Another one of my reviews...yes, its getting almost boring now 
This time its on a PAM 243 that all of you have been talking up so much. This puppy ain't for me but for a friend, which I'm going to borrow and work on for a little bit before handing over. I have never been much of a fan of the submersible range, except for the PAM187, but that is just too damn chunky for normal usage.
Anyhow, on to the review. If you've read any of mine, you should know how it goes, just follow the numbers for the flaws
Please note, this is a review on the watch available from T4D (great transaction btw and thanks Rob) and the cartel which should be the PAM 243I. There are differences within the 243 range that I'll elaborate further later on.
Front
1) Bezel markers, all of them are oversized on the rep. Most obvious ones are the numbered markers.
2) Pearl is close, but too big. Gen has a larger lip around the edge
3) Subdial is glossy at certain angles on the rep. For the gen, most of the pics I've seen show it being matte. This may or may not be wrong as the camera can pick things up differently.
4) All the bezel markers are polished on the gen. Rep have them brushed.
*Small note, this gen PAM243I is a little weird in that it's got an L Swiss Made L dial. T Swiss Made T dials were made for I and J series 243s. As such, my guess this is a re-dialed 243I.
1) Obvious ring around the cyclops whereas the gen it almost blends in
2) Magnification is obviously off. There is some slight magnification but not as strong as the gen.
2.1) Datewheel. Font is too thin on the rep.
Side-CG
1) Height of the markers are 0.5mm too thick. The gen has them only just pushing up
2) Height of the crystal above the bezel. Again very very slightly above the bezel whereas the gen is almost flush.
3) Lug profile is incorrect on gen.
*Take note, gen pic is of a 243J which has the rollerball CG and quick change strap system. This differs from the 243I which did not have it, so our model here is correct.
Side-He
1) He font seems mildly different from gen, but not very noticeable.
Not many things wrong on this side, just the aforementioned lug profile
Back
1) No engraved serial and series number
OP 6671 is correct for 243I. This changed to OP 6701 in the J & K series. All other engravings look accurate
With the caseback off, the movement is really quite pretty. Newer style 7750 w/ faux regulator.
Must note that the caseback gasket is pretty thick and decent, I greased it and tested it via the hot water beaker test and only places where air bubbled out were the crown guard and bezel as expected.
Strap
The strap is the biggest letdown to be honest. Very bad rubber, texture and overall a huge tell for being reppy.
I've since put it on a nice distressed locco horse suede strap from Panatime with a spare thick SC skull buckle, much nicer.
Casesize & Lume
Left to right: PAM243, PAM111E, PAM232I, MM20
Well as you can see, it "looks" smaller than a 111E. The biggest is obviously the MM20 there.
However, thickness wise, sorry I wasn't going to remove all my straps for this shot, you can sorta see that the thickess is the MM20, followed by 243, then 111, and lastly, the ever classy 232.
Lume
Left to right: DSN 232 dial, Gen MM20, 243, Vacc 111
Quick and dirty shot, unlike what I used to do. On charging, its fairly decent I must say, but loses its glow much quicker compared to the others. For eg, I just charged them all, and the others are still glowing, the 243 is dull already.
So now that I've compared it all, what are my thoughts? Considering I am not a PAM Submersible fan, I must say this one actually grows on me. I actually like it and will probably order another one for myself.
Yes there are flaws, but like the brushed bezel markers are an easy fix for a modder. The CG is accurate, the pin is flat and polished (though mildly sunken, I'll push it back up), the lever is slightly loose, but not badly, the crown is thick and accurate. The bezel itself is mildly loose, but not badly so. Basically, it just exudes quality in my opinion. Everything fits well, and looks good on the wrist.
I've always never liked the Luminor case for the subs, somehow it just felt wrong on the wrist and I've tried my fair share of 24s and 25s. This however, feels rugged yet classy and I'll have no issues wearing this out over the weekend to the marina. And it aint a huge piece like the Fiddy or MM20 which forces people to stare, this is a little more subtle and I think the fiddy case suits the style very well.
Overall, an excellent rep, one that with a few mods would be amazingly accurate. For my own personal piece, it'll probably head off to Vacc for a Tritium style relume.
Hope you enjoyed this review
This time its on a PAM 243 that all of you have been talking up so much. This puppy ain't for me but for a friend, which I'm going to borrow and work on for a little bit before handing over. I have never been much of a fan of the submersible range, except for the PAM187, but that is just too damn chunky for normal usage.
Anyhow, on to the review. If you've read any of mine, you should know how it goes, just follow the numbers for the flaws
Please note, this is a review on the watch available from T4D (great transaction btw and thanks Rob) and the cartel which should be the PAM 243I. There are differences within the 243 range that I'll elaborate further later on.
Front
1) Bezel markers, all of them are oversized on the rep. Most obvious ones are the numbered markers.
2) Pearl is close, but too big. Gen has a larger lip around the edge
3) Subdial is glossy at certain angles on the rep. For the gen, most of the pics I've seen show it being matte. This may or may not be wrong as the camera can pick things up differently.
4) All the bezel markers are polished on the gen. Rep have them brushed.
*Small note, this gen PAM243I is a little weird in that it's got an L Swiss Made L dial. T Swiss Made T dials were made for I and J series 243s. As such, my guess this is a re-dialed 243I.
1) Obvious ring around the cyclops whereas the gen it almost blends in
2) Magnification is obviously off. There is some slight magnification but not as strong as the gen.
2.1) Datewheel. Font is too thin on the rep.
Side-CG
1) Height of the markers are 0.5mm too thick. The gen has them only just pushing up
2) Height of the crystal above the bezel. Again very very slightly above the bezel whereas the gen is almost flush.
3) Lug profile is incorrect on gen.
*Take note, gen pic is of a 243J which has the rollerball CG and quick change strap system. This differs from the 243I which did not have it, so our model here is correct.
Side-He
1) He font seems mildly different from gen, but not very noticeable.
Not many things wrong on this side, just the aforementioned lug profile
Back
1) No engraved serial and series number
OP 6671 is correct for 243I. This changed to OP 6701 in the J & K series. All other engravings look accurate
With the caseback off, the movement is really quite pretty. Newer style 7750 w/ faux regulator.
Must note that the caseback gasket is pretty thick and decent, I greased it and tested it via the hot water beaker test and only places where air bubbled out were the crown guard and bezel as expected.
Strap
The strap is the biggest letdown to be honest. Very bad rubber, texture and overall a huge tell for being reppy.
I've since put it on a nice distressed locco horse suede strap from Panatime with a spare thick SC skull buckle, much nicer.
Casesize & Lume
Left to right: PAM243, PAM111E, PAM232I, MM20
Well as you can see, it "looks" smaller than a 111E. The biggest is obviously the MM20 there.
However, thickness wise, sorry I wasn't going to remove all my straps for this shot, you can sorta see that the thickess is the MM20, followed by 243, then 111, and lastly, the ever classy 232.
Lume
Left to right: DSN 232 dial, Gen MM20, 243, Vacc 111
Quick and dirty shot, unlike what I used to do. On charging, its fairly decent I must say, but loses its glow much quicker compared to the others. For eg, I just charged them all, and the others are still glowing, the 243 is dull already.
So now that I've compared it all, what are my thoughts? Considering I am not a PAM Submersible fan, I must say this one actually grows on me. I actually like it and will probably order another one for myself.
Yes there are flaws, but like the brushed bezel markers are an easy fix for a modder. The CG is accurate, the pin is flat and polished (though mildly sunken, I'll push it back up), the lever is slightly loose, but not badly, the crown is thick and accurate. The bezel itself is mildly loose, but not badly so. Basically, it just exudes quality in my opinion. Everything fits well, and looks good on the wrist.
I've always never liked the Luminor case for the subs, somehow it just felt wrong on the wrist and I've tried my fair share of 24s and 25s. This however, feels rugged yet classy and I'll have no issues wearing this out over the weekend to the marina. And it aint a huge piece like the Fiddy or MM20 which forces people to stare, this is a little more subtle and I think the fiddy case suits the style very well.
Overall, an excellent rep, one that with a few mods would be amazingly accurate. For my own personal piece, it'll probably head off to Vacc for a Tritium style relume.
Hope you enjoyed this review
