- 3/1/12
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After about 2 months of researching, I decided on the PAM292M HF on Hand-Stiched Black Leather Strap from Puretime but I also wanted to get another watch. It had to be different, but it had to be a PAM! Pams all look the same, right? Well, some think so and to the untrained eye they may. In any case, as much as I LOVE sandwich dials, I wanted something different. I HAD to choose one besides the 292...for now that is 
It wasn't easy for me, but it was between the 305L, 243L, 188H, or the 251k. After reading Croc's thread and researching gen 305's, I fell in love with "Beauty and the Beast": http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php/305-happening-89074
Frankly, I'm really torn with this watch. It had many issues from the get-go. Crooked bezel numbers, incorrect lum color, dial indices, cg, etc...but it was going to get out before the CNY and get out it did. Some think it was too early, maybe so but after opening the package and unwrapping the watch, my eyebrows raised with admiration (typical noob, right!
From the web site: http://www.puretimewatch.com/product/pam305-l-11-best-edition-a7750-final/
Panerai - PAM305 L 1:1 Best Edition A7750 Final
Size: 47mm x 17.5mm Movement: Modified Asian 7750 automatic movement at 21600vph Functions: Hours, minutes, sub-seconds and date display Case: Solid titanium case (Imported quality) Crystal: Scratch-proof sapphire crystal with colorless AR Dial: Black dial with very good lume Bezel: Uni-directional rotating titanium bezel Strap: Black rubber strap Clasp: Titanium tang buckle Water resistance: >50 Meters Other: Stock arrived. Remark: 1:1 replicated from a genuine PAM305L completely teared down, the first titanium 47mm Submersible available, made by the maker who also makes PAM312/320/328/329/351/359.
First up are the photos. These shots were taken just before sunset. I like the effects with this lighting but it's tough to see the true color. Color is never the same from one photo to another not to mention one computer to the other. The only true test is having it in person to decide for yourself. Since this is a first for the 305, I wanted to have some sort of comparison, so I borrowed photos from "thewatchobserver" and made a collage to compare with my own. Is that so wrong? Then, some of the QC's.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262253.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262255.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262259.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262261.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262263.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262264.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262265.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262267.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262268.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262269.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262270.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262271.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262272.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262277.jpg
REP:
QC:
GEN:
The Trusted Dealer: Puretime: This was the same dealer I purchased my 292 from. I will interact more with them considering this watch was a doa. They have already been nice enough to send me return details during CNY, but we'll see how they are when I ask to switch the watch for a 251k...More details about the transaction can be found in their “Trusted Dealers Buyer Reviews” section in the forum.
Purchased for: $338 plus $25 shipping minus 10% for WU transfer ($12 to transfer)
Feeling: The watch is a beast! On my 7" wrist, it feels substantial. It will not go unnoticed. Coat the case and bezel with rubberized plastic, bullet proof the glass and this thing will wet the pants on any G-shock! What a pitty that would be though, beast aside, this thing is beautiful. Case and bezel are raised pretty darn high. Ah, the bezel. The worst part of this watch. I can live with the incorrect color of lume, any deviations on engraving and font, wrong reproduction of movement (low blow...the P9000 cannot be reproduced), but the crooked numbers, rotation, and poor alignment make me feel this watch could be SO much better with later versions. The rubber strap is, well, a rubber strap. Not very elegant, more functional if you want to wear the watch daily and do not want to risk destroying your $100+ leather masterpiece. Slap on "OFFICINE PANERAI" and "ITALY" with the "OP" logo and you realize just why they updated it. FAR better than the older rubber straps if you ask me. I haven't worn it more than a few minutes since it doesn't work, but the watch wears well, feels very secure with a nice buckle and is comfortable.
Opinion on case quality: The 47mm brushed titanium is gorgeous. It doesn't really scream "beastiality" like the 187 with its gnarly metal "soldered" quarter hour numbers or its complicated and (for some) cluttered dial. No, the 305's face and dial is clean and very simple with 4 lines of text and neat dot indices. There have been some complaints about the dots and dashes not matching the gen, but color aside, I'm happy with their shape and way they look. Date is situated at the 3 position and does not have any bubble over it...1950 style. Crown guard is pronounced, well fit, and despite not being reproduced to the "T" (maybe the engraving is off???) is just fine in my book. The lever doesn't sit perfectly flush, but it's very close. The lever shape matches the ones I've seen online. Pulled out, it is not wobbly but does have some play. Case back is very nice as well. Engravings match the gen and look good, mang! Crystals, both front and back, are beautiful. Then, there is that bezel. Like a pimple from hell destroying what should be a near flawless reproduction, that thing has got to be improved. The bezel sits almost flush with the glass, and is designed in concept so well with unobtrusive yet informative tick marks and handsome grooves for grip to rotate. It does have 60 clicks, it rotates only counter-clockwise but each click doesn't really align well with the dial. It is not very accurate and doesn't give you that solid and accurate "click" you would expect from such a beautiful watch. The quarter hour numbers on the bezel are not (some are) rotated and aligned correctly just like some the the 243's we've seen. Funny thing, I read this review on a gen 305 "prototype" and it too had crooked numbers on the bezel! : http://indepth.watchprosite.com/show-nblog.post/ti-568811/ Back to the rep bezel, it also seems to sit a little loose. Not loose enough that you think it will fly off, but loose enough that you can wobble it if you hold it with your fingers on either side and try to wobble it.
Opinion on strap quality: The strap is very nice for a rubber strap. It's tapered and I believe goes from 26mm to 22mm (I forgot to measure). Pre-v buckle is very nice and the accuracy is great. The strap's belly has a bit of a curvature (concave) and the only stay sits in a "seat" (prongs). You can pop out the stay to free it from its seat if your wrists are too small and want the strap end to tuck nicely without sticking out much. The short buckle end has OFFICINE PANERAI embossed inside of it and the longer end has OFFICINE PENERAI ITALY embossed. OP logos are then tastefully embossed on the top sides of both unlike the previous version. The old version has the printing on the top side, has an otherwise plain design, and not very tasteful if you ask me. I think of the new version as a tasteful take on a modern "Transformers" shape. The "OP" for the otherwise uninformed might be confused for Optimus Prime. I know, I'm stretching a bit.
Movement: The website states it is Modified Asian 7750 automatic movement at 21600vph. The gen uses a Panerai Calibre P.9000 with 28,800vph. The rotor has the same design as the gen, but I will not waste time on comparing rep vs gen. The infamous low beat 7750 strikes again. The little bastard never started up. I tried the swirl method, shake method, wear method, and careful spinning the crown method. No method worked and I could not breath any life into this movement. You can certainly hear and see the neat little rotor twirling about inside the display case-back, but something in that complicated network of springs, gears, rotors, and jewels is not doing their job!
Use: I wanted her to be my daily watch. I would wear the rubber strap daily, but replace it with nice leather if I went out with friends, etc. Now that I've owned it, I think it's just too darn big for me and would not really fit under tight fitting sleeves. It would certainly grab attention wherever and whenever I wear it. The wife agrees, the thing is too big. She even has the gall to say it's hideous! BLASPHEMY!
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I love this watch, but it can be so much better if that bezel and lum got fixed. I believe one day, this beast will win the hearts of MANY peeps here and truly show its beauty on proud wrists. Alas, I don't think it's really for me. If they don't replace it with the 251K I don't think I'll let all hell break loose. It may grow on me and with a nice leather strap, I may never take it off!
It wasn't easy for me, but it was between the 305L, 243L, 188H, or the 251k. After reading Croc's thread and researching gen 305's, I fell in love with "Beauty and the Beast": http://forum.replica-watch.info/vb/showthread.php/305-happening-89074 Frankly, I'm really torn with this watch. It had many issues from the get-go. Crooked bezel numbers, incorrect lum color, dial indices, cg, etc...but it was going to get out before the CNY and get out it did. Some think it was too early, maybe so but after opening the package and unwrapping the watch, my eyebrows raised with admiration (typical noob, right
!From the web site: http://www.puretimewatch.com/product/pam305-l-11-best-edition-a7750-final/
Panerai - PAM305 L 1:1 Best Edition A7750 Final
Size: 47mm x 17.5mm Movement: Modified Asian 7750 automatic movement at 21600vph Functions: Hours, minutes, sub-seconds and date display Case: Solid titanium case (Imported quality) Crystal: Scratch-proof sapphire crystal with colorless AR Dial: Black dial with very good lume Bezel: Uni-directional rotating titanium bezel Strap: Black rubber strap Clasp: Titanium tang buckle Water resistance: >50 Meters Other: Stock arrived. Remark: 1:1 replicated from a genuine PAM305L completely teared down, the first titanium 47mm Submersible available, made by the maker who also makes PAM312/320/328/329/351/359.
First up are the photos. These shots were taken just before sunset. I like the effects with this lighting but it's tough to see the true color. Color is never the same from one photo to another not to mention one computer to the other. The only true test is having it in person to decide for yourself. Since this is a first for the 305, I wanted to have some sort of comparison, so I borrowed photos from "thewatchobserver" and made a collage to compare with my own. Is that so wrong? Then, some of the QC's.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262253.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262255.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262259.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262261.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262263.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262264.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262265.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262267.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262268.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262269.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262270.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262271.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262272.jpg http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y264/aboccia/P1262277.jpg
REP:
QC:
GEN:
The Trusted Dealer: Puretime: This was the same dealer I purchased my 292 from. I will interact more with them considering this watch was a doa. They have already been nice enough to send me return details during CNY, but we'll see how they are when I ask to switch the watch for a 251k...More details about the transaction can be found in their “Trusted Dealers Buyer Reviews” section in the forum.
Purchased for: $338 plus $25 shipping minus 10% for WU transfer ($12 to transfer)
Feeling: The watch is a beast! On my 7" wrist, it feels substantial. It will not go unnoticed. Coat the case and bezel with rubberized plastic, bullet proof the glass and this thing will wet the pants on any G-shock! What a pitty that would be though, beast aside, this thing is beautiful. Case and bezel are raised pretty darn high. Ah, the bezel. The worst part of this watch. I can live with the incorrect color of lume, any deviations on engraving and font, wrong reproduction of movement (low blow...the P9000 cannot be reproduced), but the crooked numbers, rotation, and poor alignment make me feel this watch could be SO much better with later versions. The rubber strap is, well, a rubber strap. Not very elegant, more functional if you want to wear the watch daily and do not want to risk destroying your $100+ leather masterpiece. Slap on "OFFICINE PANERAI" and "ITALY" with the "OP" logo and you realize just why they updated it. FAR better than the older rubber straps if you ask me. I haven't worn it more than a few minutes since it doesn't work, but the watch wears well, feels very secure with a nice buckle and is comfortable.
Opinion on case quality: The 47mm brushed titanium is gorgeous. It doesn't really scream "beastiality" like the 187 with its gnarly metal "soldered" quarter hour numbers or its complicated and (for some) cluttered dial. No, the 305's face and dial is clean and very simple with 4 lines of text and neat dot indices. There have been some complaints about the dots and dashes not matching the gen, but color aside, I'm happy with their shape and way they look. Date is situated at the 3 position and does not have any bubble over it...1950 style. Crown guard is pronounced, well fit, and despite not being reproduced to the "T" (maybe the engraving is off???) is just fine in my book. The lever doesn't sit perfectly flush, but it's very close. The lever shape matches the ones I've seen online. Pulled out, it is not wobbly but does have some play. Case back is very nice as well. Engravings match the gen and look good, mang! Crystals, both front and back, are beautiful. Then, there is that bezel. Like a pimple from hell destroying what should be a near flawless reproduction, that thing has got to be improved. The bezel sits almost flush with the glass, and is designed in concept so well with unobtrusive yet informative tick marks and handsome grooves for grip to rotate. It does have 60 clicks, it rotates only counter-clockwise but each click doesn't really align well with the dial. It is not very accurate and doesn't give you that solid and accurate "click" you would expect from such a beautiful watch. The quarter hour numbers on the bezel are not (some are) rotated and aligned correctly just like some the the 243's we've seen. Funny thing, I read this review on a gen 305 "prototype" and it too had crooked numbers on the bezel! : http://indepth.watchprosite.com/show-nblog.post/ti-568811/ Back to the rep bezel, it also seems to sit a little loose. Not loose enough that you think it will fly off, but loose enough that you can wobble it if you hold it with your fingers on either side and try to wobble it.
Opinion on strap quality: The strap is very nice for a rubber strap. It's tapered and I believe goes from 26mm to 22mm (I forgot to measure). Pre-v buckle is very nice and the accuracy is great. The strap's belly has a bit of a curvature (concave) and the only stay sits in a "seat" (prongs). You can pop out the stay to free it from its seat if your wrists are too small and want the strap end to tuck nicely without sticking out much. The short buckle end has OFFICINE PANERAI embossed inside of it and the longer end has OFFICINE PENERAI ITALY embossed. OP logos are then tastefully embossed on the top sides of both unlike the previous version. The old version has the printing on the top side, has an otherwise plain design, and not very tasteful if you ask me. I think of the new version as a tasteful take on a modern "Transformers" shape. The "OP" for the otherwise uninformed might be confused for Optimus Prime. I know, I'm stretching a bit.
Movement: The website states it is Modified Asian 7750 automatic movement at 21600vph. The gen uses a Panerai Calibre P.9000 with 28,800vph. The rotor has the same design as the gen, but I will not waste time on comparing rep vs gen. The infamous low beat 7750 strikes again. The little bastard never started up. I tried the swirl method, shake method, wear method, and careful spinning the crown method. No method worked and I could not breath any life into this movement. You can certainly hear and see the neat little rotor twirling about inside the display case-back, but something in that complicated network of springs, gears, rotors, and jewels is not doing their job!
Use: I wanted her to be my daily watch. I would wear the rubber strap daily, but replace it with nice leather if I went out with friends, etc. Now that I've owned it, I think it's just too darn big for me and would not really fit under tight fitting sleeves. It would certainly grab attention wherever and whenever I wear it. The wife agrees, the thing is too big. She even has the gall to say it's hideous! BLASPHEMY!
OVERALL IMPRESSION: I love this watch, but it can be so much better if that bezel and lum got fixed. I believe one day, this beast will win the hearts of MANY peeps here and truly show its beauty on proud wrists. Alas, I don't think it's really for me. If they don't replace it with the 251K I don't think I'll let all hell break loose. It may grow on me and with a nice leather strap, I may never take it off!
