-={ Pimlico's Gen vs. Rep Panerai Deployant Buckle Guide }=-

[pimlico]

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? ? ?_? ?? Pimlico's Gen vs. Rep Panerai Deployant Buckle Guide ? ? ?_? ??
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Hi guys,

Have you ever wondered if you should ever buy a genuine Panerai deployant buckle? Have you looked at countless deployant buckle reps? This guide will walk you through the differences between a genuine and replica Panerai deployant buckle.

Let me tell you up front. If you can afford the genuine deployant buckle, it's worth it.

Let's get to the analysis.

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\_??????? Genuine Panerai Deployant Buckle Summary \_???????
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First we will look at a genuine Panerai deployant buckle. The first thing you will want to see is the blue box and white slip as shown below:

and

Currently most reps do not come with the two boxes; only a genuine Panerai.

There will be a nice blue "OFFICINE PANERAI" logo on both the inside and outside of the box:

Do you notice the pin and screw? I took those out on purpose. Every genuine Panerai has a pin and screw to hold the strap on. Obviously the spin and screwed are installed from the factory, but I removed them to make a point.

Everything about the genuine deployant buckle is perfect.

Crisp, straight edges everywhere. The gaps between the bridge and tabs are perfectly fitted; they aren't loose or crooked.

The STAINLESS STEEL is perfect. The font is thin, punched into the steel, and perfectly aligned.

Same with "SWISS MADE"

Let's take a closer look at the tabs. You can see how they're perfectly aligned, no gaps, and tight against the bridge.

Let's get to the most important differentiation between the genuine and replica buckles. It's the pin and screw that holds the buckle to the strap.

You can see in the middle of the pin is slightly recessed; this allows the screw to be inserted into the recessed tab in the pin to secure it to the buckle. So far, no replica on the market does this.

All new genuine Panerai buckles come with a security background with "PANERAI" forged into the back of the buckle. There are two very important things to look for. There are two borders. One solid that goes all the way around the edges. Another invisible border that's inside of the solid border, that cuts into the PANERAI font. We'll zoom in later.

The tabs will be installed with a smooth pin on the genuine deployant buckle. Very smooth, clean, and tight fit and finish.

The genuine buckle is very thick. You'll actually notice a significant weight difference between a gen and rep. The gen is 2.16mm thick.

Same thickness on the other side of the buckle.

A side note is that all genuine Panerai straps that are built for a deployant buckle will have perfect oval-shaped holes in the strap.

 

[pimlico]

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\_??????? Rep(1) Panerai Deployant Buckle Summary \_???????
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There are two types of replica Panerai straps. The really cheap ones that do not have a PANERAI security background. These are very easy to spot by this alone. Let's take a look at one.

The next thing that you will notice is that the fit and finish is terrible. The tabs are loose, not aligned, with big gaps. The next thing you will notice is that the small vertical bridge has large gaps where it connects back into each side of the buckle. Terrible quality.

You can really see the terrible tab fit and finish. Nothing more to be said. What did you expect for $40?

The SWISS MADE is aligned too far towards the inside of the buckle. This is because the SWISS MADE is supposed to be on the OTHER SIDE of the buckle. Terrible mistake.

Again the STAINLESS STEEL is on the wrong side of the buckle. Terrible.

The tell-tell sign is that the pin has a flat-head on each end to be installed. Recall that the gen has a removable pin with a countersunk hole in the buckle to hold it in with a screw.

No PANERAI security pattern.

The replica tabs are installed with flat head screws. The arm thickness is only 1.67mm. The gen is 2.16mm.

 

[pimlico]

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\_??????? Rep(2) Panerai Deployant Buckle Summary \_???????
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So the other replica attempts to recreate the PANERAI security pattern, but fails miserably.

You can see that the PANERAI font is way too thick. Also notice that it has the correct solid border, but it doesn't have the second invisible border which clips the PANERAI font. You can also see that the tabs are not perfectly aligned and the heads are very rough.

You can also see that the pin has flat heads on each end, which is incorrect. The gen is installed with a countersunk screw in the buckle.

What's interesting is that the new replica version fixed the mistake of the swapped SWISS MADE and STAINLESS STEEL on the buckle. The SWISS MADE is supposed to be tab-side and the STAINLESS STEEL is supposed to be pin-side.

The new replicas have also cleaned up the tab installation; they aren't as rough, but the gaps are still large.

However you still see that even the newest reps use flat head screws to install the tabs. This is not correct. They should be perfectly smooth. Also notice how the vertical bridge between the buckle has very large gaps.

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\_??????? Rep(3) Panerai Deployant Buckle Summary \_???????
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There is a new type of replica deployant buckle which is very good in my opinion. However I was only able to find it in black.

This new replica has significant improvements in the over all build quality of the buckle:

1. Separate pin and screw to mount on strap
2. Noticeably thicker arms
3. Better fit and finish on the tabs, but still loose

Let's take a look!

All I have to say is WOW. Functionally this buckle is CORRECT and very close to gen. HUGE HUGE improvement. However there are some tell-tell signs that this isn't a gen.

Notice how the tabs are slightly loose compared to the gen. Also a huge tell-tell is that the bridge between the buckle is completely solid and is a single piece. The gen has a separate bridge, which is its own separate part, with an outstanding fit and finish. This is a single piece buckle!

A big noticable improvement in the arm thickness. This rep is 2.07mm thick!!! The gen is 2.16mm thick!! Now it's getting very difficult to tell them apart.

The PANERAI security pattern is completely missing here. Although I fully expect that future versions will slowly incorporate these missing details.

This just goes back to the fit and finish. Notice that the tabs are misaligned and lean to the right. Is it a big deal? Not really, but is an easy way to tell if its a rep or not.

One easy way to tell if its a rep is look at the recessed tab. The gen is curved, the rep is tapered with a straight edge.

The new rep has flat bolts! Huge improvement. But you can notice the solid built-in bridge, which is not correct. The gen has a separate part for the bridge, with a very nice fit and finish.

 

[pimlico]

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\_??????? Gen vs. Rep Detailed Comparison \_???????
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Now let's take a very detailed look at the gen vs. rep deployant buckles.

The gen is much thicker than the rep.

This is true for both ends.

The gen has very smooth and tapered bolts that keep the tabs installed. Also notice the vertical bridge is very tight with a clean fit and finish.

The rep has a terrible fit and finish. The vertical bridge doesn't fit into the buckle correctly and has large gaps. The tabs are installed with flat head screws.

The reps will never have the countersunk hole in the buckle that uses a screw to install the pin. They always use simple flat head screws on each end to substitute for the actual pin.

The gen has the countersunk hole as described earlier.

The gen also has a perfect PANERAI security pattern. Very thin font. Notice the perfectly aligned tabs. Also notice the two borders. The first border is solid and goes all the way around the edge. Inside of the solid border is an invisible border that clips the PANERAI security pattern, so there's nothing but a rough bare finish.

The gen has very crisp, clean edges all the way around.

The spacing on the tab and buckle is very tight, straight, and perfect. It isn't loose.

The reps have terrible fittings on the tabs. Loose, large gaps, and crooked.

Another side note is that genuine Panerai straps made for the deployant buckle will have perfectly oval holes that fit the tabs on the buckle.

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???????? Pimlico's Personal Recommendation Summary ????????
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After purchasing my first genuine Panerai deployant buckle, the difference to me is night and day. The quality and engineering of the buckle is outstanding. The only downside is that it retails for $450. However the good news is that you can now find great deals on eBay ($200) and feed confident that you aren't buying a replica. Just follow my guide and make sure you see every single tell-tell sign it's a genuine buckle.

In summary you need to look for ALL of the following:

1. Thick ends
2. STAINLESS STEEL on tab-side
3. SWISS MADE on pin-side
4. Removable, one-piece pin with a recessed tab in the middle
5. Countersunk hole on the SWISS MADE side
6. Screw that installs into the pin
7. Smooth bolts that keep the tabs installed, NO flat heads
8. Perfectly aligned tabs, tight with no gaps
9. The cross-bridge in the middle of the buckle should be perfectly installed, no gaps

If ALL of the above are true, you have a genuine Panerai buckle.

UPDATED SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATION 06/27/2015
I was able to find a new type of Panerai deployant buckle replica! This new version has NOTABLE improve over the previous generations.

1. Better fit and finish around tabs
2. Flat head bolts for tab installation
3. Use of pin and screw to attach to strap
4. Thicker arm construction

If you're looking for "the best" Panerai deployant buckle, this is it. It's VERY VERY close to the gen without any noticeable functional errors. The only downsides are:

1. It isn't branded Panerai at all, so you might not be able to call it a true rep
2. The open/close isn't as smooth as the gen

So should you buy a rep or a gen? If it was up to me, I would still buy the gen. It's affordable enough when you buy them used to warrant the superior engineering and overall quality. However if the new reps keep getting better and better, it's going to be a tough arguement to make.

My personal feeling is that the next generation of rep buckles will add the Panerai/SWISS MODE/STAINLESS STEEL decoration. At that point I would recommend that everyone just buy the super rep buckles, but until then I still recommend the gens.

The only place I have found this undecorated reps are on Amazon. They cost $20 (stainless) and $22 (PVD) each.



Purchase the 22mm stainless steel HERE.



Purchase the 22mm PVD HERE.

REMEMBER: Once you buy a Panerai, it's a disease. You'll end up buying more!

Thank you!!

 

[Sub007]

What a great review! I have been searching for quite some time for deployant and now know what to look for. This is sticky worthy so thanks !!!

Question: what is the WEIGHT in grams of GEN and the latest REP ? Interested to know the difference as another factor to determine authenticity.

 

[kilowattore]

Good comparison, interesting and informative!

 

[digital]

Great stuff! Nice and detailed with plenty of pics. Thanks.

 

[Bozz]

Thanks for share

 

[Ruski91]

Thanks for sharing this write up. I knew that there were some difference, but didnt realize how much until seeing this. I dont think this has ever been done before in such detail. Well done! Rep points coming your way.

You have been doing some interesting stuff in the PAM section lately. Bravo, keep it coming!

 

[pimlico]

All,

I was able to find a new rep buckle today. I went back and updated my analysis and recommendations. We're starting to get into the first class rep zone with buckles now!

 

[pimlico]

Updated the comparison with the first class, undecorated reps. Only place I could find them were on Amazon.

Perhaps some of our TDs could find the source of these first class reps and offer them to RWI members?

 

[nigelgel]

Thanks for the post and sharing!

 

[intosh]

Great photos and write up.
Thanks for sharing !

 

[Bozz]

Updated the comparison with the first class, undecorated reps. Only place I could find them were on Amazon.

Perhaps some of our TDs could find the source of these first class reps and offer them to RWI members?

well done

 

[metrablue]

This is amazingly detailed! Thank you so much for putting this together!

Sent from my SM-N915G using Tapatalk

 

[Crabber]

Awesome analysis. There is a spring bar in the pin buckle but it's not a typical spring bar...anybody know what it's called or how to replace it?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[pimlico]

Hi guys,

Please BE VERY CAREFUL buying genuine PAM deployant buckles off eBay. You need a VERY GOOD eye to be able to buy safely.

I've run across about 5+ fake buckles being sold as genuine for $300+.

Here is an example of one of them.

At first glance it looks good. Even has the removable pin and screw to attach the strap. Security PANERAI logo.

Here is where it all falls apart. The tabs. They're rounded. They aren't straight, cut perfectly, with a tight fit into the buckle. Then you look at the PANEARI font, and it's way too fat. The genuine PANERAI watermark is very thin. Now look at the two grips. They're flat on the top, even with imperfections sticking out! The gens are perfectly round, like a ball. No imperfections.

Here is a better view:

You can even see the shine on the PANERAI watermark. The genuine has a matt finish. The font is way too thick!!!

Also look how crooked the grip/tab on the right is.

Please be careful on eBay!! Lots of reps being sold as fakes!!

 

[man8502]

This is great pimlico.
Are there any clasps for 20mm?
couldn't find any for panerai

 

[mrsunshine]

T H A N K S for your absolutely comprehensive + fantastic guide on deployant clasps.

This has been something on my mind for years...

Can we sticky this thread of yours?!?

 

[Alexoyu]

:thumbup: a very thoroughly written post, CONGRATS!!
And because of this, I've already spotted a rep deployment on ebay, advertised as gen, mwahahaha!!!! (see link below).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-Genui...Buckle-22mm-/151834548070?hash=item235a0b5766

Congrats again mate!