Been a watch guy for 35 years and anyone who may have read some of my earlier posts may remember the story about when I first saw a rep in the late 80’s. It was a cheap Rolex President in awful brassy gold plate and a really loose bracelet and poorly done face.
A few years ago I saw how the quality and variety of reps went way up. I joined a forum a couple years back and trolled for a while and gave up interest until a few weeks ago when I came across the review of the new 299N Pam.
Having never owned a gen Pam (or handled one for that matter) I was very impressed with the detail of this new release.
For those of you have not seen the side-by-side review (gen vs rep) here it is: http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=46515
So, a couple weeks ago I took the leap and ordered not one but two reps (the 299N and a high-end Rolex copy from another seller)
I ordered this 299N from Josh at Perfect Clones. He was super-friendly and very prompt in answering my questions and he accepted Visa which was a plus since WU charges $30 (something I had to do when I ordered the Rolex rep)
I wanted to be able to have several looks for the 299 so I ordered the rep rubber strap w/ rep deployment (also from PC) and found a gorgeous black croc TWB strap w/ rep deployment from a forum member who responded to a post I made about croc straps. Thanks E!
Coming from North America the croc strap arrived a couple days ago and just today (12 mere days from ordering) my 299N arrived. BTW: Packaging was excellent. all parts covered with the clear tack coating (neoprene or whatever that stuff is) and then bubble wrapped and then in a styrofoam "coffin" and that all in a larger cardboard box. Zero hassle delivery.
As I yet do not have a quality set of micro screwdrivers (I have some coming!) I took the watch to my watchmaker to have it sized. My guy worked for a Rolex AD until he opened his own store and routinely services and works on my gens. He sells Bulova, Seiko and other entry level brands, deals in high-end pre-owned watches and really knows his stuff. I made no bones about it being a rep. He admitted he had never worked on any gen Pams but said he was thoroughly impressed with the quality and workmanship. Lucky for me and my 7†wrist, pulling 2 links on each side made for a perfect fit.
The big beefy bracelet adds to the watch’s big weight but it felt great on my wrist. I was certain it was going to look obscenely large. To the contrary, it looks great with the SS bracelet.
I am much happier with this piece than I am with a pricey Rolex rep I got last week. And, at $481 (all in including the rubber strap) on my Visa (exchange and shipping) this Pam rep cost me over $200 LESS that the Rolex rep and blew me away! Having worn gen Rolex for most of my adult life I am no doubt more critical than I am with the Pam (having never worn or even handled one) Still, the overall build quality of the 299 is amazing and quite obvious. They did an amazing job with the big bracelet and the case, crystal, stem are all outstanding.
I will wear it with the croc strap for a couple days and get a feel for it and see how well it keeps time. Winding action and stem / guard function are perfect. The only critique I can make is the movement sounds a bit "tinny" if you quickly rotate (shake-wind) the watch close to your ear. Something I assume you would not hear in a gen. And this is a very, very minor critique.
The look and feel is awesome and anyone thinking about a Pam who likes the idea of being able to bounce from SS bracelet to a rubber / leather / exotic band in 5 minutes should grab a 299N from Josh at PC immediately. I give him an Perfect Clones my highest recommendation.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]I apologize for the mediocre pictures but as I have always said; “I’m a lover, not a photographer!â€
A few years ago I saw how the quality and variety of reps went way up. I joined a forum a couple years back and trolled for a while and gave up interest until a few weeks ago when I came across the review of the new 299N Pam.
Having never owned a gen Pam (or handled one for that matter) I was very impressed with the detail of this new release.
For those of you have not seen the side-by-side review (gen vs rep) here it is: http://www.rwg.bz/board/index.php?showtopic=46515
So, a couple weeks ago I took the leap and ordered not one but two reps (the 299N and a high-end Rolex copy from another seller)
I ordered this 299N from Josh at Perfect Clones. He was super-friendly and very prompt in answering my questions and he accepted Visa which was a plus since WU charges $30 (something I had to do when I ordered the Rolex rep)
I wanted to be able to have several looks for the 299 so I ordered the rep rubber strap w/ rep deployment (also from PC) and found a gorgeous black croc TWB strap w/ rep deployment from a forum member who responded to a post I made about croc straps. Thanks E!
Coming from North America the croc strap arrived a couple days ago and just today (12 mere days from ordering) my 299N arrived. BTW: Packaging was excellent. all parts covered with the clear tack coating (neoprene or whatever that stuff is) and then bubble wrapped and then in a styrofoam "coffin" and that all in a larger cardboard box. Zero hassle delivery.
As I yet do not have a quality set of micro screwdrivers (I have some coming!) I took the watch to my watchmaker to have it sized. My guy worked for a Rolex AD until he opened his own store and routinely services and works on my gens. He sells Bulova, Seiko and other entry level brands, deals in high-end pre-owned watches and really knows his stuff. I made no bones about it being a rep. He admitted he had never worked on any gen Pams but said he was thoroughly impressed with the quality and workmanship. Lucky for me and my 7†wrist, pulling 2 links on each side made for a perfect fit.
The big beefy bracelet adds to the watch’s big weight but it felt great on my wrist. I was certain it was going to look obscenely large. To the contrary, it looks great with the SS bracelet.
I am much happier with this piece than I am with a pricey Rolex rep I got last week. And, at $481 (all in including the rubber strap) on my Visa (exchange and shipping) this Pam rep cost me over $200 LESS that the Rolex rep and blew me away! Having worn gen Rolex for most of my adult life I am no doubt more critical than I am with the Pam (having never worn or even handled one) Still, the overall build quality of the 299 is amazing and quite obvious. They did an amazing job with the big bracelet and the case, crystal, stem are all outstanding.
I will wear it with the croc strap for a couple days and get a feel for it and see how well it keeps time. Winding action and stem / guard function are perfect. The only critique I can make is the movement sounds a bit "tinny" if you quickly rotate (shake-wind) the watch close to your ear. Something I assume you would not hear in a gen. And this is a very, very minor critique.
The look and feel is awesome and anyone thinking about a Pam who likes the idea of being able to bounce from SS bracelet to a rubber / leather / exotic band in 5 minutes should grab a 299N from Josh at PC immediately. I give him an Perfect Clones my highest recommendation.
[FONT="]
[/FONT]I apologize for the mediocre pictures but as I have always said; “I’m a lover, not a photographer!â€
