Help me select a second one. Will be Modded.

[NotASolder]

I have a Bk PAM 177H. It's not a 1 to 1 rep, but halfway into the first week of ownership, I'll say I am very pleased with my first PAM.

Now onto the second one! Maybe.

I look at the Panerai fora and see lots of 'LOOK at my new DSN', but I feel I could get closer to what I am after by getting a value priced watch with the basic features I need and sending it out for modding to my specs.

So the question is, for you Officine Panerai Firenze experts, What stock watch would be better for modding if what I want in the end is:

Ti case
Saphire crystal
Good CG fit/ tight lever
Flush cannon pinnion
Orange Superlumed Brown dial
Water resistance
Asian copy 6497 (incabloc)
Violet Superlumed hands (don't ask )

Notice my list does not include gen/palp crown, correct movement/decoration (I plan on installing a solid, sterile case back) nor bone-white text on dial. Those are really not important to me.

If you feel I would still be better of with a DSN, please go into detail, as from what I've heard it's a $350 proposition which may then have to be sent for lume at $140 a pop, where if I sent a stock watch for relume (and initial cost was low enough) I feel I could get my desired mods for less than the now $500 total cost DSN.

Less total expense, more control. Is it posible in this case? What do you say?

 

[justaguy88]

I say go with the davidsen. Most of his reps really don't NEED a relume, and when you factor in Davidsen's superior crown (and really the quality of the crown should be a huge selling point, as standard rep crowns scream "rep") and the fact that you are getting a swiss movement - all for what should be considerabley less than $500 - Davidsen is the easy favorite.

PS Why violet lumed hands?

 

[bazonkers]

Yes, you can't say "orange/violet lume" and then "don't ask".

Explain yourself

 

[horologie_unitas]

i hear a lot of viloet lumed Pam reps are sold to the CASTRO district in San Francisco.

 

[MK08]

If your going for your own unique design on the watch, I'd steer clear of Davidsen too much initial investment. Look for the cheapest Ti watch, heres one from Josh that already has the Ti, Brown dial combo hxxp://www.pc-80108.com/pn06102-tobacco-brown-titanium-asian-unitas-6497-p-894.html your looking at 180.00 for the watch, then send it to one of the modders to get the custom lume work, cannon pinion and crown lever mod done I would guess about 280.00 (based on my previous experience getting some of my watches modded, when you get an actual quote for the work the price of course may vary) for that work, so you're looking at around 460.00 instead of well over 500 going with a Davidsen. I also would strongly suggest doing something about the stock crown that mod alone really does a lot to set a watch off. And by the way post some pics of the final product

 

[hooligan]

Why would you bother fixing the cannon pin on a watch that is obviously not shooting for accuracy? The recessed pin is only a "flaw" because gen PAMs don't have it.

This sounds like it is more of an homage watch, than anything else. Hence no need to get the CG lever mod, replace the crown or "fix" the cannon pin, IMO.

But, the suggestion of Joshua's Asian powered 061 is a good one. You could try sourcing it through Ruby, Trevor or Silix and *perhaps* get a better price...

Good luck.

Please post pics of this, um, interesting project when it's finished!

Do they even make violet and orange SuperLuminova?

 

[MK08]

Hooligan: I understand where your coming from, but I think he wants to go for a fully modded watch this time. Not gunning for accuracy of course, but just a fun, unique, one off piece, at least that's what I gather.

 

[NotASolder]

No Castro district jokes please. I meant a manly shade of violet.

The color combo is just something that would look cool to me and help me pick out he hands from the 1 2 4 5 7 8 10 11 markers.

As I had never seen a real PAM in the dark before getting my 177H, I did'nt realize the hands and marker blend into each other (to my eye) hence the contrasting color lume.

I know Noctilumina has lume 'tint' in those colors, (and more) not sure about Tritec thou...

The cannon pin... well, the non-flush pin on my Seiko Monster doesn't really bother me, it's tiny pin hole, but that big gaping hole in the PAM is really distracting when viewed from an angle.

I'll check the linked josh model.

Thanks to all.

 

[JOEJOEJOE]

It'll be kinda like Phoenix suns colors

I would also suggest starting with a cheap base watch. Brown dial eliminates a lot of your options - you're pretty much left with 055, 056, 116, 118, 61, etc. DSN's 055 and 056 are pretty good, but I think they're too expensive to do further modding. Also, There are no brown dial watches with sandwich dials (except for Radiomir), meaning you should understand that Painted dial relume is not an easy task, and I am not sure you will be able to find a modder that would offer violet lume on painted dial (and even if you could, it will not be cheap, since the modder will have to purchase the lume material, unless he/she happens to stock violet color lume).

If you don't mind the dial color, I would choose a sandwich dial watch (cheap asian version from Ruby or Trevor for 115 dollars or so), and send it off to FlavorFlav - he did a pink lume for his wife or some member before (I believe it was a Pam 183G). He can also do other mods that you'll need (CG, Crown, cannon pin, etc).

J

 

[NotASolder]

@ JOEJOEJOE, remember that 'off' color for the lume would still be close to bone-white. But at night...

@Everyone, I may give up on the Brown dial, if insisting on it meant a hike in initial costs.

@MK, I checked the Perfect Clones 061, I think it's overpriced for my needs.

I know this is one of the trusted dealers but I did not like the description of saphire front AND back when obviously he's selling a solid caseback model (maybe that's why he's charging $178!?!? ).

Also as a general note on quality, you know our dealers always aim for 'better' pics and the fact that the decoration sticker is so missaligned that it covers the movement jewels partially, does not make me feel like I should pour money into that particular base watch.

Maybe I'm back to only:

Ti Case
Sandwich Dial (any color but white)
Saphire
Functional CG

But that would mean I'd be better sending what's on my wrist (bk 177H) off for a Saphire crystal, solid case back, cannon pin and sandwich relume????

Hmmm. I'll pull out my calculator.

Maybe Gens ARE cheaper after all. And they even come with the box

 

[hooligan]

Get in touch with vaccum and see what he'd charge to relume your dial and install a DSN sapphire crystal for you. You're right, that may well be your most economical route. Plus, vaccum is aces to deal with.

I want to see pics when this bad-boy is done!