It was a surprise - out of nowhere the watch could be seen on watchbus.net and, several days later - in our dealers’ offerings.
We need to remember that it was KW last time, who was first with carbotech replica of PAM 616 so definitely they have more experience now.
The genuine Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic PAM661 Watch:
First gen reviews were available around middle of May this year (2016). This new Carbotech watch was a mixture of Laminor 1950 Marina case with dial details taken from Panerai Submersibles with blue accent on the top.
And there is „new†Panerai P.9010 automatic movement - slimmer version of older P.9000.
The gen case is measured as 44 mm and it’s thickness remains undefined since I wasn’t able to find any online source of information on what is exact thickness of gen PAM 661. It was easy for other P.9010 based watches but no page exactly pointed at thickness of 661…
REP:
Panerai’s previous Carbotech watch Sub 616 was using case carved from regular block of carbon fiber material glued with Ketron's PEEK (which is based on polyetheretherketone resin) with only exception of bezel which was made using special, custom pattern of carbon fibers in PEEK to provide that multi-shaded look and making it virtually impossible to replicate well. This time, in case of PAM 661, all elements of case including bezel - are being cut from regular CF PEEK block which allows KW to replicate in FLAWLESS way, down to these semi-circular pattern on bezel!
First impression: the overall quality of this watch (rep) is outstanding! Period. Very high quality sapphire with good AR (double sided (!), quite strong), great execution of CF PEEK case, almost perfect to gen dial, more than acceptable strap… this is „pearl in collection†and KW knows how to do watches. The watch is light in weight and seems to be thinner than other automatic 1950 watches - probably both it’s weight and less thick case give such strong impression.
Since gen is using slimmed down movement P.9010 and KW went with decorated 7750 - we all were wondering what will be outcome from it in field of total thickness. While the thickness of gen 661 remains unknown for me I can now measure KW rep using caliper.
The total case thickness measured on top of sapphire’s dome is 17.24mm. Skipping the sapphire, from the top of bezel to the caseback is it approx. 15mm thick. The watch seems to be slimmer down comparing with previous 1950 automatic cases; changed shape of lugs helps this impression greatly. If KW's claims about thickness being on par with gen are true - it means the height of case was declared (in gen) without sapphire - skipping sapphire's bulge.
Movement: regular 7750 without chrono module with additional decoration plates to mimic P.9010 look. The look is easier to be replicated due to the same position of balance wheel vs crown on both 7750 and P.9010. Nice…
Round dots on dial was not only thing this watch borrowed from Submersibles - the movement is „floating†in case, much like in PAM 305 - it is hold strongly in place only when the caseback is mounted since it puts the needed pressure against movement holder. So, no tabs to hold the movement, only caseback pressure and some O-ring shaped rubber seal to hold it barely in place.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS:
- the thickness - probably bigger than gen but I cannot compare, since there is no info about genuine thickness. KW claims to have the gen in his possession and promised rep vs gen photos but „the gen case is still in factory†etc.. Anyway, the rep, when you get it in hand or put it on - seems to be slimmed down nice way. And all this without being so „toy/plastick†as it was the case with PAM 616…
- the rest of replication seems on par with available gen photos. Really. Only visible difference from „the top view†is that on the rep hour indexes are tiny fraction of mm closer to the inner wall of bezel than on gen photos, probably due to a bit different placement of seconds hand nad date window between 7750 and P9010.
- the execution as a watch and quality of details - BREATHTAKING! I am serious. It was long time ago I was amazed by any watch this much.
- the watch is a keeper - I knew it from the moment I unwrapped it.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
- surprisingly, the AR is double sided. I am not sure it is on par with gen (Panerai, so far, supported single sided, internal AR) - probably not, but out of the box effect was quite dramatic. I found it was double sided AR hard way when measuring case thickness using metal caliper - I’ve scratched outer AR so badly I had to remove it. All photos are taken already without outer AR then…
- these decorative plates make watch regulation even a bit harder than with previous „P.9000†decoration… but doable
anyway, I will ask my watch smith to remove decoration during servicing.
PHOTOS (no photo correction applied):
FC patterns are crazy cool:
Quite low case profile:
Some closeups:
Other details:
On the wrist:
We need to remember that it was KW last time, who was first with carbotech replica of PAM 616 so definitely they have more experience now.
The genuine Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic PAM661 Watch:
First gen reviews were available around middle of May this year (2016). This new Carbotech watch was a mixture of Laminor 1950 Marina case with dial details taken from Panerai Submersibles with blue accent on the top.
And there is „new†Panerai P.9010 automatic movement - slimmer version of older P.9000.
The gen case is measured as 44 mm and it’s thickness remains undefined since I wasn’t able to find any online source of information on what is exact thickness of gen PAM 661. It was easy for other P.9010 based watches but no page exactly pointed at thickness of 661…
REP:
Panerai’s previous Carbotech watch Sub 616 was using case carved from regular block of carbon fiber material glued with Ketron's PEEK (which is based on polyetheretherketone resin) with only exception of bezel which was made using special, custom pattern of carbon fibers in PEEK to provide that multi-shaded look and making it virtually impossible to replicate well. This time, in case of PAM 661, all elements of case including bezel - are being cut from regular CF PEEK block which allows KW to replicate in FLAWLESS way, down to these semi-circular pattern on bezel!
First impression: the overall quality of this watch (rep) is outstanding! Period. Very high quality sapphire with good AR (double sided (!), quite strong), great execution of CF PEEK case, almost perfect to gen dial, more than acceptable strap… this is „pearl in collection†and KW knows how to do watches. The watch is light in weight and seems to be thinner than other automatic 1950 watches - probably both it’s weight and less thick case give such strong impression.
Since gen is using slimmed down movement P.9010 and KW went with decorated 7750 - we all were wondering what will be outcome from it in field of total thickness. While the thickness of gen 661 remains unknown for me I can now measure KW rep using caliper.
The total case thickness measured on top of sapphire’s dome is 17.24mm. Skipping the sapphire, from the top of bezel to the caseback is it approx. 15mm thick. The watch seems to be slimmer down comparing with previous 1950 automatic cases; changed shape of lugs helps this impression greatly. If KW's claims about thickness being on par with gen are true - it means the height of case was declared (in gen) without sapphire - skipping sapphire's bulge.
Movement: regular 7750 without chrono module with additional decoration plates to mimic P.9010 look. The look is easier to be replicated due to the same position of balance wheel vs crown on both 7750 and P.9010. Nice…
Round dots on dial was not only thing this watch borrowed from Submersibles - the movement is „floating†in case, much like in PAM 305 - it is hold strongly in place only when the caseback is mounted since it puts the needed pressure against movement holder. So, no tabs to hold the movement, only caseback pressure and some O-ring shaped rubber seal to hold it barely in place.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS:
- the thickness - probably bigger than gen but I cannot compare, since there is no info about genuine thickness. KW claims to have the gen in his possession and promised rep vs gen photos but „the gen case is still in factory†etc.. Anyway, the rep, when you get it in hand or put it on - seems to be slimmed down nice way. And all this without being so „toy/plastick†as it was the case with PAM 616…
- the rest of replication seems on par with available gen photos. Really. Only visible difference from „the top view†is that on the rep hour indexes are tiny fraction of mm closer to the inner wall of bezel than on gen photos, probably due to a bit different placement of seconds hand nad date window between 7750 and P9010.
- the execution as a watch and quality of details - BREATHTAKING! I am serious. It was long time ago I was amazed by any watch this much.
- the watch is a keeper - I knew it from the moment I unwrapped it.
OTHER OBSERVATIONS:
- surprisingly, the AR is double sided. I am not sure it is on par with gen (Panerai, so far, supported single sided, internal AR) - probably not, but out of the box effect was quite dramatic. I found it was double sided AR hard way when measuring case thickness using metal caliper - I’ve scratched outer AR so badly I had to remove it. All photos are taken already without outer AR then…
- these decorative plates make watch regulation even a bit harder than with previous „P.9000†decoration… but doable
anyway, I will ask my watch smith to remove decoration during servicing.PHOTOS (no photo correction applied):
FC patterns are crazy cool:
Quite low case profile:
Some closeups:
Other details:
On the wrist:
