A shift in focus for reps?

[subzero1]

Hi all, I remember a year ago (and the year before that), just about all you would read on the rep boards was panerai this and panerai that. The vast majority of posts were about this brand. Not only that, but the factories were in lock step with the obsession, grinding out new models every few weeks it seemed. Now I look around and I see a lot more postings about Breitling, Tag, Omega, hell, even Rolex now that the SSD is out. And I look on the dealers' sites and very few new models of Panerai are out lately. So, has the interest in the brand merely leveled off, and interest elsewhere simply ramping up with the appearance of great reps? Or was Panerai truly a fashion and is slowly going out of style (at least on these boards)?

My personal thoughts 6 months ago were that I'd never tire of PAMs, but now I notice that I have fewer and fewer of them in my watch box, and other brands are slowly creeping up on number. I'm wondering if anyone else had noticed the same things....

[Corgi]

Although I agree with you that the manufacture seems to have slowed down, just looking at the wrist-checks tells a different story. Many times, around 1/3 of posters have some PAM. Yes, new models used to be produced frequently, but after you replicate them all... what's left?

I think they are still trendy, great looking watches that have certainly not gone out of style just yet.

[Rxus]

The part that i still can't figure out (please consider my noobness when reading this) but if there is, was or continues to be a big hype over Panerai, why is it still soo dificult for rep makers to fix such simple and glaring issues such as the canon pin? double sided AR? crown guard? crown? cg lever?

Since ive become a memebr ive seen a nice number of "super reps" released that really cover almost all if not all the bases when compared to it's gen counterpart, it puzzles me on how these panerais and their simple dial's with little to no print on them, fairly large hands and and very modest details are made soo poorly.

Yes you can buy the modded models but of course thats like buying an MBW fully built from another member.

Is Panerai rep making something like Rolex rep making, were there is some sort of unspoken rule about never making a 100% copy?

[tech]

... why is it still soo dificult for rep makers to fix such simple and glaring issues such as the canon pin? double sided AR? crown guard? crown? cg lever?

Panerai no have double sided AR.....

Newer GEN models have single side AR like the 111, 112, 113 ...some of the older GEN models NO AR....like the 27A

[Victoria]

Panerai no have double sided AR.....

Newer GEN models have single side AR like the 111, 112, 113 ...some of the older GEN models NO AR....like the 27A

Tech, in fairness Rxus did implore: "(please consider my noobness when reading this)".

I agree with the rest of what he wrote. I especially would love to know why Davidsen can't make a CG without that tell-tale lever dimple. I have a cheapo 217 from TWP which doesn't have this problem. It looks gen.

[tech]

Tech, in fairness Rxus did implore: "(please consider my noobness when reading this)".

I was smiling when i typed it....

Just trying to help Rxus expand his knowledge of the brand...

[sssurfer]

The receding of the PAM tide (if any) is due to the fact that the new models are very difficult to rep -- at least at the level of accuracy wanted by the PAM nuts (and almost all PAM lovers are PAM nuts).

That is the exact opposite of models up to 2005, that had simple movements and quite simple dials (at least the Base and Marina models that also were the most bought).

I think this is the reason for the rep makers heading elsewhere now.

Naturally, this is rather a shit in focus for reps.

[rocket754]

I remember those days myself. I remember when people started talking about Panerai. I had no idea about PAM as I was looking for a Cartier as my first rep rather than a Rollie. The second rep I ever bought was a horrific PAM base with an ultra cool pizza cutter crown...I remember thinking it was the coolest thing ever until I became a little better versed in the ways of panerai. I am enjoying the shift. I mean how many PAM could you possibly have? I want a good diversified collection instead. I have come to the point that I am now concentrating on having a few highly modded quality pieces rather than a bunch of watches.

[archibald]

The vast majority of posts were about this brand. Not only that, but the factories were in lock step with the obsession, grinding out new models every few weeks it seemed.... So, has the interest in the brand merely leveled off, and interest elsewhere simply ramping up with the appearance of great reps? Or was Panerai truly a fashion and is slowly going out of style (at least on these boards)?

More likely that the obsession follows the offering of the factories, not the other way around. PAMs were the first super rep, which created a lot of fanatics around here. If there's a slowdown it's because of the lack of new offerings, not the other way around, IMO.