First purchase - PAM176... last minute guidance required!

[Brixo]

Please be gentle, this is my first post...!

After hours of scouring the forum and hours using PAMGUIDE (fantastic!), I have come to the conclusion that I must start my PAM REP journey with a PAM176 with Brown Asso strap.

I have also come to the conclusion that NOOB is the way forward, but would like help to figure out which variant I should be asking for... 176N, 176M or 176P...?

Also, if anyone has any recommended TDs to help me find the watch & strap in one go, that would be a great help.

To reiterate, I've tried to not be a complete newbie, spent hours reading and comparing, I just want some last minute pointers before I start my PAM addiction!

Many thanks.

 

[Pamwatcher]

Hello Brixo,
Welcome to the forum. Noob PAM176 is an excellent start. P-series is the most recent, but as far as I know there is not much improvement (if any) over M- or N-series, you'll be fine with any of these.
All of the dealers on the forum can be trusted, it's up to you to find the dealer that works best for you.
About the strap, please bear in mind that the rep strap comes in a rather small standard size such as 125/75 and the quality will not be great. Most members here switch the rep strap for a nice custom (hand)made strap, it is worth the extra expense of around $100. Personally I would buy the watch with the rubber strap.
Enjoy and remember... there is no such thing as buying just one Panerai...

 

[Brixo]

Many thanks for the reply and thanks for the welcome!

I have had a good look at the strap sections too and can see the benefit of a custom strap - there are some lovely ones... Even if I could get a custom strap that looked like the Pan Asso Brown, I'd be very happy.

I have made contact with a couple of TDs to see the availability of a 176N/M/P...

I have shortened my wish list to 3 PAM models... I have a feeling that this will extend the more I research, the more eye-candy I see and as I learn more about them.

 

[kilowattore]

Many thanks for the reply and thanks for the welcome!

I have had a good look at the strap sections too and can see the benefit of a custom strap - there are some lovely ones... Even if I could get a custom strap that looked like the Pan Asso Brown, I'd be very happy.

I have made contact with a couple of TDs to see the availability of a 176N/M/P...

I have shortened my wish list to 3 PAM models... I have a feeling that this will extend the more I research, the more eye-candy I see and as I learn more about them.

Gunny has a nice asso-like strap.
Just one thing. It's not only how a custom strap looks that matters, it's how it feels. Once you try a good strap you will never look back