Looking for PAM 127 Lookalike

[jlcgeologist]

Hi everyone. I have just startied checking out PAMs recently and I love how the "fiddy" looks, especially the simplicity and classic look as well as the detail of the PANERAI PANERAI engravings of the movement in the back. However, I'm not really a fan of the huge domed crystal and distortion of the numbers. Also not sure if a 47mm case would look good on my small wrist. So I was just wondering, is there anything similar to the fiddy (manual wind, seconds/base), but without the domed crystal & large size? I was looking at the PAM111 at first, but to me the back is a little plain without the PANERAI PANERAI engravings.

Looking for guidance from all the paneristis in the house.

Thanks!

 

[mysterio]

The Graffiti or "PANERAI PANERAI" decorated movement is no longer used in any current PAMs. The PAM127 only had it because it was released in 2002 (or E series), which still used this movement. In comparison, if you look at the PAM217 Destro released in 2005 (or H-series), you would see the plain (or what we call Côtes de Genève) movement you see in the PAM111, which is actually when Panerai switched from the Graffiti to the Côtes de Genève decoration.

The current PAM111 still produced today is only available from N series onwards, so meaning it has the Côtes de Genève decoration. Your single purchase option would be to find a PAM111 G or earlier series but those are hard to come by. You could have one made but it would not be cheap as it needs a PAM127 (from where you can get a Graffiti movement), a PAM111 (which will provide the case, although you would need to polished the brushed CG to be correct for E-G series) and probably the hardest part to source, the caseback with E-G millesimation. It can be done, but not easily.

I would just suggest to buy the PAM111, even without the Graffiti movement. You won't see the caseback most of the time anyway. But if you want to go the hard route there is that option I mentioned.

 

[d4m.test]

The Graffiti or "PANERAI PANERAI" decorated movement is no longer used in any current PAMs. The PAM127 only had it because it was released in 2002 (or E series), which still used this movement. In comparison, if you look at the PAM217 Destro released in 2005 (or H-series), you would see the plain (or what we call Côtes de Genève) movement you see in the PAM111, which is actually when Panerai switched from the Graffiti to the Côtes de Genève decoration.

The current PAM111 still produced today is only available from N series onwards, so meaning it has the Côtes de Genève decoration. Your single purchase option would be to find a PAM111 G or earlier series but those are hard to come by. You could have one made but it would not be cheap as it needs a PAM127 (from where you can get a Graffiti movement), a PAM111 (which will provide the case, although you would need to polished the brushed CG to be correct for E-G series) and probably the hardest part to source, the caseback with E-G millesimation. It can be done, but not easily.

I would just suggest to buy the PAM111, even without the Graffiti movement. You won't see the caseback most of the time anyway. But if you want to go the hard route there is that option I mentioned.

You are awesome mysterio! Thanks for taking the time to explain it all to me. Was expecting this post to go unnoticed haha. The info really helps (and very educational) and just by reading what you've sent, looks like I now have to either suck it up and go with the 127 or just stick to the 111. I guess you're right about not being able to see the caseback most of the time.

Thanks buddy.