total pam noob first watch

[j0sieste11a]

Totally new to Panerai, never had much interest in them until I saw one out in the wild on wrist (973 I think) and I really fell for it.

Question is, what's a good "starter" Pam watch?

Ones that appeal to me are: 973, 1314/1394, 111. Probably interested in a smaller diameter, not a 47mm beast.

Thanks!

 

[KidTiger]

Starter depends on personal tastes... For me, the best "starter" would be whatever Richemont's closest homage to the original Rolex Oysters are.. In that case it would be a 47mm Radiomir model with 2 lines of text at the 12. I don't want seconds, or any extra features, especially "post-V" stuff. I'm not super familiar with the huge variety of models out there, so I don't even know if they ever made this watch, either pre or post Vendome

Also no reps are making Radiomir models right now, afaik

So for me the next best thing is their closest homage to the Rolex Oysters with the locking crown guard, 2 lines of text preferred at 12, with a sandwich dial. No seconds, no logo. But I don't think there are any current models, gen or rep with 2 lines.

That's just me.. For me, nothing beats Bettarini's most basic homages of the early Rolexes, sometimes with GP&F's added features, like an 8 day movement, a logo, or a seconds hand at 9. Richemont has homaged his cases too, and those are the easiest to get.

And then you have to find a good rep of that

There might be an argument for Submersibles to be the closest current homage to an "actual Panerai" watch, because they homage one of the only watches GP&F ever made themselves in Italy in decent numbers, the GPF 2/56. I prefer the look of the Rolex based cases though. They are SO beautiful, with or without the crown guard.

TLDR: Look for a base logo for that 90's homage look. PAM112 or PAM111. Not sure if there are any good reps of those around. Closest decent one might be the HWF PAM914 since it has "8 giorni" instead of a logo, so it's a bit more subtle. And the 914 has a closed case back, so you aren't exposed to the inaccurate movement. The cutouts are fat though, so it looks bad in photos (looks fine in person though imo)

 

[shyreplover]

From the list that you mentioned, I would get the 111 first.
Why?
Bullet proof movement, you will not be disappointed with A6497. You can smack the watch around and it will still be ticking.
Classic style, this is the design that attract people to panerai in the first place.
It's cheap and it is one of the most (if not the most) accurate rep of panerai.

 

[pam63C]

Totally new to Panerai, never had much interest in them until I saw one out in the wild on wrist (973 I think) and I really fell for it.

Question is, what's a good "starter" Pam watch?

Ones that appeal to me are: 973, 1314/1394, 111. Probably interested in a smaller diameter, not a 47mm beast.

Thanks!

May I suggest an alternate view.

If you want a no frill basic model such as 111, why not buy a used gen ? You can easily pick one up for around $4k or less. I suppose you can sell it for about the same price or a couple of hundreds less down the years if you got tired of it. All you loss is probably less than the price you would pay for a rep now.

 

[locvs]

There are no decent reps of 973 or 1394. sadly the 42 mm PAMs are all a bit thicker then gen.

111 - many decent reps
1314 - VSF makes a great rep

both movements are quite robust. So just pick whichever you like. 111 with black dial and hand winding. 1314 - white dial automatic, closed caseback.

keep in mind: you’ll need an aftermarket strap with either one. Rep straps are no good.

 

[APjumbo]

I agree with the above
The 111 is the first one that comes to mind. I found it a bit shiny/polished for my taste when I was a beginner and sold mine off in favour of a 177 (titanium version of a 111)

If you are just getting into watches the manual Pam’s are a lot of fun, you get to experience winding it up every day or two just like a moonwatch, durable, cool crown guard and thinner than the automatic models.

 

[KidTiger]

Are there good 111 reps still being made? HWF's numbers are too thick. Noob is gone. Is XF good and available?

 

[locvs]

Yes.XF is still around. The shortcomings of the model are well discussed.XF/VSF is a bit slow, so you might need to wait a couple of weeks.

 

[KidTiger]

Yes.XF is still around. The shortcomings of the model are well discussed.XF/VSF is a bit slow, so you might need to wait a couple of weeks.

Can you help me find that thread? I did a search, titles only, and couldn't find it. I'd like to know about these shortcomings.

 

[KidTiger]

I found it, linked deep within another thread. For anyone else looking. OP wrote it "PAM 111" with a space so the search engine can't find it.

 

[Houstonanonymous8]

as an owner of about 10 genuine panerais, just buy a used genuine one. Prices are the lowest they have been in years. If you know the right groups, you can find them 2500-3500 easy

 

[j0sieste11a]

May I suggest an alternate view.

If you want a no frill basic model such as 111, why not buy a used gen ? You can easily pick one up for around $4k or less. I suppose you can sell it for about the same price or a couple of hundreds less down the years if you got tired of it. All you loss is probably less than the price you would pay for a rep now.

I like the thinking, I would probably do it in reverse though. I would feel more comfortable trying a rep for the aesthetics and fit of the watch in general, then go gen if I really dig it on my wrist. Then sell the rep and recoup some of that cost. Seems like a safer play then to lay down the cash upfront for the real deal.

 

[j0sieste11a]

There are no decent reps of 973 or 1394. sadly the 42 mm PAMs are all a bit thicker then gen.

111 - many decent reps
1314 - VSF makes a great rep

both movements are quite robust. So just pick whichever you like. 111 with black dial and hand winding. 1314 - white dial automatic, closed caseback.

keep in mind: you’ll need an aftermarket strap with either one. Rep straps are no good.

No doubt I definitely know to swap out straps on reps! Sad to hear about the 973.

 

[j0sieste11a]

Appreciate the input everyone! Now time to do more research.

 

[kramerica72]

Appreciate the input everyone! Now time to do more research.

Trusty still has NOS Noob 111, 911 and 005 for a decent price, fyi