midasmook 14 Posted November 23, 2009 First of all let me say I am no expert on Panerai watches although I do know a wee bit as I own 17 Panerai reps. This is a pictorial comparison between the gen. 088 and the ultimate rep with vaclume. I purchased the rep from Vacuum as the ultimate with his own vaclume genuinely regarded as the best lume you can get on a rep. There are differences between the 2 watches mainly the price the ultimate rep from Vac with lume was £370 the gen is more like £3,700. If you were wearing the rep nobody and I mean nobody would be able to tell the difference with it on your wrist sitting beside them. Up close and under the microscope is a different matter. Now on to the pictures.... Slight gap at the edge of the crown guard on the rep. The crown guard pin isn't flattened off but is an easy fix. The blue A.R. is apparent on the date mag but o.k. on the rest of the crystal. The seconds dial is also a bit darker than the gen. The gen has the new system for changing the straps whereas the rep has the screws(mine actually has the spring bars from River) The hands on the gen looked to me to be just a wee bit thicker than the rep. Side by side you can see the difference in shade of the seconds dial and the blue tint from the date mag. Side by side here you can see the better finish and fit of the crown guard lever. The gen is a bit thicker I think and a bit more polished. It also weighs a few grams more than the rep. Vacs lume is great and not too far away from the gen. You might be able to find some more differences but as I said before unless it is under the microscope you would never be able to tell and I would reccomend the Ultimate 088 to anyone thinking of buying one. This is the first time I have done a review so I hope I have done it justice and hope also it can be of use to other members. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
houndoggie 58 Posted November 23, 2009 Nice review!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dingle 57 Posted November 23, 2009 awesome post midas. I needed this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
collector26 0 Posted November 23, 2009 Nice comparison mook. A must see for anyone interested in a 088 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Silverspeed 10 Posted November 23, 2009 Very well done Midasmook the ultimate 088 is impressive Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Fiddo 0 Posted November 23, 2009 Very Informative! Quite interesting! Thanks for posting it! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Drhulee 0 Posted November 24, 2009 Great comparison. Any idea what date wheel Vac used (Lello or Ultimate)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AustinTech 0 Posted November 24, 2009 Wowsa! I wish we had a comparison like that for all reps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oscarmadfish 0 Posted November 24, 2009 i enjoyed that - thanks - nice watch Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greg_r 82 Posted November 24, 2009 Awesome post and a fascinating comparison! It's interesting to see how close the rep can be... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
midasmook 14 Posted November 24, 2009 Thanks for the kind words guys I enjoyed doing it and hope to be able to do some more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
