OK, I am new here, great site, I love PAMs and between my wife and I we have 5 replicas. I don't know how close all of them are to the Gen versions, but I think my 090 is the closest.
I had some family members go to Hong Kong and Thailand a few weeks ago and I gave them some pictures to go fetch for me. They came home with 4 and I purchased another for my wife online. I am trying to figure out why so many of these are modded and why the manufactures don't just get it 100% correct the first time? 99% of the PAMs are really simple/basic designs, why is it so hard? It isn't like it is a Navitimer or anything.
So I have read a ton on this site and am still trying to figure out what mods are the most common? Is this a complete list? Also a lot of times someone will post a pics and say they did a bunch of mods but not mention them specifically and everyone talks about how nice it is. I still don't really know what I am looking for.
1. Lum? Do a lot of the replicas just come with no lum or wrong color lum? Why is this so important if you don't really care to use your watch at night?
2. Canon pin? Looks like a lot of replicas are not flush or are not flat. Of the 5 replicas we have, all 4 that were purchased directly in hong kong or Thailand have flush pins, is that just luck? The one we ordered online is rounded and not flush (but besides this, the watch looks pretty good).
3. Crown Guard? Apparently some of the reps don't sit flush. All 5 of ours are totally flush, is that just luck as well?
4. Too blue or smeared AR? I can see that some people have versions that are either too blue or smeared.
5. Modded crowns? I hear talk of this, but have never seen a complete thread on it, so I am still trying to figure it out.
6. Modifying movements to be more reliable or look more gen? Man, looks like some of you guys go through a ton of work here, I commend you on you nerve to try and do this.
Am I missing anything?
It is an interesting hobby, on a couple of my reps I think the second hand dial near where the 9 is supposed to be are too far away (the dial is too close to the center of the face). One of them the 3 look like the 3 on here and not the flat 3, so that would be a give away. Also on both of these the dates don't look correct either, they use a white background and are surrounded by a chrome/polished layer around the whole. I haven't seen any Gens with this chrome/polished surround. My wife has one that is a Ti (finish) and there are no screws to hold on the band or buckle, it is all done with common watch pins, which is kind of funny (this one looks decent from far, but when you get close it is obvious is it a fake and not a very good one at that). All 3 of mine are chrome/polished, so I would like to get a Ti for a more casual theme someday, my wife has a Ti and a PVD. Maybe when I get a minute I should post some pics and you guys can tell me what is "correct" and what isn't and what models they are supposed to be?
Also I am still trying to figure out why some are getting some of these watches for $100 and some are charging $400-500, and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference?
btw, my parents that went to Hong Kong and Thailand to pick these watches up had some interesting stories. I guess you go in these small shops and there are watches in cabinets all lined up, the more you ask and act interested I guess they feel you out and then invite you into a different room (usually upstairs) and show you much more expensive/nicer replicas. I guess on the floor level they go from about $35-50, then you go upstairs and look at the "AAA" or "A+" (if those actually mean anything) and you are paying usually $70-100 for a MUCH MUCH nicer looking watch, and they have millions of them right there.
I had some family members go to Hong Kong and Thailand a few weeks ago and I gave them some pictures to go fetch for me. They came home with 4 and I purchased another for my wife online. I am trying to figure out why so many of these are modded and why the manufactures don't just get it 100% correct the first time? 99% of the PAMs are really simple/basic designs, why is it so hard? It isn't like it is a Navitimer or anything.
So I have read a ton on this site and am still trying to figure out what mods are the most common? Is this a complete list? Also a lot of times someone will post a pics and say they did a bunch of mods but not mention them specifically and everyone talks about how nice it is. I still don't really know what I am looking for.
1. Lum? Do a lot of the replicas just come with no lum or wrong color lum? Why is this so important if you don't really care to use your watch at night?
2. Canon pin? Looks like a lot of replicas are not flush or are not flat. Of the 5 replicas we have, all 4 that were purchased directly in hong kong or Thailand have flush pins, is that just luck? The one we ordered online is rounded and not flush (but besides this, the watch looks pretty good).
3. Crown Guard? Apparently some of the reps don't sit flush. All 5 of ours are totally flush, is that just luck as well?
4. Too blue or smeared AR? I can see that some people have versions that are either too blue or smeared.
5. Modded crowns? I hear talk of this, but have never seen a complete thread on it, so I am still trying to figure it out.
6. Modifying movements to be more reliable or look more gen? Man, looks like some of you guys go through a ton of work here, I commend you on you nerve to try and do this.
Am I missing anything?
It is an interesting hobby, on a couple of my reps I think the second hand dial near where the 9 is supposed to be are too far away (the dial is too close to the center of the face). One of them the 3 look like the 3 on here and not the flat 3, so that would be a give away. Also on both of these the dates don't look correct either, they use a white background and are surrounded by a chrome/polished layer around the whole. I haven't seen any Gens with this chrome/polished surround. My wife has one that is a Ti (finish) and there are no screws to hold on the band or buckle, it is all done with common watch pins, which is kind of funny (this one looks decent from far, but when you get close it is obvious is it a fake and not a very good one at that). All 3 of mine are chrome/polished, so I would like to get a Ti for a more casual theme someday, my wife has a Ti and a PVD. Maybe when I get a minute I should post some pics and you guys can tell me what is "correct" and what isn't and what models they are supposed to be?
Also I am still trying to figure out why some are getting some of these watches for $100 and some are charging $400-500, and there doesn't seem to be a huge difference?
btw, my parents that went to Hong Kong and Thailand to pick these watches up had some interesting stories. I guess you go in these small shops and there are watches in cabinets all lined up, the more you ask and act interested I guess they feel you out and then invite you into a different room (usually upstairs) and show you much more expensive/nicer replicas. I guess on the floor level they go from about $35-50, then you go upstairs and look at the "AAA" or "A+" (if those actually mean anything) and you are paying usually $70-100 for a MUCH MUCH nicer looking watch, and they have millions of them right there.
