Original Straps?

[im2]

After entering the world of reps by buying a noobmariner.. i m looking now at the Panerai's and i think i have already decided to

purchase DSN 111 ..as people say it is one of the most acurate reps with extra mods and luming.. I ve told that the rep straps

are not good quality at all and thats one reason that there are so many aftermarket products and e-shops selling straps for

suitable PAMs. I ve visited some of them and i saw that i m going to pay more that $ 100 for a good quality aligator strap ..

And now i am asking... Is it worth then buying genuine Panerai straps (inbstead of purchasing..suitable pam-style straps)? Is it

possible, i mean..do they fit? Has anyone tried that?

How much did it cost ?

Edited January 15, 2008 by im2

[WatchDude]

After entering the world of reps by buying a noobmariner.. i m looking now at the Panerai's and i think i have already decided to

purchase DSN 111 ..as people say it is one of the most acurate reps with extra mods and luming.. I ve told that the rep straps

are not good quality at all and thats one reason that there are so many aftermarket products and e-shops selling straps for

suitable PAMs. I ve visited some of them and i saw that i m going to pay more that $ 100 for a good quality aligator strap ..

And now i am asking... Is it worth then buying genuine Panerai straps (inbstead of purchasing..suitable pam-style straps)? Is it

possible, i mean..do they fit? Has anyone tried that?

How much did it cost ?

$200+++

DSN sends some of the best rep straps out with his watches. They are the only rep PAM straps I'd wear. In addition, depending on what you are looking for - you can pick up decent after-market straps for $25-50ish.

[eddiesham]

Well I think this is different for everyone. I personally had the rationale that my REP was close enough to the original that the only thing which stood out was the band itself. So I went ahead and bought two GEN straps from an official Panerai dealer. The cost was pretty high, the average is about 180USD before taxes, but I would say it was a worthwhile investment for me as they really added the perception of a genuine watch.

Now since this time, I have ordered a new set of straps from a strap dealer named Greg Stevens Designs (GSD), a few pictures of the new strap I've order are below. The cost on these are around 165 with shipping and include the buckle. I've not received these yet but I am looking forward to putting them on. If you're interested in GSD you can visit photobucket.com and enter gregstraps/gregstraps for UID and PWD and see the entire collection.

HTH,

Eddie

[peepshow]

Well, it's up to you. I'm of the opinion that a lot of the aftermarket straps out there are of equal or higher quality than the gen Panerai straps (which are made by Hirsch, IIRC). I wasn't too fond of the strap that came on my gen 210, so I sold it.

I would suggest going with a strap from Greg Stevens, Micah/Vintager Straps, TC Straps, Tootall, Savage, etc. I would highly recommend Savage or Tootall, they are active here and on other rep fora and make custom straps at $50+ less than Greg or Micah. Every strap/strap maker has a place and a niche, though.

Good luck.