Pam111h + Diy Distressed Strap From Oem

[psymetry]

Got my 111h with swan neck and AR coating this week and decided to mess with the OEM strap. Being real leather, the manufacturers made a good job of making it look like vinyl - A small amount of Nitromors paint stripper, aluminium-oxide glass paper and a bit of brown boot polish..... Could be better but I think it's a definate improvement until my MP and Toscana straps are posted to me.

When I first started looking at the rep forums, I was hunting for a modern SS sports watch and purchased the Daytona 2005 from PT and I was content with just the one watch. I saw the Pams and didn't like them.... In fact, I thought that they looked old fashioned and too classic for me at that time.

After learning about watches and reading through the seemingly unlimited info on all of the forums, I came to like the look of the Pams. Truly simple, sort of post-war minimalism, but with a 'year 2000' feel.

My first Pam is the 111h pictured here...and I can promise it wont be my last model. I'm truly hooked and although my 'Tona will always be on my wrist at the gym, the 111h is my buisness watch.

Edited June 25, 2006 by psymetry

[Highflyingclive]

When you say "OEM", do you mean to tell us that this is the strap that came with your watch?

If so, I'm going to get a big can of Nitromors... I've got a bagful of straps that came with reps.

[guesswho]

who did you buy the PAM from in the first place?

that is essentially the very watch i'm looking for.

awesome work on the strap btw.

[ehtolcad]

yes please tell where you got it from, it's very difficult to find a source for PAMs these days...

on a more serious note, for clarification was it the rep strap that you got or was it an OEM (as in OEM from Panerai) that you got elsewhere?

from you saying that the manufacturer made 'it look like vinyl' i'm guessing the former. if you did that to a gen strap, i'd think it a bit foolish. but those rep straps are throw away anyway so it would be fine to mess with it a bit.

[psymetry]

was it the rep strap that you got or was it an OEM (as in OEM from Panerai) that you got elsewhere?

Yes, it was the default rep strap that came with it.

[sssurfer]

I like the strap (as well as the watch, naturally!).

But, as you asked for honest opinions, I'll also tell you about the only 2 points that I think they could make it even better.

First, I would see it with a contrast stitching. And, feeling adventurous, with a darker-than-strap stitching. I would say: dark brown.

Second, I also made the mistake to use glass paper once, and I'll never use it (or any other mechanical means) to distress a strap again.

You have been quite successful in preserving the stitching from becoming a mess, but the texture of mechanical distressing is still visible on the strap surface and I think that the strap would look even better if it were a little smoother.

I am still wondering on how to correct this issue, though. I am going to try with generous amounts of macadamia oil -- but, honestly, I am unsure about the result.

This was just to encourage a discussion, I don't want to seem overcritic. It is a great strap as it is anyway.

[psymetry]

Thanks for the comments and I agree with you totally.

I have oiled the strap some more and it's darker now and stinks of linseed oil

I also have blisters on my thumb from smoothing the leather to take out the scratches and IMO it looks ten times better now.

I want to get my hands on some nasty shiny straps to practise on now to see if i'm good at this thing.

Any ideas on how I can change the stitching colour without changing the strap?

Edited June 27, 2006 by psymetry

[kanerich]

I like the strap (as well as the watch, naturally!).

But, as you asked for honest opinions, I'll also tell you about the only 2 points that I think they could make it even better.

First, I would see it with a contrast stitching. And, feeling adventurous, with a darker-than-strap stitching. I would say: dark brown.

Second, I also made the mistake to use glass paper once, and I'll never use it (or any other mechanical means) to distress a strap again.

You have been quite successful in preserving the stitching from becoming a mess, but the texture of mechanical distressing is still visible on the strap surface and I think that the strap would look even better if it were a little smoother.

I am still wondering on how to correct this issue, though. I am going to try with generous amounts of macadamia oil -- but, honestly, I am unsure about the result.

This was just to encourage a discussion, I don't want to seem overcritic. It is a great strap as it is anyway.

Obviously it would look better with it, but the OEM rep strap doesn't have contrast stitching and psymetry was just trying to improve it in a quick and dirty (in a manner of speaking), it's not clear to me how he would do this without it being more trouble than it's worth. I think the mods look great considering how horrid the OEM rep straps are.

[sssurfer]

I have oiled the strap some more and it's darker now and stinks of linseed oil

It should turn a little lighter in a few months by wearing it, especially under the sunlight (thank's God we are in summer! )

I also have blisters on my thumb from smoothing the leather to take out the scratches

LOL! This is a thing that I know even too well! May I join the club?

Any ideas on how I can change the stitching colour without changing the strap?

I have been quite succesful by simply using a magic pen/marker. I just touched each single stitch point one or two times (as needed) with the pen's pin, front and back, and the thread sucked the ink on its own.

I posted the result here.

Should the stitching become too dark, you may make it lighter again just by touching each single stitch point again with a thin brush soaked in bleach.

EDIT: Uhm, on a second thought, oil might prevent the stitching from absorbing the ink now. Better trying on the back side at first.