I should start by saying hello and also apologizing to some since this post will be directed almost exclusively at people who have VERY little to NO experience in the rep world.
Ok - so I've been lurking around the forum for years, never pulled the trigger or posted until now. I was always a bit hesitant based on my perceived uncertainty in the process and product. However - the more time passed, the more comfortable I became with the watches I was seeing and the experiences of fellow members. Not to mention the excellent support the RWI mods etc have provided to their community.
I knew I wanted a Panerai and it made sense that the first step would be to find an Authorized Dealer (AD). This step alone can be enough to send some running for the hills. They number in the many, their websites difficult to navigate, and their product pics washed out. I found Ale's "Reference PAM review guide" extremely helpful in identifying the various models and finding out which reps brought what to the table.
ALE's Reference PAM review guide: https://forum.replica-watch.info/vb...earch-Identification-Evaluation-amp-Selection
I don't know how often the guide is updated, but based on the unparalleled thoroughness of Ale's work Ive got to imagine it's updated as necessary.
After a ton of research I finally landed on the PAM312. Ale's guide suggested that the KW V3 was the superior rep at the moment. After some more research I discovered that "KW" stood for "Kuvarsit Watches". Kuvarsit is not an AD on RWI although I believe they are over on RWG. KW watches are also sold on the websites of other RWI AD's, but I decided to go straight to the source and Purchase from Kuvarsit after hearing about all the positive experiences people had with them.
What happened next was quite unsettling and one of the primary reasons for such a lengthy post; I stumbled upon a very convincing scam website. It seems to be a bit difficult to locate AD websites (for obvious reasons) and I was convinced I had found the current domain for KW. After attempting to place an order, I was contacted by a third party for a picture of the card I was using to pay. Usually - in standard e-commerce practice - this would be an obvious red flag. Although it didn't seem completely outside the realms of possibility considering the very grey areas in which the rep market operates. Next came a phone call from my bank informing me of two denied charges from China. Both for amounts 20% higher than what I agreed.
More research led to me to the RWG AD link for KW. Within the AD section for KW I was provided with the link to the *legitimate* KW website which greets you immediately with a giant disclaimer warning against scam websites claiming to be the true KW. Bullet dodged.
The KW PAM312 v3 was located and ordered along with a replica Panerai box and tools for an additional $80 (shipping $45 total). A link arrived from Amanda at KW forwarding me to an outside website featuring a generic product for the amount I owed. You purchase this generic product and that's how the cash is forwarded to the AD. Checkout was seamless and a payment receipt showed up in my email a short time later. The next day a few quality control pics of the watched showed up in my inbox. I approved of the watch in return for thanks and assurance that it would be shipped that day. EMS shipping confirmation along with tracking arrived 4 days later. Tracking was terrible since EMS doesn't appear to give two sh!ts about keeping their records updated.
It arrived about an hour ago and without further ado - the watch is amazing!!!! And most importantly not too big. I had become more and more concerned as time went on that the 44mm 1950's case would be comically big and obnoxious on my very average sized wrist. Not the case whatsoever. In fact, it's quite a bit smaller and more reserved than I had anticipated (also not at all too thick). I think people don't always photograph these watches well. A close up, on wrist shot will put the watch too close to the lens and create an effect that makes the case appear much larger than it does IRL. The design is absolutely gorgeous and has a very "special" look and feel to it. Not sure how else to describe it, but I've never seen another piece that comes close, which I guess is kind of the point of most PAMs. The rep movement also has a much more elegant and precise/technical appearance in person than in photos.
The box, however, leaves a ton to be desired. It feels and looks cheap. Definitely not worth the $80
Would post pics, but apparently I don't yet have permission to use attachments.
Sorry if this is in the wrong section. Hope this helps!
Ok - so I've been lurking around the forum for years, never pulled the trigger or posted until now. I was always a bit hesitant based on my perceived uncertainty in the process and product. However - the more time passed, the more comfortable I became with the watches I was seeing and the experiences of fellow members. Not to mention the excellent support the RWI mods etc have provided to their community.
I knew I wanted a Panerai and it made sense that the first step would be to find an Authorized Dealer (AD). This step alone can be enough to send some running for the hills. They number in the many, their websites difficult to navigate, and their product pics washed out. I found Ale's "Reference PAM review guide" extremely helpful in identifying the various models and finding out which reps brought what to the table.
ALE's Reference PAM review guide: https://forum.replica-watch.info/vb...earch-Identification-Evaluation-amp-Selection
I don't know how often the guide is updated, but based on the unparalleled thoroughness of Ale's work Ive got to imagine it's updated as necessary.
After a ton of research I finally landed on the PAM312. Ale's guide suggested that the KW V3 was the superior rep at the moment. After some more research I discovered that "KW" stood for "Kuvarsit Watches". Kuvarsit is not an AD on RWI although I believe they are over on RWG. KW watches are also sold on the websites of other RWI AD's, but I decided to go straight to the source and Purchase from Kuvarsit after hearing about all the positive experiences people had with them.
What happened next was quite unsettling and one of the primary reasons for such a lengthy post; I stumbled upon a very convincing scam website. It seems to be a bit difficult to locate AD websites (for obvious reasons) and I was convinced I had found the current domain for KW. After attempting to place an order, I was contacted by a third party for a picture of the card I was using to pay. Usually - in standard e-commerce practice - this would be an obvious red flag. Although it didn't seem completely outside the realms of possibility considering the very grey areas in which the rep market operates. Next came a phone call from my bank informing me of two denied charges from China. Both for amounts 20% higher than what I agreed.
More research led to me to the RWG AD link for KW. Within the AD section for KW I was provided with the link to the *legitimate* KW website which greets you immediately with a giant disclaimer warning against scam websites claiming to be the true KW. Bullet dodged.
The KW PAM312 v3 was located and ordered along with a replica Panerai box and tools for an additional $80 (shipping $45 total). A link arrived from Amanda at KW forwarding me to an outside website featuring a generic product for the amount I owed. You purchase this generic product and that's how the cash is forwarded to the AD. Checkout was seamless and a payment receipt showed up in my email a short time later. The next day a few quality control pics of the watched showed up in my inbox. I approved of the watch in return for thanks and assurance that it would be shipped that day. EMS shipping confirmation along with tracking arrived 4 days later. Tracking was terrible since EMS doesn't appear to give two sh!ts about keeping their records updated.
It arrived about an hour ago and without further ado - the watch is amazing!!!! And most importantly not too big. I had become more and more concerned as time went on that the 44mm 1950's case would be comically big and obnoxious on my very average sized wrist. Not the case whatsoever. In fact, it's quite a bit smaller and more reserved than I had anticipated (also not at all too thick). I think people don't always photograph these watches well. A close up, on wrist shot will put the watch too close to the lens and create an effect that makes the case appear much larger than it does IRL. The design is absolutely gorgeous and has a very "special" look and feel to it. Not sure how else to describe it, but I've never seen another piece that comes close, which I guess is kind of the point of most PAMs. The rep movement also has a much more elegant and precise/technical appearance in person than in photos.
The box, however, leaves a ton to be desired. It feels and looks cheap. Definitely not worth the $80
Would post pics, but apparently I don't yet have permission to use attachments.
Sorry if this is in the wrong section. Hope this helps!
