I spot someone in the EU bought from him recently. Maybe you have better luck than me.
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My Reps Journal (Daytona, Subs, SD43, PP, Explorer I and so on)
- Thread starter Maximillian
- Start date
I accidentally discovered that @Karbon74 who joined RWI around the same time as me, has racked up over 10k posts. Feeling a mix of shame and determination, I’ve decided to step up my post-whoring game. So here we go — my absolutely useless and amateur Fiddy write-up.
For as long as I’ve been on RWI (and probably longer), I’ve been obsessed with the Pam 127, a.k.a. Fiddy. Like most new members, I started by keeping my head down, shutting up, and doing my homework. That approach worked well enough for me to snag a nice Clean 116500. But when it came to figuring out the Fiddy scene… chaos.
Noob, ZF, XF, V6F, Marlin (still dreaming of this one), Eddie Lee… It was like trying to pick a favourite noodle in a bowl of spaghetti. Different factories, different modders, all with their own pros and cons. No definitive answers.
So, I gave up. Briefly.
Fast forward two years, and I’d read enough random Panerai posts to finally feel brave enough to take the plunge. I went with an XF — the safest bet out there — and found one on our M2M section (not exactly, it's a reserved sale for me). Practically brand-new, untouched by its previous owner.
Shipping within the EU was quick, and the watch was in my hands in under a week. My first impression? Damn, this thing is HUGE. Up until now, the largest watch I’d ever owned was my 44mm Pam 299. This 47mm beast felt like strapping a small plate to my wrist. I have taken some side-by-side shots with my other big watch, the IWC Chrono. Luckily, the “huge” sensation didn’t last long, and soon enough, it started to feel just right — I have a 19.5mm wrist.
I’ve never been a massive fan of mechanical watches — I usually prefer automatics. But this Fiddy made me appreciate two things about mechanical movements: accuracy and beauty. Mine runs at an impressive ±6 seconds per day, which is solid for a rep. And the open caseback? Gorgeous. Without a rotor in the way, I could stare at those beautiful bridges and wheels for hours — I'm doing my best to overlook the glaring fact that the balance is visibly different from the gen. Honestly, time flies when you’re admiring craftsmanship like that.
Now, let’s talk about what everyone loves to debate when it comes to rep Fiddies: the domed crystal. Distortion, how distorted it is, and how distorted it should be. Like any other rep Fiddy, mine has distortion to a certain degree, and I’ve included some photos below showing those “distorted angles.” Personally, I love the unique beauty a domed crystal brings. And thank God it’s sapphire instead of plexiglas — because plexiglas is just not my vibe.
So, there you have it: my utterly useless Fiddy review. Coming up next? A rare beauty that’s so exclusive, only 21 exist worldwide. Naturally, I had to settle for a rep. Stay tuned!
For as long as I’ve been on RWI (and probably longer), I’ve been obsessed with the Pam 127, a.k.a. Fiddy. Like most new members, I started by keeping my head down, shutting up, and doing my homework. That approach worked well enough for me to snag a nice Clean 116500. But when it came to figuring out the Fiddy scene… chaos.
Noob, ZF, XF, V6F, Marlin (still dreaming of this one), Eddie Lee… It was like trying to pick a favourite noodle in a bowl of spaghetti. Different factories, different modders, all with their own pros and cons. No definitive answers.
So, I gave up. Briefly.
Fast forward two years, and I’d read enough random Panerai posts to finally feel brave enough to take the plunge. I went with an XF — the safest bet out there — and found one on our M2M section (not exactly, it's a reserved sale for me). Practically brand-new, untouched by its previous owner.
Shipping within the EU was quick, and the watch was in my hands in under a week. My first impression? Damn, this thing is HUGE. Up until now, the largest watch I’d ever owned was my 44mm Pam 299. This 47mm beast felt like strapping a small plate to my wrist. I have taken some side-by-side shots with my other big watch, the IWC Chrono. Luckily, the “huge” sensation didn’t last long, and soon enough, it started to feel just right — I have a 19.5mm wrist.
I’ve never been a massive fan of mechanical watches — I usually prefer automatics. But this Fiddy made me appreciate two things about mechanical movements: accuracy and beauty. Mine runs at an impressive ±6 seconds per day, which is solid for a rep. And the open caseback? Gorgeous. Without a rotor in the way, I could stare at those beautiful bridges and wheels for hours — I'm doing my best to overlook the glaring fact that the balance is visibly different from the gen. Honestly, time flies when you’re admiring craftsmanship like that.
Now, let’s talk about what everyone loves to debate when it comes to rep Fiddies: the domed crystal. Distortion, how distorted it is, and how distorted it should be. Like any other rep Fiddy, mine has distortion to a certain degree, and I’ve included some photos below showing those “distorted angles.” Personally, I love the unique beauty a domed crystal brings. And thank God it’s sapphire instead of plexiglas — because plexiglas is just not my vibe.
So, there you have it: my utterly useless Fiddy review. Coming up next? A rare beauty that’s so exclusive, only 21 exist worldwide. Naturally, I had to settle for a rep. Stay tuned!
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Funny you mention speed, I saw you stuck in the subway today
You are too slow
fetter Deutscher
that's my cousin who emigrated to Germany and got fatFunny you mention speed, I saw you stuck in the subway today
he has issues
ate too many weiners
I just picked up a pair of gen Fiddy straps from an AD in Spain — quite the treasure hunt, honestly. It took me a while to track down the reference number (MX001HV1), but I finally found them at an AD in Mallorca.
The shipping was impressively fast — just one day, thanks to DHL Express. According to some websites, these straps are made of cashmere leather. Let’s see if they live up to the hype or if it’s just marketing fluff. Stay tuned for the verdict.
The shipping was impressively fast — just one day, thanks to DHL Express. According to some websites, these straps are made of cashmere leather. Let’s see if they live up to the hype or if it’s just marketing fluff. Stay tuned for the verdict.
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Another rep has landed! Within just two weeks, I’ve added another piece to the collection — this time, a Rolex-Panerai Ref. 6154 from @Mjh2k4 . This one’s a real unicorn, as there are only 21 known gen 6154s in existence. The last recorded sale? A Phillips auction where it went for a cool CHF 163,800 in 2022.
The Panerai Ref. 6154, often dubbed the "Egiziano Piccolo" (Small Egyptian), is believed to have been made for the Egyptian Navy. While some sources claim at least two were acquired in Egypt, solid proof tying the model to an official military order remains elusive. The only Panerai watch unquestionably made for Egypt is the behemoth GPF 2/56 from 1956. That said, Maria Teresa Panerai once shared that when Egyptian Navy officers first visited Panerai’s Florence workshop around July or August of that year, Giuseppe Panerai may have gifted them a few leftover 6154s as a token of appreciation for their big order.
Now, about this rep — ironically, it’s probably in way better condition than any of the surviving gens… maybe too good. If you’re planning to flex it as a gen, think twice — every real 6154 dial out there is heavily (and I mean badly) discoloured, assuming there’s any colour left at all.
One of the more interesting aspects of this rep is that it actually houses a gen Unitas 6497. I have no idea what grade the movement is, but judging by the price, I doubt it's Top Grade. I'll crack it open soon to find out. Stay tuned!
The Panerai Ref. 6154, often dubbed the "Egiziano Piccolo" (Small Egyptian), is believed to have been made for the Egyptian Navy. While some sources claim at least two were acquired in Egypt, solid proof tying the model to an official military order remains elusive. The only Panerai watch unquestionably made for Egypt is the behemoth GPF 2/56 from 1956. That said, Maria Teresa Panerai once shared that when Egyptian Navy officers first visited Panerai’s Florence workshop around July or August of that year, Giuseppe Panerai may have gifted them a few leftover 6154s as a token of appreciation for their big order.
Now, about this rep — ironically, it’s probably in way better condition than any of the surviving gens… maybe too good. If you’re planning to flex it as a gen, think twice — every real 6154 dial out there is heavily (and I mean badly) discoloured, assuming there’s any colour left at all.
One of the more interesting aspects of this rep is that it actually houses a gen Unitas 6497. I have no idea what grade the movement is, but judging by the price, I doubt it's Top Grade. I'll crack it open soon to find out. Stay tuned!
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Haven’t done much lately and haven’t bought any new reps either. Ever since my last post, I’ve been on the road constantly. Just throwing up a wrist shot so you all know I’m still alive, and this post as well — though I doubt most of you care, anyway.
- 25/9/22
- 9,210
- 25,586
- 113
If we're happy with the state of the collection, no need to get more and more! Helps our wallet tooHaven’t done much lately and haven’t bought any new reps either. Ever since my last post, I’ve been on the road constantly. Just throwing up a wrist shot so you all know I’m still alive, and this post as well — though I doubt most of you care, anyway.
Yes, I am happy, but then still more to come...If we're happy with the state of the collection, no need to get more and more! Helps our wallet too
It doesn't matter what hobby I have, and that applies to a lot of us here on RWI.
There always has to be "just" one more. it's the nature of us who have large collections of whatever, basically those of us like that are compulsive addictive hoarders of xyz, (Cars, motor cycles, boats, airyplanes), you name it I will justify to myself why I'm buying it.
You should see the size of my Scalextric collection, one day it will have its own house, and be all set up to play with, scenery, it's all full digital, and based upon Special Stage Rallying.
There always has to be "just" one more. it's the nature of us who have large collections of whatever, basically those of us like that are compulsive addictive hoarders of xyz, (Cars, motor cycles, boats, airyplanes), you name it I will justify to myself why I'm buying it.
You should see the size of my Scalextric collection, one day it will have its own house, and be all set up to play with, scenery, it's all full digital, and based upon Special Stage Rallying.
For me, "just one more" is one thing; "make it better" is another. Every time I get a nice rep I like, I find myself thinking, “Let’s make it better.” That leads to digging up info on the wheel train or noticing that the winding feels a bit grainy. Then comes the idea to upgrade the barrel, barrel arbor, ratchet wheel, crown wheel, and so on. At the end of it all, I’ve got another four-figure investment sitting in the box, while I’m still wearing the same old few on a daily basis.
The nice thing about what you are doing there is you can be proud of your work every time you look at them, just like @Karbon74 and the many others on here who do the same with their watches..
I was like this with every car I ever owned, excepting my SO's and Wives cars, not one of my own was ever stock and never will be.
Some of those cost me really stupid money, same with the boats, always had room to improve something, usually performance upgrades first then onto interiors and exteriors
I even modify many of my Scalextric cars
The huge layout is fully digital, so you can run up to 6 cars on a 2 lane track at the same time, turn off the main track and take different routes, it's all just like the way Special Stage Rallying like WRC runs, with timed sections, even audio commentary by Murray Walker and a monitor that displays times and positions during and winner 2nd and 3rd The cars will even run out of fuel if you don't pit and fill them up, and they run faster on 1/4 tank than full, etc etc yak yak yak
Watch wise I haven't got as far as movement upgrades yet, except on a couple that have failed, where I have simply replaced them with Japan Miyota 8215's
What I do do is realign stuff, bezels or hands sometimes dials, I'll also upgrade or swap clasps, bracelets, straps etc, obviously this is more so on the cheapies. Regulate the cheapies if they are more than + / - 12 s, the VSF, ZF, PPF etc I will regulate if they are more than + / - 8 s but I don't actually think I've had to do one of the better reps yet.
The final thing is on the Quartzies I freeze the subdials @3 if they do that stupid inane shit where they just run around with the hours.
I have done 2 out of about 14 atm, so I got a fair few left to do
I honestly don't know why the factories don't do this, I'll bet they would sell way more Quartzie reps, more so the gazillion reps that had 7750's in them, that's why myself and others buy the Quartzie reps, because they are definitely more stable and less maintenance than a 7750.
This make me think of my Railmaster
I need to fit an armored crystal to finish it, and also maybe find a Naiad crown.
That said, I am happy with it ever since I managed to make a bracelet work for it.
I have not got to the point where I am putting insane money with gen or viet parts in builds. My current build motto is to make credible, solid watches that allow people to enjoy a nice piece for a reasonable amount
But, as I am in a friend’s thread, let me give you a scoop… I have Sillian parts inbound to make a higher end 14060
well two
I need to fit an armored crystal to finish it, and also maybe find a Naiad crown.
That said, I am happy with it ever since I managed to make a bracelet work for it.
I have not got to the point where I am putting insane money with gen or viet parts in builds. My current build motto is to make credible, solid watches that allow people to enjoy a nice piece for a reasonable amount
But, as I am in a friend’s thread, let me give you a scoop… I have Sillian parts inbound to make a higher end 14060
well two
I’m thinking my next “just one more” might be a Belkin12 build like this: https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/pam-232-radiomir-1938-build-belkin12.11000574/
There’s something magical about the 47mm Pams that’s really grown on me. I’ve started loving big watches with a 6497 inside — no date and no crown guard, ideally.
There’s something magical about the 47mm Pams that’s really grown on me. I’ve started loving big watches with a 6497 inside — no date and no crown guard, ideally.
Beautiful watch they are
I'm no Pam expert, I only have 2 Pams atm.
I will be collecting at least 8 more to fill the 10 watch shelf in my new cabinet, also the same situation with IWC's tne IWC shelf "needs" 8 more.
My preference is the ones with the lever action crown guard, but I might well add a couple of relatively cheap RADIOMIR's just so there is a little variety on that shelf
These are the two I have right now, the Carbotech GMT is VSF, and the other a nice quality piece from @RepPossessed ....
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