Question on Panerai movements

[Balosch]

Hi, I now know how to spot the difference between asian ans swiss 6497.
Main points are:

1. Novadiac shock protection on the swiss movement.... it's incabloc on the asian's
2. Straight-legged on the balance wheel versus flared on the asian...
3. These indentations above and below the swan neck assembly... they are both below the assembly on the asians....

But the Gen movements from Panerai have "incabloc" and a flared spoked balance wheel!!! Like the asian copies!!!

Do they change them during their "upgrade" process??? Or did I mixed something up???

Thank you!!!

 

[Balosch]

swiss rep

asian copy

(copyright: both taken from LegendOfSpeed-posts - THX)

gen Panerai

(copyright: crick THX)

 

[hooligan]

The reason that the gen Swiss movements have the flared spokes on the balance wheel is that they are built from the higher beat rate 6497-2 movements. Our Swiss movements are 6497-1 movements. The Asian 6497s are copies of the 6497-2, so they also have the flared spokes and higher beat rate. Swiss 6497-2s are nearly impossible to source as eubaches (uncased movements), so the rep makers are forced to use the 6497-1.

I hope this clears some things up for you.

 

[Balosch]

OK, thank you for that!!!!

Seems as if the asians are more close to the gen, but are there points to spot a asian rep???? Maybe the quality of the "Officine Panerai"???

THX

 

[hooligan]

Yep, the "OFFICINE PANERAI" engraving is a dead giveaway. The reps are too big and a lighter/brighter shade of blue. Plus the overall quality of the decoration (the "sunburst" deocration on the wheels, the cotes de geneve engraving on the bridges, etc). Also, the cut outs on the piece surrounding the jewel on the Incabloc system is aligned with the regulator needle on the gen, they are never aligned on the reps. Honestly, if you ever take a look at a gen movement in real life, the rep movements are VERY easy to spot.

 

[Dizzy]

There are many other ways to spot a rep, even a good one.

Improper AR
Improper crystal
Bad dial fonts
Bad datewheel
Wrong size crown
Poor crown guards
Poor quality straps or bukcle.
Incorrect canon pin
Wrong lume color
Poor quality or incorrect caseback
etc
etc
etc

Just hopefully you dont buy ONE watch with all these problems together lol
Usually a decent rep will only have one or two of these slight issues.. and usually they are just slight.. crown 1/2mm too thick or too much AR and things like that. usually not huge flaws.

dizz

 

[Balosch]

That helps alot! Thanks!!!

All in all I have to say that I buy a watch I love (style, details...etc.) and not to trick on anybody! So the reps I have (127, soon 217, 177, 187, 090) are very nice, have the details I like (swan neck, CDG/Panerai engravings, nice crownguard Reg. TM. ...), so I really love them!