As I have trouble with shipping leadtimes for watches I was planning to review currently, I've decided to try and do a picture review. These are pictures taken of the actual watch. It's just that the watch will take some time getting to me. :lol: So for my first try, this is the
The PAM305 was first released in 2009 and is still currently in production (although it is expected to cease production once the PAM1305 has been released, as is OP's strategy moving forward).It is a 47mm Submersible with a full titanium construction, making it very wearable for a 47mm watch, and a Submersible at that. There were attempts to replicate this watch as early as 2 years later in 2011, but these were poor copies (there were even PVD versions) and the movement was totally not worth even talking about. Then with the important milestone of the P.9000 decorative plated movement a few years later, ZF first came out with their version with the A7750 based movement with the balance wheel @11 in late 2014, with V6F coming out with their version with the better (from a purely aesthetic perspective) Seagull ST2555 movement with the balance wheel @6 half a year later in 2015. Unfortunately for this watch, this same period saw the release of other 47mm Submersibles which were equally finished nicely but had the added benefit of the closed caseback, thereby removing the encumberance of an accurate-looking movement. These were the PAM364 and the PAM569, both classified as super reps. So the PAM305 fell by the wayside. Fast forward barely two years later, with VSF and then XF coming out with the newly modified P.9000 movement with the balance wheel @7, same as gen, first with the PAM441, VSF's initial outing, with the PAM312 and the PAM359 coming in several weeks later. It was inevitable that all reps using the P.9000 based movements especially those with open casebacks at least, would be receiving this upgrade. So the PAM305 was just released by XF (it's been said it is the same as V6F, which separated into VSF and XF but that is for another topic entirely
) and this is the version that I will be reviewing right now.
Dial - Black dial with properly placed LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE at 12 and PANERAI Automatic at 6. LSML placement at 6 also correct. Nagging point of the dial and something you should be on the lookout for the the alignment of the stick markers at 12 and 6. Sometimes even the two sticks at 12 are not in parallel so you should take note of that. CP is correctly sized.
Crown and crown guard - Nicely done, with the slight chamfers at the sides of the half-moon shape, same as gen. REG T.M. engraving is where it should be. Crown could be a little thicker, but it's not the skinny crown like on the PAM382 before.
Bezel - Bezel is nicely brushed. The bezel minute markers from 0-15 are sharp and legible and the circular hour markers aren't prominent nor are they sunk on the bezel.
Case - Well done case, brushed titanium with short lugs which is expected for this P.9000 based movement. Here is the shot with the PAM682 as reference.
You can also see that there is a chamfer on both top and bottom sides of the bezel. The cut is clean and it exposes the shiny polished edge underneath.
In conclusion, the XF PAM305 is every bit as good, if not better than its sister factory's release a few years earlier. With the added improvement of the P.9000 modded movement, this watch deserves your attention, whether you are a fan of submersibles, a titanium watch freak or a PAM completist like me.
Thanks for looking!
Edit:
I realized in my haste, I forgot to ask for a picture of the caseback. :lol: I will add those pictures later.
Luminor 1950 Submersible 3 Days Automatic PAM 305
The PAM305 was first released in 2009 and is still currently in production (although it is expected to cease production once the PAM1305 has been released, as is OP's strategy moving forward).It is a 47mm Submersible with a full titanium construction, making it very wearable for a 47mm watch, and a Submersible at that. There were attempts to replicate this watch as early as 2 years later in 2011, but these were poor copies (there were even PVD versions) and the movement was totally not worth even talking about. Then with the important milestone of the P.9000 decorative plated movement a few years later, ZF first came out with their version with the A7750 based movement with the balance wheel @11 in late 2014, with V6F coming out with their version with the better (from a purely aesthetic perspective) Seagull ST2555 movement with the balance wheel @6 half a year later in 2015. Unfortunately for this watch, this same period saw the release of other 47mm Submersibles which were equally finished nicely but had the added benefit of the closed caseback, thereby removing the encumberance of an accurate-looking movement. These were the PAM364 and the PAM569, both classified as super reps. So the PAM305 fell by the wayside. Fast forward barely two years later, with VSF and then XF coming out with the newly modified P.9000 movement with the balance wheel @7, same as gen, first with the PAM441, VSF's initial outing, with the PAM312 and the PAM359 coming in several weeks later. It was inevitable that all reps using the P.9000 based movements especially those with open casebacks at least, would be receiving this upgrade. So the PAM305 was just released by XF (it's been said it is the same as V6F, which separated into VSF and XF but that is for another topic entirely
) and this is the version that I will be reviewing right now.Dial - Black dial with properly placed LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE at 12 and PANERAI Automatic at 6. LSML placement at 6 also correct. Nagging point of the dial and something you should be on the lookout for the the alignment of the stick markers at 12 and 6. Sometimes even the two sticks at 12 are not in parallel so you should take note of that. CP is correctly sized.
Crown and crown guard - Nicely done, with the slight chamfers at the sides of the half-moon shape, same as gen. REG T.M. engraving is where it should be. Crown could be a little thicker, but it's not the skinny crown like on the PAM382 before.
Bezel - Bezel is nicely brushed. The bezel minute markers from 0-15 are sharp and legible and the circular hour markers aren't prominent nor are they sunk on the bezel.
Case - Well done case, brushed titanium with short lugs which is expected for this P.9000 based movement. Here is the shot with the PAM682 as reference.
You can also see that there is a chamfer on both top and bottom sides of the bezel. The cut is clean and it exposes the shiny polished edge underneath.
In conclusion, the XF PAM305 is every bit as good, if not better than its sister factory's release a few years earlier. With the added improvement of the P.9000 modded movement, this watch deserves your attention, whether you are a fan of submersibles, a titanium watch freak or a PAM completist like me.
Thanks for looking!
Edit:
I realized in my haste, I forgot to ask for a picture of the caseback. :lol: I will add those pictures later.
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