- 3/1/12
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This is my first review and first replica (along with my doa PAM305). After about 2 months of researching, I decided on the PAM292M HF on Hand-Stiched Black Leather Strap from Puretime. It wasn’t an easy decision to pick just two watches. For the cost, I thought it seemed fair to get at least 30 rep PAMs considering the price of 1 gen, but I decided to stay married and not risk divorce after only a year and a half...if you get what I mean. The black Radiomir was first introduced in 2007 as a "J" version and had what appeared to be two scuba chumps riding a submarine commonly referred to as the “Pig.” After 1000 or so units and in 2008, the watch lost the “Pig” and for whatever reason, the 2007 version became more of a collectable and routinely demands $8-10k more than the 2008 version. Go figure.
From the web site: http://www.puretimewatch.com/product/pam292-m-ceramic-transparent-ar-11-on-hand-stitched-black-leather-strap-/
Size: 45mm x 15mm
Movement: Asian 6497 Hand-winding movement at 18000vph
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds display Case: Black ceramic case
Crystal: Scratch-proof sapphire crystal with colorless anti-reflection coating (Swiss standard, same as genuine)
Dial: Superlumed dial and hands (lumed with genuine Super-LumiNova C1+C3)
Strap: Black leather strap
Clasp: Tang buckle
Water resistance: Yes
Remark: 1:1 replicated from a genuine watch sample, all parts are interchangeable with genuine
First up are the photos. The last 3 are the QC (c'mon, that strap looks black!) and the others are some shots just before sunset (don't mind the fingerprints on the crystal!). I will not bother with a full blown gen vs rep comparison for two reasons. First, I am no expert, nor will I pretend to be one. Second, in my opinion the watch is too plain for me to tell (besides the movement which is hidden anyway) ANY difference with materials used since I have never worn a gen or seen one in person.
The Trusted Dealer: Puretime: Overall, I’m delighted with this transaction. As you can see from the photos, I didn’t get a black strap, but I’m happy with the dark brown strap delivered with the watch. More details about the transaction can be found in their “Trusted Dealers Buyer Reviews” section in the forum.
Purchased for: $248 plus $25 shipping minus 10% for WU transfer ($12 to transfer)
Feeling: The watch is solid and feels substantial. The case is relatively slim and almost half the height of the "crooked number doa 305 paper-weight" I also received. The strap is great. It’s hard for me to compare the strap to some of the other high end straps out there because I’ve never had one in person, but I’m impressed with how soft, robust, thick, and strong the leather is…it reminds me of that smell you get walking into a “Wilsons” leather jacket (do they still have those?) or similar leather goods store.
Opinion on case quality: The case and strap weigh in at 47g. The dull brushed finish on the case is beautiful. I’ve always been a fan of flat black for wheels on cars, and this watch reminds me of that finish. The screw down case back is not as dull “brushed” or sand-blasted as the case. It is ss PVD, although it clearly is printed and marked as ceramic as per the gen. The crystal has a slight dome, is colorless, and to me appears flawless. I don’t get anti reflection coating. Perhaps it is there to allow you to see the dial in direct reflected sunshine, but I can clearly see my ugly mug if I stare directly though the dial. The dial is just as good looking as what I imagined from watching the “How it’s Made” episode. The sandwich layers are clearly differentiated and noticeable. It is one of the main reason I love the Panerai brand. The numbers and indices are engraved cleanly in the top layer, and unless you are a complete stickler, the font is very, very close to gen. The only complaint I have is the minute hand. It appears a bit raised, almost bent upwards as if intended to be so in fear of colliding with the hour hand…A disappointment, really. I would have liked to see it straight and will be a mod I look into the near future. The lum is great. Having never owned a watch with luminescent dials or hands, I cannot make a comparison, but I’m happy with the way it looks in the dark or low light after being “charged.” The crown is not as dull on the sides but the top where the OP logo resides appears brushed...you really have to stare at the thing to see any difference at all. It unscrews smoothly and the pin feels robust, and spins without a hitch. When fully pulled out to change time, the crown feels a bit less secure but doesn’t quite wobble noticeably or worry me.
Opinion on strap quality: The strap is very dark brown and in low light appears black, really. From the QC pics I was a little confused on whether it was brown or black. It measures ~124/80mm without the buckle. I have 7" wrists and I'm in on the last hole, but looks great. The stitching appears hand-made and is a lighter brown color. There is one floating stay and it's thick and chunky. The short buckle end has OFFICINE PANERAI embossed on it and the longer end has OFFICINE PENERAI ITALY embossed between the stitching and holes, then the OP logo embossed on the end after the holes. Fonts looks sharp and is nice, clean, and professional. Edges are clean/smooth and do not have that “natural” look with fibers. The texture of the leather is subtle but clearly has a nice clean leather grain. The 26mm brushed screw-in buckle matches the dull case quite well and has a good quality capital font “PANERAI” engraved to the right of the indentation for the buckle tongue. The gen is a smooth calf strap, which i don't care for, and looks more dressy IMHO. The gen buckle is PVD, matches the shinier case back, and has the "PANERAI" engraved above the tongue groove and has larger font.
Movement: I decided not to dive into the movement, but the website states it is an Asian 6497 Hand-winding movement at 18000vph. It has kept great time and has lasted me ~2 days without a wind. The gen uses a hand wound Panerai OP X movement, which is a Panerai modified ETA 6497 movement. That movement produces 21,600vph.
Use: I think the strap makes it more of a casual/less dressed up watch. I love the contrast of brown and black and hope one day to get a lighter brown 26/26 with burnt/black burnished edges and black stitching. I also might one day put a tapered gator (less likely), or gator embossed leather (more likely) for a more dressy look in the future. I love clasps, but for the price the buckle will do just fine. For now, I plan on wearing it daily since my PAM305 was a doa (can you tell I’m bitter about that one?!?!)
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I LOVE this watch, will wear it regularly, and is one of the cleanest most unique looking watches out there. After wearing it for a few days, I’m as happy as can be and will probably use it more often than I thought even though I like to have a date on my daily watch. Despite the minute hand looking a bit tweaked, and the fact that the watch came with a brown strap instead of a black one (a blessing in disguise perhaps?) I’m a satisfied ignoramous!
From the web site: http://www.puretimewatch.com/product/pam292-m-ceramic-transparent-ar-11-on-hand-stitched-black-leather-strap-/
Size: 45mm x 15mm
Movement: Asian 6497 Hand-winding movement at 18000vph
Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds display Case: Black ceramic case
Crystal: Scratch-proof sapphire crystal with colorless anti-reflection coating (Swiss standard, same as genuine)
Dial: Superlumed dial and hands (lumed with genuine Super-LumiNova C1+C3)
Strap: Black leather strap
Clasp: Tang buckle
Water resistance: Yes
Remark: 1:1 replicated from a genuine watch sample, all parts are interchangeable with genuine
First up are the photos. The last 3 are the QC (c'mon, that strap looks black!) and the others are some shots just before sunset (don't mind the fingerprints on the crystal!). I will not bother with a full blown gen vs rep comparison for two reasons. First, I am no expert, nor will I pretend to be one. Second, in my opinion the watch is too plain for me to tell (besides the movement which is hidden anyway) ANY difference with materials used since I have never worn a gen or seen one in person.
The Trusted Dealer: Puretime: Overall, I’m delighted with this transaction. As you can see from the photos, I didn’t get a black strap, but I’m happy with the dark brown strap delivered with the watch. More details about the transaction can be found in their “Trusted Dealers Buyer Reviews” section in the forum.
Purchased for: $248 plus $25 shipping minus 10% for WU transfer ($12 to transfer)
Feeling: The watch is solid and feels substantial. The case is relatively slim and almost half the height of the "crooked number doa 305 paper-weight" I also received. The strap is great. It’s hard for me to compare the strap to some of the other high end straps out there because I’ve never had one in person, but I’m impressed with how soft, robust, thick, and strong the leather is…it reminds me of that smell you get walking into a “Wilsons” leather jacket (do they still have those?) or similar leather goods store.
Opinion on case quality: The case and strap weigh in at 47g. The dull brushed finish on the case is beautiful. I’ve always been a fan of flat black for wheels on cars, and this watch reminds me of that finish. The screw down case back is not as dull “brushed” or sand-blasted as the case. It is ss PVD, although it clearly is printed and marked as ceramic as per the gen. The crystal has a slight dome, is colorless, and to me appears flawless. I don’t get anti reflection coating. Perhaps it is there to allow you to see the dial in direct reflected sunshine, but I can clearly see my ugly mug if I stare directly though the dial. The dial is just as good looking as what I imagined from watching the “How it’s Made” episode. The sandwich layers are clearly differentiated and noticeable. It is one of the main reason I love the Panerai brand. The numbers and indices are engraved cleanly in the top layer, and unless you are a complete stickler, the font is very, very close to gen. The only complaint I have is the minute hand. It appears a bit raised, almost bent upwards as if intended to be so in fear of colliding with the hour hand…A disappointment, really. I would have liked to see it straight and will be a mod I look into the near future. The lum is great. Having never owned a watch with luminescent dials or hands, I cannot make a comparison, but I’m happy with the way it looks in the dark or low light after being “charged.” The crown is not as dull on the sides but the top where the OP logo resides appears brushed...you really have to stare at the thing to see any difference at all. It unscrews smoothly and the pin feels robust, and spins without a hitch. When fully pulled out to change time, the crown feels a bit less secure but doesn’t quite wobble noticeably or worry me.
Opinion on strap quality: The strap is very dark brown and in low light appears black, really. From the QC pics I was a little confused on whether it was brown or black. It measures ~124/80mm without the buckle. I have 7" wrists and I'm in on the last hole, but looks great. The stitching appears hand-made and is a lighter brown color. There is one floating stay and it's thick and chunky. The short buckle end has OFFICINE PANERAI embossed on it and the longer end has OFFICINE PENERAI ITALY embossed between the stitching and holes, then the OP logo embossed on the end after the holes. Fonts looks sharp and is nice, clean, and professional. Edges are clean/smooth and do not have that “natural” look with fibers. The texture of the leather is subtle but clearly has a nice clean leather grain. The 26mm brushed screw-in buckle matches the dull case quite well and has a good quality capital font “PANERAI” engraved to the right of the indentation for the buckle tongue. The gen is a smooth calf strap, which i don't care for, and looks more dressy IMHO. The gen buckle is PVD, matches the shinier case back, and has the "PANERAI" engraved above the tongue groove and has larger font.
Movement: I decided not to dive into the movement, but the website states it is an Asian 6497 Hand-winding movement at 18000vph. It has kept great time and has lasted me ~2 days without a wind. The gen uses a hand wound Panerai OP X movement, which is a Panerai modified ETA 6497 movement. That movement produces 21,600vph.
Use: I think the strap makes it more of a casual/less dressed up watch. I love the contrast of brown and black and hope one day to get a lighter brown 26/26 with burnt/black burnished edges and black stitching. I also might one day put a tapered gator (less likely), or gator embossed leather (more likely) for a more dressy look in the future. I love clasps, but for the price the buckle will do just fine. For now, I plan on wearing it daily since my PAM305 was a doa (can you tell I’m bitter about that one?!?!)
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I LOVE this watch, will wear it regularly, and is one of the cleanest most unique looking watches out there. After wearing it for a few days, I’m as happy as can be and will probably use it more often than I thought even though I like to have a date on my daily watch. Despite the minute hand looking a bit tweaked, and the fact that the watch came with a brown strap instead of a black one (a blessing in disguise perhaps?) I’m a satisfied ignoramous!