RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

I've been wanting a Panerai for ages and am still dreaming. I keep looking around but I.m unwilling to spend £3000 on a watch at this exact moment in time (I'm waiting for the compensation from my crash 20 months ago for that LOL!) but there are some lovely non-branded homages out there.....





Available for less than £100 and not technically "fake"

Jimbob

iTrader: (13)

I`ll get 4 of these.

http://www.watchfinder.co.uk/Panerai...mpaign=froogle

How the **** can a watch be worth £74,000??

Dedrater

Thing is, you are wearing a watch like that to make a statement about your person. What are you going to do if someone, who may or may not know what that watch is actually?

Lie and be labeled Del Boy for ever.

else

Tell truth and look like a watch attention seeking pikey.

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

I might be thick here but I do not understand that comment at all??? If someone buys a watch that has the same shaped case and design it doesn't mean they're trying to pass it off as genuine, especially with no markings on the dial? Care to elaborate?

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Anyone read watch snob?

These two articles sums up Panerai: http://uk.askmen.com/fashion/mens-wa...g-panerai.html

and especially: http://uk.askmen.com/fashion/mens-wa...the-truth.html

Fine to buy a sensibly priced homage fashion watch thats of a similar style, but to blow that much on the real deal will be a nasty dent in your wallet the day it becomes unfashionable again.

GC8

Only the early Rolex Panerai watches hold any interest for me at all, and then: not too much.

'Marina Militaire' is a Panerai trademark, so those watches (as in the OPs picture) are regarded as fakes, just as though Panerai was printed on the dial...

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

You can actually buy them without "mm" branding.

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

I wouldn't buy a panerai becAuse they're fashionable, I want one because I love the style! ATM the base model is £2700, similar price to a Rolex airking or a breitling steelfish but in my opinion a lot better than either of those but at the end of the day, it's for my enjoyment, not a status symbol.

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

Thats never gonna be worn, prob kept in a safe and looked at. Waste of money IMHO!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Exactly why I think your choice for a homage watch is a good idea. Wear it 'til it breaks, starts to look tatty, or gets nicked, then buy another. Replace the battery DIY for £2.50 (versus the £100-£300 variable service rates), no problem, no silly service costs, no need to be paranoid of where/when you wear it/leave it. Its a win win situation for me.

As Panerai is not a brand worth throwing lots of money at...seeing its just the style your are interested, they are not the only brand out there and they certainly can't justify their RRP in any shape nor form. Modern Breitlings fall into the same catagory too.

Have you looked at Lum-Tek? Alot more money than a homage/replica, but the prices of its sub £500 watches are quite tempting. At least this brand doesn't pretend to be something it isn't, and doesn't use that percieved image as a means to extort (well, not to excess at least).

Anyone who mocks: Just say you didn't feel the occasion jusified wearing your £20,000 Patek today. (or maybe that should be £70,000 : http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Patek-Philippe...131143fdc0d86d ...how many used second hand watches fetch that kind of value? )

All in my opinion of course

Daryl

Buy what you like and tell the watch snobs to kiss your ****!

RJM25R

iTrader: (1)

A fair comment but I am going to buy a Panerai because I want a Panerai, I was just showing the homage watches to show what's out there.

Ps panerai don't have batteries mate lol!!!

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Erm, yes I know; Have you ever seen the maintenance costs of automatic/manual movements? (and theconsequences of negating to do so).

Thats why they need a service and lube to maintain them. Now the costs of doing that on a Zenith based movement can be quite considerable (depends on the model and complications fitted).

Having said that the regular service costs of a Breitling chronograph are even higher.

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Watch servicing is a bit of a con to be honest..

I have a Subby that hasnt been serviced for 15 years that i know of,maybe more.
An IWC flieger that hasnt seen a service in 10 years.
A Ball engineer that aint been touched for 3 years.

All keep excellent time,well within COSC requirements.


Wouldnt like to think how much money i have saved,probably similar to what the watches are worth.

And one of my best mates is a Rolex engineer who works in Manchester,so i would get mates rates..

My dads 25 yr old Datejust stopped working and had worn out a pallet...

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

This is what narks me; You are probably quite right, and lucky. However the watch industry and enthusiasts often says otherwise; Scaring you into thinking the seals will let in water, or the lubricant will displace or dry out causing wear and further damage from wear debris, or whatever.

Then we have some dealers/enthusiasts who will devalue a used watch if it has no service history. Comparing it to the service history of a high performance car, leaving a concerned owner somewhat paranoid.

Point being, the average mechanical watch owner is stuck in the middle; just wear it 'til it stops working then send it for service. The decision to repair depending on the quote to fix it being reasonable. If extortionate, it will be stuck in the drawer, broken, for the foreseable future (my dad had a drawer full of defunct dead mechanical watches). Or, "protect" their investment/piece of mind with regular servicing (inverted commas used to show my cynicism).

I agree on the "aint broke don't fix" mentality, as I have had problems on the watches after I have had them repaired/serviced. But the fact of the matter is it needed a "service" because it stopped working. And I'm subsequentally told it stopped working because it wasn't maintained (well, I suppose the repairers would say that: more £££ ).

When you are unfortunate to get a £4+K watch that decides to stop working and is out of warranty, you are at the repairer's mercy of whatever they charge. Not everyone gets mate's rates.

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Very true.....

And im not advocating that neglect is good.The way i look at it that only one watch can be worn at any time,so 90% of the year the watches not being used are stopped.So very little wear occurs.
I NEVER submerge any of my watches in water.I have never needed to tell the time when im washing the dishes or having a bath..

So,in real terms most of my watches get little use.

My ball is my daily user,and its superb.I also forgot i have a Breitling in my toolbox that needs a battery.It needs a good going over as its worn too.

Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

If i seen one of those watches above on someones wrist i`d just think its a cheap watch that they are using for knocking about with, i guess its each to their own with anything.

Butkus

What do you think looks cheap, the fake in the first post or genuine Panerai watches?

lozgti1

Love those,can't afford one but couple,well,rather a few quality watch companies do a similar one for about £300

I love watches!

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

^^^^^^^

Really..

Any links chap ?

Dingdongler

Am I the only one who thinks Panerai watches look cr8p?

Dingdongler

I use my ***** on a daily basis as well

Rob_Impreza99

iTrader: (3)

No, look above, i replied along similar lines. I`m just stunned that a watch that looks so bland and old fashioned can cost so much. Like i said, its each to their own as the type of watch that i like may not appeal to the next person.

thesyn

Panerai always a tricky one!

I can mostly identify watches at 10m ( London underground )

Panerai are rare mainly because they do not look good unless you are wearing a wet suit beneath.

They are big, I was thinking about buying but having tried one on I was dwarfed by it and my wrists are not small ( an IWC big pilot looks fine ). Get a friend's opinion before handing over the cash.

lozgti1

Both of these seem to have proper movements...like the back of the Archimede..and you can have it 'de-badged' as it were!

http://archimede-watches.com/EN/Pilot-family.htm

I like the look of these but about £500-£600.Still good value IMHO

I also like the Christopher ward one for £299.In fact it appears £239!! very tempted

http://www.christopherward.co.uk/men/view-all-3/c8.html

There are a couple of others (been looking around for a while..I'll post link when i can think

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Oooh..

Like the Archimede..But would save up a little more and buy a real IWC i think. I was offered a Mecaquartz Fliegerchrono for £1200 earlier this year from a dealer.
Ok..not an auto,but a genuinly nice model..

Dont like the CW....Sorry..

Actually Loz mine is a Fliegerchrono,anything knockin around ?

lozgti1

I like these Steinharts Nav B Chrono

http://www.steinhartwatches.de/index...&Sel_ID=27#159

And of course Stowa...you probably know as says on the site,one of the original companies along with IWC who made the originals yet prices really pretty cheap

http://stowa.de/shop/cgi-bin/lshop.cgi?ls=e

So many nice watches out there!

JPL

I'd never spend more than £100 on a watch that needed a battery.

Butkus

Oops, there's quite a lot of Panerai hate coming across in this thread! And according to that article above and other posts I must be so uncool to own a Panerai because I'm not Italian or wearing a wetsuit! What a load of old cr4p is spoken on here, really.

RJM, personally I think you should save up and get the real thing. I don't think you'd be satisfied with a fake (the term 'homage' is there just to make you feel better about wearing a copy). Also, don't be put off by the comments on here about how big they are - if the 44mm is too big for your wrist, there are plenty of 40mm models to choose from which is what I did (40mm GMT PAM244). They are no bigger than the generic Rolex/Omega/Tag offerings.

fatscoobfella1

iTrader: (1)

Hence me not buying it...

Technically it not as Quartz as most quartz are.. its got a mechanically driven chronograph count that ticks like a mechanical watch when activate. the JLC movement is one of the finest quartz chonograph and is still in use on many JLC watches


But some may not bother that its a quartz...Look at the Tag brigade.

Plus the fact the automatic version would cost 3 times the amount.