Just Bought Pam318 with Minor Problems

[RB26DETT]

Hi guys,

I just bought a Pam318 from Mary at Watchinternational. She is excellent to deal with.

My problem with the watch is as soon as I went to change the strap, and pressed on the spring thingy (sorry for lack of better terminology) that keeps the lug bar in place...the spring thingy popped out and I can't find it anywhere. I'm using a spring bar right now to keep the strap in but it doesn't fit as well as the original lug bar that it came with. My questions for this watch are:

1. Is there a fix for that spring thing that keeps the lug bars in place? It seems like a very poor design unlike the old screw in lug bars.

2. Is there any dealer that sells just the crystal that has AR already for this watch? Mine didn't come with AR.

3. Sort of related to this watch: What is the best way to contact Vacuum? I have other watches that need AR, but it's almost impossible to get in touch with him. I tried PM. I also tried his email. Still no replies.

Thank you guys. I will attempt to attach a pic to show the spring thing that I'm missing.

 

[airn890]

Looks like a 312 to me. And I have the same issues with these things so I'm awaiting a reply as well

 

[timefollower1]

its a well known issue your lucky yours fell out in 1 piece

 

[RB26DETT]

I'm sorry. It is a 312. What about AR on the crystal? Are there any pams that came with AR that I can swap with?

its a well known issue your lucky yours fell out in 1 piece

Actually I'm not that lucky because I can't find the parts to the other side.

 

[timefollower1]

both mine fell out too, its been quite an issue with these new models im not sure why you want new AR as the AR that comes on the watch is pretty dam good have you asked the dealer to fix the lug bar buttons

 

[RB26DETT]

both mine fell out too, its been quite an issue with these new models im not sure why you want new AR as the AR that comes on the watch is pretty dam good have you asked the dealer to fix the lug bar buttons

Really timefollower? Mine did not come with AR. Do you mind me asking what dealer you got yours from? Mary told me that this is the best version on the market right now. Did I get scammed or is she really unaware of a version with AR? And yes I did email her about the lug bar buttons. Still waiting for reply. Thanks for your help so far.

 

[ponerai]

You can contact with angus (puretime) my guess he can help you
i know that producer is angus of this watch
or you can contact your dealer directly

 

[honeybear]

The impression I have of Mary is that she will generally be honest with you about the type of movement you will receive in your watch, but that she doesn't always carry the very best available replica currently available.

I find that it is best to do one's own due diligence irrespective of which dealer you're working with. In particular, try to familiarize yourself with the various variants of the watch you're interested in, so that you can be as informed as possible when choosing the dealer to buy from.

 

[levelmanroger]

The impression I have of Mary is...

I'm my head, I hear you singing "Happy Talk" ala Bloody Mary in "South Pacific" - in a badly stereotypical 1950's Asian accent.

Ahhhhh... good times.


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- Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Del]

Firstly RB26DETT, you did not get scammed by Mary. Mary is a trusted dealer over at RWG and she has supplied me with many, many watches. She is also one of the favourite trusted dealers on RWG and is nearly always one of the first names to be suggested to noobs.

Secondly, these silly push-button things for the strap bar are utter crap. They fall out all the time (I've had them fall out my PAM 308) and are generally not worth replacing. A much better option is to replace the original bars with the custom PAM springbars that have faux screwheads on them so they actually look like normal PAM screw-in bars.

And @ honeybear, Mary gives clear descriptions and photos (and QC photos) of your watch so you know exactly what you are buying. Your impression that she doesn't always stock the best version is not correct imho - she can source pretty much any watch from the markets in China and indeed direct from the factories. More often than not, she can source watches that other dealers cannot get!

Hope this is helpful.

 

[honeybear]

Firstly RB26DETT, you did not get scammed by Mary. Mary is a trusted dealer over at RWG and she has supplied me with many, many watches. She is also one of the favourite trusted dealers on RWG and is nearly always one of the first names to be suggested to noobs.

Secondly, these silly push-button things for the strap bar are utter crap. They fall out all the time (I've had them fall out my PAM 308) and are generally not worth replacing. A much better option is to replace the original bars with the custom PAM springbars that have faux screwheads on them so they actually look like normal PAM screw-in bars.

And @ honeybear, Mary gives clear descriptions and photos (and QC photos) of your watch so you know exactly what you are buying. Your impression that she doesn't always stock the best version is not correct imho - she can source pretty much any watch from the markets in China and indeed direct from the factories. More often than not, she can source watches that other dealers cannot get!

Hope this is helpful.

I am aware that Mary is very highly regarded on RWG, and the members over there have said essentially what you've said, that she's capable of sourcing anything that the other dealers can. I would say that she seems to have an almost cult like following amongst her fans.

However, I have seen at least one instance where she presented a substandard watch (AP Royal Oak Jumbo) as the best available on the market, when it clearly was not the case. When pressed, she was able to source what was generally considered to be the best current variant of the watch.

So, while she might be accurate in describing the characteristics of the watch she has sourced for you, I still believe that a bit of due diligence is in order, particularly if you're interested in getting the best current version of the watch.

To be fair, what is the best available replica is sometimes a difficult thing to nail down, since there are often tradeoffs between the various versions. Again, if one is particular about such issues, then it is important to clearly communicate with your dealer which particular variant you are interested in, as opposed to just relying on a dealer's assurance that it is the Best, 1:1, Ultimate, Replicated from Genuine watch...

In this instance, it seems like RB26DETT feels that AR coating is an important issue for his Pam 318, and at least in this instance that he might have disagreed with Mary's assessment that his watch was the "best available".

 

[lantis]

Again, if one is particular about such issues, then it is important to clearly communicate with your dealer which particular variant you are interested in, as opposed to just relying on a dealer's assurance that it is the Best, 1:1, Ultimate, Replicated from Genuine watch...

+1 on this.

They're there to help you make your decision, but in any case, it's your money, and if you want to have the best, be ready to do your part of the leg work and be more informed.

 

[Del]

So, while she might be accurate in describing the characteristics of the watch she has sourced for you, I still believe that a bit of due diligence is in order, particularly if you're interested in getting the best current version of the watch.

Yes, this is a good point. You must also do your own homework, so to speak, to ensure that you know exactly what you are looking for so that you can properly assess the watch offered by the dealer in question.

Also, no dealer is perfect!