new & improved osteopath Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 OK, so I'm on a bus from South Beach to Surfside, and there is this really annoying bloke sitting across from me, and I notice he is wearing a 196. At first, I could not tell whether gen or rep. Then he turned his wrist, and saw the non-tapered bracelet, and it was then that the jig was up. I have a 196 w Swiss 7753, and I have worn it around my friends who have gen Pans- now keep in mind they are not fanatical, and I doubt that they are as aware of the level of reps that are coming out of some of our sources- but NONE of them ever thought mine was a rep (I did ultimately tell them.) The 196 is one of the best around in terms of overall accuracy (at least untill the most recent case revisions which really screw it up.) Unless you got real close to the dial, nobody would ever call it UNLESS they saw the steel band, which does not taper. This is in my estimate the biggest tell. Once I have the new hands and crown, I don't really think anyone will give it s second look- and that is without changing the date wheel- plenty of my friends have seen photos of Panerai, some own Panerai, but I am pretty confident that none of my friends know what font is used on the date. Put your 196 on a top quality leather strap (White stitched croc if you're like me!) with some good quality screws, and you will be set! -O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostfaceZX Posted April 17, 2006 Report Share Posted April 17, 2006 Do you have any pictures of what this gen taper should look like? I wasn't able to find any... The pictures of the full watch I've seen don't really show the clasp up close, but the side views didn't seem to show any taper. Also, is it possible that there were in fact gen bracelets that didn't taper? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ehtolcad Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 osteo, i didn't know you were based out of s. fla? perhaps just visiting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chronus Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 How do you know it wasn't a rep bracelet on a genuine watch ? It's like someone on here ordered the IWC Aquatimer because he was quoted 1k for a genuine IWC bracelet... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookoo Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 I just bought the 192 over the 196. I think If I ever saw anyone wear a 192 I would assume rep. The watch is pretty rare and @ $20k. But, I loved the look so much I don;t care. I wouldn't even try to pass it off. The 196 w/ 7753 is next on my list Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
that_watch_guy Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 are you talking about this bracelet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swdivad Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 Here you can see the taper in the genuine (24/22) compared to the rep (24/24) bracelet... Many genuine owners will purchase the 'aftermarket bracelet, being $2-3000 cheaper than the genuine. Another reason is that the genuine bracelet will not fit on non-bracelet models without purchasing the adapter, which is around $300... The case design is different on genuine bracelet models compared to strap models. There are tabs on the gen bracelet's end links that fit into grooves in the case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new & improved osteopath Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 osteo, i didn't know you were based out of s. fla? perhaps just visiting? I am there about every 4 weeks. Building a consultancy there. -O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new & improved osteopath Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 How do you know it wasn't a rep bracelet on a genuine watch ? It's like someone on here ordered the IWC Aquatimer because he was quoted 1k for a genuine IWC bracelet... After noticing the bracelet, I stealthily and strategically positioned myself to take a better look. It was a rep. There are so many gens in Miami, that if I had not noticed the bracelet, I would have simply assumed it to be gen. -O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new & improved osteopath Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 are you talking about this bracelet? Assuming it is the same width throughout its length, thats the one. -O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Estaban Posted April 18, 2006 Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 The 196 is so close to the gen. Date wheel is the only give away in my estimation. My crown and crown guard are a perfect match for the gen. Couldn't be happier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
new & improved osteopath Posted April 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted April 18, 2006 The 196 is so close to the gen. Date wheel is the only give away in my estimation. My crown and crown guard are a perfect match for the gen. Couldn't be happier. Agreed- but only on a leather strap. I have worn it to Tourneau, and have had no worries. -O Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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