Bluminor! A DSN 082 Meets a 177F Case

[LHOOQ 0]

 

Here's an old favorite spruced up for 2012. Exactly three years ago, I received my first Panerai rep from Davidsen--an 082, or a PAM00082 if you like your reference numbers intact. I was still starting out with reps and figured that I ought to give these chunky Italian watches a try. I figured a basic model like a 111 would do, but got distracted somewhere between DSN's photobucket and nervously sending that first wire transfer to China. Make that twice distracted: First, I ended up getting one of DSN's lovely Blancpains, and then I was mesmerized by the 082's blue dial.

 

 

Davidsen produced some of the best PAMs in 2009, but the development pace of Panerai reps since then has been relentless. Pieces that people once paid big bucks for would likely be rejected at the QC stage today. Now we expect crisp perfection straight out of the box. Modding, on the other hand, has moved well to the right on the curve of diminishing returns.

 

Take a look at the comparison shot of DSN's old titanium case (with a non-DSN crown) and notice the soft, indistinct edges, the tall bezel, wrong crown position, and the CG.

 

 

The old case just looked squat, and that's what bugged me in light of all the new releases from the H, N, or Whatever factories.

 

 

But the 082 is special. It's one of the biggest compliment-getters in my rep collection, second only to the 288K. Note that when I say compliments, I mean from the general public. On the rep forums, the 082 gets a surprising number of "Is it gen?" comments during the wrist-checks. I think that says more about the rarity of this model, or how niche-y Davidsen has become these days.

 

 

It's nowhere near super-rep levels of accuracy, but the look is right. While I wish Davidsen would finally put out a dial that didn't have "moats" around the markers, no one else has come close to matching the brushed finish and the just-right shade of metallic blue. The cartel attempted an 082 a couple of years ago, and the result was a little embarrassing. Go ahead and look at it now, if you want. I'll be here.

 

Davidsen's updated the 082 a bunch of times (as recently as last month, in fact), so what you get from him today is noticeably better than what I bought in 2009. (It's a bit cheaper, too.) His now-engraved caseback and all-new CG are especially nice. The new dial features better spacing and positioning of the text, but it still has those darned moats. I didn't want to pay $280 for a few upgrades, so I went searching for a more recent Ti case. I found someone who sold me an old 177F caseset with much better dimensions, a great-looking CG, and a crystal without AR. That blue glare was a big tell on the DSN and, more importantly, it made it harder to appreciate the blue sheen of the dial.

 

You can clearly see the bothersome moats here. Despite them, the blue dial is really something else when you see it up close and under a light:

 

 

It was a quick and painless transplant. Movement, dial, and hands were untouched. The crown and caseback were carried over from the DSN. The Amerigo Vespucci is laser-etched rather than engraved (as on the current 082s), but it's still a nice caseback to look at:

 

 

The strap is a cheapo "crocodile" leather from eBay; stitching, padding, and texture are similar to the original, but that dark shade of blue isn't quite a match. Unfortunately, I'd lost out on a few auctions for OEM blue-green crocs. $200-300 ain't cheap!

 

 

Did I mention that this watch is actually a franken? It's true! The two bars are OEM parts, therefore... SUPER-DUPER-FRANKEN-GENESTEIN!!! YEEEAAAHHH!!!

 

 

Ahem. My DSN 082 came with a sharp-looking (and actually razor-sharp) titanium fishtail buckle, but I wanted to keep things as close to stock as possible. This titanium thumbnail buckle was a lucky find. Eddie Lee, don'tcha know?

 

 

I'm still hoping that the factories take a crack at the 082 and get most things right at the first attempt. Alternatively, maybe Davidsen could figure out how to punch numerals and bars into a blue sausage dial without leaving outlines.

 

Until then, this will do nicely.

 

 

But do send me a PM if you find an OEM blue croc selling for less than $200!

[Mazz 62]

As always an awesome review mate and awesome pictures

[dipps 3]

Nice piece and good info!

[greg_r 83]

[fatarms 7,817]

Really like that blue dial. Great pics.

[spboudart 0]

 

But do send me a PM if you find an OEM blue croc selling for less than $200!

 

And you do know it makes a real difference:

[str8 0]

LHOOQ, the watch's AWESOME!!!! and very nice write up ...

[gtwc 1]

Blue-ming lovely !!!

Great review and pics LH, thanks.

ps: I remember in the early '90s some Pams had not just a plain blue dial,

but the hobnailed 'clous de paris' one.

Now a rep dial like that would be something else.................

[Del 4,518]

Lovely watch and a great (and interesting) review. Thanks for this.

[LHOOQ 0]

And you do know it makes a real difference:

 

Oh, you tease! It's a really beautiful shade of blue and the scale pattern is hard to replicate. I'm so tempted to blow $300 right now...

 

Thanks for the nice comments, all.

 

 

 

[Timebandit 0]

Beautiful watch, great review

 

Greetz

Uwe

[kolchak 17]

I've wanted an 82 since a week after joining .......

fantastic thread & photos - DSN should give you a commission

[amuthon 0]

Nice work mate!

Great pictures as usual

Will pick up my 082 from the post office tomorrow.

The new builds from DSN have improved a lot, his pvd watches are tempting too.

[spboudart 0]

And you do know it makes a real difference:

 

Oh, you tease! It's a really beautiful shade of blue and the scale pattern is hard to replicate. I'm so tempted to blow $300 right now...

 

Thanks for the nice comments, all.

You've been teasing me with your LLD for years now, it's only fair....

[Frankt8242 1]

I love DSN's work, but why do many of his "sausage" dials have that stamped in outline around the numerals..???

It spoils the whole effect IMNSFHO...

Edited April 27, 2012 by Frankt8242

[LHOOQ 0]

Little big update: After a surprisingly long search, I finally located an OEM blue semimat alligator strap for a decent price. Some time ago, I paid big bucks for an OEM gator in dark blue, which I thought was the correct strap for the 082. Nope! Panerai's dark blue was, indeed, a very dark shade--almost midnight blue. This blue is a bit lighter, and has a fair bit of green content in the dye, which makes it a perfect match for the aquamarine dial. The only thing that's slightly off is that the strap is made for a deployant, which is why there's a bit of a gap between the tang and the adjacent leather. But that's being ridiculously picky. This strap is gorgeous!

 

[Guyute 0]

Wow. Stunning watch, LH.

[simonbolivar 1]

That is a beauty... A PAM that really stands out from the crowd