Poor man's Panerai?

[highball]

I have a IW marine diver GMT, wearing it now in fact. I like the watch a lot (though it needs to be regulated) but I bought it before I knew much about watches. At the time I didn't understand how similar it was to the PAM. While I have no problems with 'homage' watches, the biggest pain about this watch is that some people who know just a little about watches will assume it's a PAM. When I've tried to explain that it's simply PAM-inspired people assume I have a counterfeit. There are a number of homage watches out there that I think have really great styling, and don't come across as direct knock-offs of the original, but I will be steering clear of these in the future for this very reason.

 

[effang]

quick question...i just bought an IWC. and my friend bought the same watch but as a knock off/fake.

how exactly would somebody go about finding out if something was fake or not without opening up the watch?

 

[TC (Houston)]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

Understood and agreed.

In my experience, every time I've wanted X and compromised with Y, I've always wished that I'd just waited a bit longer and gotten what I wanted in the first place.

I find myself doing this all the time. And the transactions costs of making the inevitible upgrade makes the whole compromise concept even sillier.

 

[chorse123]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I think you should save up for the real thing. Hopefully, for your sake, it will take long enough that you will realize in the meantime that they are hideous watches.

I wonder if they will go out of style now. They seem very much a boom time watch.

I want a JLC Master Ultra Thin but at around $6500 for the white gold, it ain't happening.

 

[binatang]

The Radiomir is a nice watch.
IMO Panerai is overpriced for what they are ... tho I'm not saying they are not desirable.

Since you only have budget of $1500 ... the original is out of the question.
No joy for replicas/fakes ... ditto!

So that leaves you with a homage like the Precista Italian posted here.
The specs are very good & so is the price ... surely worth considering!
It has sapphire glass with AR, super luminova & uses the Swiss ETA 6497.
This is almost the same specs as the original Panerai Radiomir.

The Radiomir use the OP X or OP XI movement which is based on the ETA 6497 which is made by Swatch. The only diferences are cosmetic.
Considering that you can get a raw ETA 6497 movement for $120 retail ... you will understand why I say the original is overpriced.

 

[sfo423]

Originally Posted by binatang

This is almost the same specs as the original Panerai Radiomir.


Dude; you are smoking too much Top Ramen. Your statement is way off. That is like saying a Ferrari 360 and a Cadillac are "almost same specs" since they both have a V-8.

Panerai takes the movement and modifies it to their spec. They do not drop it in the case and sell it.

Let me guess; you make knockoff watches?

 

[Tarmac]

Originally Posted by sfo423

Dude; you are smoking too much Top Ramen. Your statement is way off. That is like saying a Ferrari 360 and a Cadillac are "almost same specs" since they both have a V-8.

Panerai takes the movement and modifies it to their spec. They do not drop it in the case and sell it.

Let me guess; you make knockoff watches?

Isn't it more like saying the Toyota Celica and the Lotus Elise have the same engine? Because they do

 

[0b5cur1ty]

Originally Posted by iammatt

I think you should save up for the real thing. Hopefully, for your sake, it will take long enough that you will realize in the meantime that they are hideous watches.

LOL.

Originally Posted by william

Thanks for the replies.

The purpose of my post was to find something in the same vein as the Radiomir... not a fake/replica.

Perhaps you could specify what you mean by 'in the same vein'? If you mean you are looking for the aesthetic of a big-cased watch with a black dial and simple, luminous numbers then you could (for example) look at the Seiko model known as the BFS (for 'Big Freakin' Seiko') - model SNKF-something. Of must it be a square-ish cushion case?

 

[binatang]

Originally Posted by sfo423

Dude; you are smoking too much Top Ramen. Your statement is way off. That is like saying a Ferrari 360 and a Cadillac are "almost same specs" since they both have a V-8.

Panerai takes the movement and modifies it to their spec. They do not drop it in the case and sell it.

Let me guess; you make knockoff watches?

From your pic, I know you are proud owner of a genuine Panerai & love them. Nothing wrong that. PAM 111 if i'm not mistaken.

You're missing the point! I'm not comparing a Ferrari to a Cadillac. I'm comparing the Calibre OP to the ETA 6497/6498!

The Panerai OP calibre series movements are based on stock ETA/Unitas movements. When watch companies say they modify the movement ... thats marketing speak for decorations & embellishments. The decorated Panerai bridge & swan neck regulator are nice but purely cosmetic. Functionally, the movement is the same ... not similar ... THE SAME!

Same handwind!
Same 17 jewels!
Same 56 hour power reserve!
Same 21,600 bph!
Same Swiss quality!

BTW william was asking for suggestions & I was merely helping out wiith his decision. The Precista Italian is good value, not a fake and within his budget.

 

[boo]

Originally Posted by binatang

...
The Radiomir use the OP X or OP XI movement which is based on the ETA 6497 which is made by Swatch. The only diferences are cosmetic.
Considering that you can get a raw ETA 6497 movement for $120 retail ... you will understand why I say the original is overpriced.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the $120 retail you're referring to is the 6497-1, while Panerai is based on the 6497-2, which is a higher-beat movement and retails for like 5 times more.

 

[dkzzzz]

Originally Posted by zjpj83

Why don't you just save up and get the real thing? Can't you get a basic Panerai for like $5,000? Is that such a far cry from $1,500?

Becasue the "real thing" is an overpriced replica of chinese junk.



Panerai,.....m-m-m-m it is Movado of the 21 century.

 

[boo]

Originally Posted by effang

quick question...i just bought an IWC. and my friend bought the same watch but as a knock off/fake.

how exactly would somebody go about finding out if something was fake or not without opening up the watch?

There's no definitive way unfortunately, and it depends on what watch in particular. Note that there maybe multiple variations of a given fake watch so there may not be that one "tell". Also, a watch may have a genuine case/dials/hands, etc. but that doesn't mean the movement was swapped out and an inferior movement was put in its place.

 

[binatang]

Originally Posted by boo

Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the $120 retail you're referring to is the 6497-1, while Panerai is based on the 6497-2, which is a higher-beat movement and retails for like 5 times more.

Its about 50% more but almost impossible to get retail. High demand from watchmakers like Panerai preclude it from trickling down to the retail level.

Also Swatch has stopped the sale of raw/blank movements to non watchmaking entities due to the high proliferation of fakes.

 

[A Harris]

I know this is not going to be a popular viewpoint, but: coming from a clothing background, I've often been curious about the strong reactions people have to 'homage' watches. Fake watches with fake branding are obviously a no-no. But if someone can build a good quality watch that approximates the styling of a more expensive piece and sell it for a fraction of the cost, why the dislike? Everything is derivative. Take Belstaff for instance, every respected fashion brand on the planet has come out with a Trialmaster clone and nobody has a problem with it. In fact the Trialmaster design itself was modeled heavily on the Barbour International. Or Ralph Lauren for instance, he has built the biggest fashion empire in the world without designing a single original item. I personally suspect that this obsession with originality is why I find about 98% of watches on the market to be more or less hideous.

Edit - I should add that I find the deceptive marketing practices of some homage makers to be nearly as distasteful as fakes though. RXW for instance - that whole line they were using about their watches being more faithful reproductions of the original 'Rolex made' Panerai's was total BS, especially after they slapped a Luminor crown guard on it. Disingenuous in the extreme. And I think the common use of "Marina Militare" on the dials is questionable as well, Panerai itself only uses that designation on select models, and with permission.

 

[zjpj83]

Originally Posted by dkzzzz

Becasue the "real thing" is an overpriced replica of chinese junk.



Panerai,.....m-m-m-m it is Movado of the 21 century.

Don't get me wrong, I hate Panerai and all the other massive watches out there these days. I think they are hideous.

Exhibit A:

That said, all I am saying is that I am generally against "settling" for one item when someone really wants something else.