After a long dry spell, new rep models are finally coming onto the market again. That is good. Whether these new reps can meet the quality standards of the good old reps, however, is another matter. I was curious when TTF announced a rep of the Panerai 1122. Up to now, TTF has mainly attracted attention with their reps of new, but in terms of style, rather traditional 44mm Luminor models. The quality was usually so la la. And now the 1122? That was an announcement! The 1122 (together with the 1351, which was released at the same time) is the first TTF model with a titanium case. What makes the 1122 even more difficult is that the Gen is one of the few models for which Panerai uses a special 3D sintering process called DMLS, which not only makes the titanium lighter, but also gives it a very special surface structure. In addition, the 1122 has an accentuated convex dome xtal and its dial has a dégradé effect that shades light to dark from the centre. Or to put it briefly: The hurdles were extremely high. The result, however, is gratifying. TTF has delivered a good watch, but one that has clear flaws and annoying quality problems.
The Gen
The 1122 was launched by Panerai last year in an edition of only 70 pieces at the ambitious price of 19,000 euros. It is the third model in the Guillaume Néry series, named after the world free-diving champion. The small edition has the advantage that those of you who do not want to be "unmasked" as rep wearers are on the safe side. The probability of encountering a Gen carrier in the wild should be slightly above zero. However, this is suboptimal for a review, as you can't even find decent photos on the net for a good comparison. However, there is a small video review that is helpful .
Case
On the positive side: TTF has indeed built its first titanium case and the case is also very well done. Experts will perhaps recognise slight deviations in the curves - unfortunately, I don't have an eye for such things. The shape of the case looks very good to me. The watch weighs just 94 grams. Unfortunately my caliper is broken, so I can´t give you the exact measures. But the TTF should have nearly the same thickness as the Gen (16,4mm). I have no idea how heavy the Gen is and whether the 40% weight reduction through the DMLS process might make a difference of one or two grams here. But that is obviously negligible anyway.
What TTF did not manage to do well, however, is to imitate the surface texture and colour. That is also my biggest criticism of this model. The entire case is too bright and lacks the "glimmer" typical of DMLS. While the look of the Gen depends strongly on the incidence of light and is somewhat reminiscent of "silver ore" in strong direct light, the surface of the TTF looks more like plastic with a glossy finish when viewed superficially. I am not an expert in the surface treatment of metals. But to me, the surface doesn't even look sandblasted. I rather suspect that a lacquer has been applied here. Unfortunately, TTF was not very thorough.
Update: Since this has left me no peace, I have dismantled the CG and properly cleaned. it It actually looks like the "discoloration" is due to contamination.
It is interesting that the titanium under the CG is not treated. So I think we can assume that the surface treatment is chemical and only occurs when the attachments are mounted.
Fortunately, you can only see these flaws when you look at the watch up close in bright light. In general, the differences in the surface treatment become relative when you have the watch on your arm. From a metre away, the difference to the Gen can only be guessed at ... and who knows exactly what the Gen looks like.
To TTF's credit, it has to be said that even the highly praised factory VSF has not copied the DMLS process any better. The VSF 1117 (the 1117 Gen also has a DMLS case) does not look any better to me.
If you have the talent or the connections, you can try modding the case. I'm curious to see if there is a lacquer or surface treatment that can get the look of the Gen better.
Caseback
The caseback is quite successful. Like the Gen, it is also made of titanium with a black DLC coating. The engravings are correct. Overall, the quality of the embossing is a little poorer than on the Gen. But these are minor details. The thread also grips precisely.
Crown and Crownguard
The crown looks good and is actually coated - although not with rubber like on the Gen, but at least with a plastic that feels similar. The same applies to the bezel, by the way.
The titanium crownguard is not perfect, however. First of all, it is a little too big and the inlay of the Lever (also made of plastic with a "rubber feel") has a slit that is not found on the Gen. It looks - as with other details - as if TTF understandably did not have a Gen as a model and made the rep on the basis of Panerai's PR photos.
XTal
My verdict on the Xtal is very positive. The TTF has a beautiful dome, which for me is very close to the refraction of the Gen. The XTal is one of the highlights of this watch.
Dial
There are also only a few compromises in the dial. The dégradé effect is very well done in combination with the domed xtal. The colours look very precise to me. The cut-outs for the numbers and indices are not so perfect. As is unfortunately usual with TTF and HWF, they are a little too thick. However, the print is good and the fonts are correct - even on the date wheel. The hands are good.
However, the sandwhich is slightly off. Panerai uses a white Luminova for the Gen. The luminous coating from TTF has a slight yellow tint. In reality, however, this is hardly noticeable, as the Luminova is rarely "uncharged" and has a slight yellow-green touch anyway due to the luminescent effect.
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