it merely takes us a year to notice. :D

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Yet last year, we praised them for their accuracy. Now they're the same "Why can no-one get it right" category as Subs and SeaDwellers. Maybe all reps are like that, but it merely takes us a year to notice. :D

Don't quite agree.. there are Pams very accurate from the box (especially some SUbs).

The point is that makers tried to use G series Pam parts to the H series which is completely wrong because they are different.

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my most dissapointed PAMs

127 fiddy - to big... nice watch of course, but you can´t wear it all day :wounded1:

183 black seal - to dress... better for my wife, but it is not a MAN watch :victory:

212 old version - on panerai catalog looks good, but rep is very cheap. Only the caseback and movement is nice, but the front is ugly :black_eye:

but i have also good experiences with watches, which i thought they are ugly. For 2 years ago my jewelery get me the PAM 092 Arktos catalog. I look this watch and told my wife: "woooooow this is the most ugly watch i ever see... HORRIBLE". 1 year later i hold this watch in hand (cheap asian version) and was suprised... and like it. I have order the 7750 version now and wear it 6 month and it is my absolute FAVORITE watch. I have install OEM alligator strap from PAM. I am thinking about to buy a genuine... but very rare (500units) and very expensive 5.200euro. For 3.500euro (in new condition) i would buy it prompt.

Edited by tourbillon1801
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well I am lucky to have never bought a PAM I did not like.... :rolleyes: - the ones I have, I love...

in that "dislike" category... any of the Purdeys...or any white-dial-versions.... white dials just don't work for me on a PAM

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Of course there were other Pams I didn't quite liked but i was not so dissapointed..

The 24 has gone very fast to my uncle and the 192 to my cousin because i could not stand the huge weight difference (titanium to tantalium).

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The latest 111H/177H, the same ones sold by most of our dealers currently.

For me it was an impulse buy some time ago, and I even liked it (111H) at first, before I started comparing it to a gen 111H.

The list of obvious and some not so obvious 'imperfections' is too long to display here, so I won't event give it a try :mellow:

Yeah, I know, my detail-obsessed nature is a curse rather than blessing, especialy when it comes to all things reps :-)

cheers all,

babola

I'd be interested for you to tell us some of these flaws. I just was in the market for a 111h and I thought Davidsen's looks pretty damn good, granted I am not a HUGE detail freak. But, I would like to know soem of what your talking about because I did not know the list was "too long to display here"

P.S. - on second thought, maybe I don't want someone to point them all out, because then I will be obsessed/bothered by them everytime I look at the watch! :blink:

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Don't quite agree.. there are Pams very accurate from the box (especially some SUbs).

The point is that makers tried to use G series Pam parts to the H series which is completely wrong because they are different.

So which Pams do you feel are very accurate? I would appreciate that information

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So which Pams do you feel are very accurate? I would appreciate that information

The 001, the 127 Fiddy, some of the Subs (new Arktos, 187, 024, 243 etc etc.. other more others less..) and of course some older models maybe.. 029, 063, 028... anyway.. all of them have flaws to instantly say they are reps..

Its just that in the H,I series historic models the flaws are much more than the models mentioned.

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So which Pams do you feel are very accurate? I would appreciate that information

050 is very accurate

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PAM 194. Just doesn't do it for me. I have always regreted buying a rep which is made out of the wrong metal. :)

Ditto here, that's why I stayed away from it.... the 187 too for the cheap bezel markers either brass and coated, or falling off, as well as incorrect movement functionality (s most probably know by now).

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The 001, the 127 Fiddy, some of the Subs (new Arktos, 187, 024, 243 etc etc.. other more others less..) and of course some older models maybe.. 029, 063, 028... anyway.. all of them have flaws to instantly say they are reps..

Its just that in the H,I series historic models the flaws are much more than the models mentioned.

I was disappointed with the 001... the metal bracelet I got had a bent part at the clasp end, so it was sent back, and a screw fell out of the crown guard, so that go replaced (eventually) by the dealer... as a result, by the time it was in shape to be worn, I had other PAMs that took precedence - PAM188, 192, 196, 029 and 063... as well as the 036s that I have, and the 001 never got worn! It's just stayed in the drawer all this time.

I haven't worn the 028 yet, not until the Palp crown comes through and I can get all the mods done at the same time: date wheel, PVD, relume etc.

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