Pam 299 vs. Pam 111 vs. Pam 112

[Nikko97]

I'm looking at a Pam 299, I like the stainless steel with an option for a strap, along with the second hand and date. However, I like the Pam 111, which seems simple, but classic. However, the more I look at the posts, the Pam 112 has caught my eye as well. I'm a trial lawyer and don't like anything flashy. I have a IWC Aquatimer Stainless with a yellow and black dial, more for casual wear. Thanks and I appreciate your comments...

[rolexsweep]

What I've noticed is that the 112 is cleaner so it works a lot more better on a suit or something along those lines, so i settled for the 111 and works just about everywhere

[CMT]

I am a strong advocate for the 112. I love my F series and have really enjoyed it these past ~ 7 years of wear. It is a strong, masculine, classic piece to wear with a suit, and now that the "big watch" trend is in full swing the 44mm case is not as as eyebrow-raising as when I bought it in early 2004. I am still enamored with the simplicity of its dial design, and the Luminor case has proven to be very robust through all instance of rough wear.

Pics:







At the Firenze boutique located in the Piazza Del Duomo, with the Baptistery of St. John reflecting in the crystal:






Good luck whatever the ultimate choice.

[rolexsweep]

Originally Posted by CMT

I am a strong advocate for the 112. I love my F series and have really enjoyed it these past ~ 7 years of wear. It is a strong, masculine, classic piece to wear with a suit, and now that the "big watch" trend is in full swing the 44mm case is not as as eyebrow-raising as when I bought it in early 2004. I am still enamored with the simplicity of its dial design, and the Luminor case has proven to be very robust through all instance of rough wear.

Pics:







At the Firenze boutique located in the Piazza Del Duomo, with the Baptistery of St. John reflecting in the crystal:






Good luck whatever the ultimate choice.

nice!!! i agree, big watch is in full swing... lets see where this trend is going to take us... I'm pretty confident 42mm is going to be the new 40mm.

[CMT]

Originally Posted by rolexsweep

nice!!! i agree, big watch is in full swing... lets see where this trend is going to take us... I'm pretty confident 42mm is going to be the new 40mm.

It's getting pretty crazy with some of the 50mm+ sized watches, which are way too big for me. A friend is in love with the U-Boat series, which I do not personally care for at all, and whichever model he wears sits like a gigantic sundial on his wrist. He loves it, and that's all that matters.

The funny thing is that same aversion is how I initially received the Luminor line, and then during my honeymoon phase with the 112 I couldn't bear to wear anything smaller for a good two years! It's funny how tastes and perspectives change due to time and familiarity.

For me, 47mm is the limit. Give me a nice PAM 127 or IWC Big Pilot any day, but that's as big as I will go.

[texex91]

Originally Posted by CMT

I am a strong advocate for the 112. I love my F series and have really enjoyed it these past ~ 7 years of wear. It is a strong, masculine, classic piece to wear with a suit, and now that the "big watch" trend is in full swing the 44mm case is not as as eyebrow-raising as when I bought it in early 2004. I am still enamored with the simplicity of its dial design, and the Luminor case has proven to be very robust through all instance of rough wear.

.

GREAT pics Chris. That 112 is a beauty and on my list

[fc3s2k]

112 or 000 gets my vote

[Nikko97]

Great pics and comments Gentlemen, it looks like it's down to Pam 112 and Pam 111. Great looking straps, any recommendations ? I like the aligator ones, but Chris's black with white stitching is sharp. Thanks

[TopNotchChach]

its a tough choice for sure. when i get mine(111), ill swap out the strap immediately and get a black gator with white contrast stitching. eeeyeah

[CMT]

Originally Posted by texex91

GREAT pics Chris. That 112 is a beauty and on my list

Thanks Texex91, you are doing just fine yourself with that fine 351!

I really enjoy the 112 and perhaps the best aspect of it was getting into the marque back when you could still buy the Historic line for under $3000. This is the first piece I've owned where I've watched its preowned value climb substantially. It's never going to be a Pre-V 5218-201A, and I never "flip" or sell anything I buy, but it's still nice to see its value increase.

The only other PAM I want is the old 190 "8 Days" Radiomir, as the combo of the Radiomir case and Jaeger-LeCoultre movement is simply beyond awesome to me. I am a huge fan of JLC as well, and the 190 dial with its vintage text and gold hands is beautiful to me. Here is a friend's 190 next to another friend's 210:



:swoon:

Originally Posted by Nikko97

Great pics and comments Gentlemen, it looks like it's down to Pam 112 and Pam 111. Great looking straps, any recommendations ? I like the aligator ones, but Chris's black with white stitching is sharp. Thanks

I really like straps with contrasting stitching, and the dark or black straps with white stitching really set the shiny Luminor case off when worn with just about anything from a suit to short sleeves.



Another great color that I rarely see out in the wild is red alligator:





Sadly these pics do not do it justice. When worn with a suit this combo is very sharp and I receive compliments on it all the time.

I know that OEM isn't the go-to preference for straps, but Panerai released some killer options that aren't any more expensive than some of the higher-level strap manufacturers out there. I picked this one up at the Firenze boutique:







I chose it over a new JV strap which didn't really do it for me - Plus I had just bought my 16613 and knew it would be a while before I returned to the 112 with any real regularity. I'll be wearing the Rolex for a good while.

[texex91]

Looks great--LOVE THAT last PAM OEM STRAP!! Oooh, you mentioned 210--that is on the list (large list), and probably before 112 since I have a 351. How does the 210 (or 190) wear on the hand for you carped to 112??

[Nikko97]

What should I expect to pay for a mint, used Pam 111 or Pam 112 ? Great straps and contrast, what a difference they make. CMT, you turned a classic watch into something truly unique.... Thanks for sharing..

[CMT]

Originally Posted by Nikko97

What should I expect to pay for a mint, used Pam 111 or Pam 112 ? Great straps and contrast, what a difference they make. CMT, you turned a classic watch into something truly unique.... Thanks for sharing..

Thanks Nikko, I've had the 112 for a while now so I've had time to explore my space with it. I seem to see them listed with prices that are all over the place. On one hand I'll see my F series listed at $3200, and then later another at $4300 for a piece that had just returned from Panerai service. My guess is that you should be able to find one for under (and maybe well under) $4000 if you are patient and keep your eyes open, but my market perspective is pretty ignorant right now.

Originally Posted by texex91

Looks great--LOVE THAT last PAM OEM STRAP!! Oooh, you mentioned 210--that is on the list (large list), and probably before 112 since I have a 351. How does the 210 (or 190) wear on the hand for you carped to 112??

I love the 210 because it has the same "Base" dial as the 112 and I think the Radiomir case is super sharp. It doesn't have quite the wallop of the Luminor but I find its curved-yet-angular "pillbox" shape and large crown to be absolutely gorgeous.



This strap is an OEM Black Seal strap that doesn't really belong on a Radiomir but I broke all the rules because I'm just a crazy rebel like that. I really liked this strap on the Radiomir but it was slightly too narrow and I had to wear the watch tighter than I usually prefer.




The 210 wears similarly to the 112 but it's not as thick, and the large crown was uncomfortable for me for the first few days as it dug differently into the spot on my wrist that is slightly calloused from the 112's crown guard. I kept pushing it further up my wrist, but again after a few days I acclimated and did not think about it again.

Until I had to swap it back for my 112, at which point the 112 felt weird all over again for a short while, no surprise there I guess.

[monty`]

Originally Posted by Nikko97

I'm looking at a Pam 299, I like the stainless steel with an option for a strap, along with the second hand and date. However, I like the Pam 111, which seems simple, but classic. However, the more I look at the posts, the Pam 112 has caught my eye as well. I'm a trial lawyer and don't like anything flashy. I have a IWC Aquatimer Stainless with a yellow and black dial, more for casual wear. Thanks and I appreciate your comments...

personally i think the base 000/112/111 are really great "introductory" pieces for the new PAM fan. you can't go wrong with any of them - you just have to decide how much you value a sub-seconds hand, sandwich dial vs painted/sausage dial, display vs solid caseback, etc.

after a lot of soul searching i went with the 111. i really dig sub-seconds dials on PAMs.

have you tried one on yet to compare? if not here's a video i made of my watch which might give you a different perspective instead of just looking at photos (lots of great ones on TRF, i might add)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l22Iq8cMidY&hd=1

[Nikko97]

Thanks for sharing that video Monty....

[texex91]

Originally Posted by CMT

The 210 wears similarly to the 112 but it's not as thick, and the large crown was uncomfortable for me for the first few days as it dug differently into the spot on my wrist that is slightly calloused from the 112's crown guard. I kept pushing it further up my wrist, but again after a few days I acclimated and did not think about it again.

YIKES That sounds painful--anyone else experience this crown issue???

[dddrees]

You really can't go wrong with either choice, however you need to determine what exactly you want or don't want to see on the dial.

I chose to go with nothing but the Logo myself the first time and then later I came back for a little more.

[Nikko97]

Pam 111 it is from Sami @ Kronopassion, it's my third transaction with this guy, he's great, honest, reliable and fair...... When I get it, I'll post some pictures, thanks for the input Gentlemen, it was really helpful....