freefallrlc
Active Member
- 21/6/15
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{*PCTeam*} Quick&Dirty KW PAM 127 comments
- Thread starter PolonusTM
- Start date
A few quick considerations from me:
- Minute hand: Noob looks to have a slightly longer tip, more like the gen
- Crown guard: Both look very good, noob has slightly better inner cutouts. Lever and lever tip look to be the same, CG pin is slightly better in KW due to the visible light chamfering.
- Cannon pinion: Someone said it's larger than gen, but I do really like KW CP, it's the best of the three version imho. Noob is sunken and not well polished nor as flat as KW. Most likely noob mounts an H2 cannon pinion, you can see KW minute hand sits much taller than the hour hand while noob hands are almost touching themselves.
- Dial: I would say both versions are on par, very nice matte black color and sharp cuts. Noob inscriptions are slightly fatter. I won't comment on colors.
- Crystal: KW crystal looks definitely better than my noob.
- Case shape: Here's the main difference imho. From the side view it's quite clear that KW case is flatter while noob's case has a slight curve that blends with the lugs. Bezel and crystal shape look the same to me.
- Case back: KW looks better, especially the small engravings are a lot crisper and defined.
- Movement finish: The starburst finish is very faint on both movements, but it's there. OFFICINE PANERAI engraving color is very similar, but it's impossible for me to have a final opinion due to different camera setups and lights. PANERAI decoration is more crisp in KW, as well as gears finish, micrometric screw and of course the Y incabloc.
- Buckle: Again, KW engravings are finer and more detailed, very very nice. None of the two versions has the correct size and placement of engravings of the gen. Shape is very similar but once again different than gen.
@ice_gee: given your study of KW and ZF versions compared to the gen, would you share your opinions here?
I agree with you with all these aspects.
In any case, both ZF and KW are very good, but i've chosen KW because for me some more details are better than ZF.
I suspect that on puretime website it was not a final version,because of the plexi distortion.Once i got it,plexi is near perfect. i really like it what i got.
BTW on minute hand,it seems that because of distortion on puretime triangle was too narrow,but in reality it's more closer to gen.
Cheers
I agree. When the initial images and videos came out from PureTime, ZF had a major advantage in the crystal distortion department in addition to the starbursting on the back. "Gen-like distortion" does not earn points in my book; distortion is distortion and looks ugly to me, regardless of if it's on a gen or rep. Now that we have actual units in hand, KW's crystal distortion problems seem to have disappeared and more detailed images/videos of the back show light starbursting (although heavy polishing) on movement plates. So now that ZF has lost its 2 biggest advantages over KW, where does it have the advantage, aside from maybe boldness of dial printing??? IMHO, KW definitely seems to have the edge right now.
ZF seems to have a better case shape. Although KW case looks very good esp. from a front view, the side view shows ZF is closer to the gen shape (and imho noob is even closer, but this is almost the only advantage left to noob version).
Also, in polonus pics, hands are really too tall compared to gen, ZF and noob. It may be that the minute hand is not pressed all the way down on the cannon pinion on thay specific watch, this I don't know for sure. It would be interesting to hear other KW owners about this matter.
In any case this just splitting hairs as both kw and zf are very valid versions and both have an advantage on noob regarding movement decoration and in a minor way crystal distortion. That's not enough to sell a noob and buy a kw or zf imho, but has to be said
Also, in polonus pics, hands are really too tall compared to gen, ZF and noob. It may be that the minute hand is not pressed all the way down on the cannon pinion on thay specific watch, this I don't know for sure. It would be interesting to hear other KW owners about this matter.
In any case this just splitting hairs as both kw and zf are very valid versions and both have an advantage on noob regarding movement decoration and in a minor way crystal distortion. That's not enough to sell a noob and buy a kw or zf imho, but has to be said
@all
Will anyone comment on the UNcharged (read again) color of the kW and ZF lume. Is it me or does kW look way too green???
Will anyone comment on the UNcharged (read again) color of the kW and ZF lume. Is it me or does kW look way too green???
Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you the one who said neither would likely qualify as Super Reps back in the ZF thread?
Oooo, picky picky. Maybe ALE should designate a new highest grade in his Review Guide called "Pete's Super Duper Reps"!
The grade used in ALE's guide isn't based on any single person's view, not even ALE's. It is based on a general consensus. Some people have stricter standards, some looser but overall the grade is accepted.
LOL nah mate. Plenty of ppl on here know ALOT more than me. I just know that PAM127 are not really super reps because too many flaws. No matter how much we may think things like case finish and movement finish the rep factories will never get to those gen standards. At least with closed caseback watches it reduces the amount of faults thats possible.
GWT#1
Renowned Member
Look at the hand stacks real close, in pics the kw something is wrong there is way too big gap between the hour and min hands on the pinion????? when hands are pressed correct they sit almost together!! but kw look to be built differently?
On my unit it really looks like minute hand can be pressed down more. Question is if CP is just decoracite cap...?
No big issue for me, anyway. I would be more annoyed with not flat screws on the movement, TBH.On my unit it really looks like minute hand can be pressed down more. Question is if CP is just decoracite cap...?
I'm not seeing this as much on svshawn and shoes KW units over on the KW127 thread. Can anyone with a better eye for detail confirm this?
+1
Someone forgot Super Reps are Gen Like, present generation of 127 can be considered as First Class, Bordering Super Reps becuase of noticeable flaws and differences which can be spotted with naked eye. (Minute Hand, CP, Hand Stacks on pinion, Lume on KW for sure, Sunburst on bridge)
The big question is, who (except us) will ever notice that flaws?? Nobody, so it's a damn good rep.
Sent from my iPhone 6
Sent from my iPhone 6
Both recent 127s would benefit from movement mods (gen mainplate with correct engravings, ETA gear train, Swan neck reshaping, etc.) and cosmetic mods (lug reshaping, hand replating, crown area reshaping, etc.). I admire these reviews of new models, but I tend to want to focus on the weak points that need modding to make the rep better.
- 18/1/11
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Thanks Polonus for starting this interesting thread and give us the opportunity to see those magnificent videos to get a clear idea about the matters you are commenting
Thanks also to peterpl, ice_gee and mainly kilowattore for the pics and comments
This is the best thread about new and old versions of PAM 127
Maybe the ZFac has more accurate case shape but overall are better Noob and KW
ALE
Thanks also to peterpl, ice_gee and mainly kilowattore for the pics and comments
This is the best thread about new and old versions of PAM 127
Maybe the ZFac has more accurate case shape but overall are better Noob and KW
ALE