MODBREAK_HEADEmilio
I have edited this message to add a summary about HF members and parts
HISTORIC HF MEMBERS AND PARTS:
- Dow is a great guy and someone who managed to produce a great quality California dial by contacting the right people. In fact, he asked Southy for help with the lume job since he was running out of time to do that.
Production costs were higher than those from Gordon's version since Dow's dial is made of polished (by hand) anodised aluminium with a real gold plated minute track. Plus, they were all lumed (you couldn't buy them without lume).
Fun fact: Dow offered at one point gen-like straps with Elias' buckles. It was an experiment but they were great.
- Southy (Dom) is famous for making the first quality dials from start to finish, including the lume and painting process. He made the first quality 3-piece anodised dials available on the market. Even Gordon learnt from him (Southy assisted him with his first batch of dials)
- Talking about dials and parts from the old forum, I would say Martin's (irate) dials were beautiful and considered top-notch quality. He just painted and lumed them (not a producer of blanks) but his process for making brown 6154 was magnificent. Sadly, Martin stopped the dial production due to his lack of free time nowadays.
- Southy dials (no longer in production) were great too but they were just like what Gordon offers now.
- Belkin12 dials. They are the best when talking about engraved brass dials.
- Merlin's mods. He did finish the best gen like dials and case sets. He was not a producer of parts, he just worked on them. He is still around but no longer making those beautiful 3-piece dials he did or 6152-1 watches. Merlin worked his magic in a time were aftermarket parts were not readable available.
- B-Uhr was a middle man for gen-like vintage Panerai straps. His contact was able to machine sew leather straps as Panerai did in the old days. And, he used Elias' buckles. But... We had to ban him since he started taking money up front and not delivering.
- Davdew 6152 case set. Almost 1:1 and that's something rare even nowadays. It had all the features of the gen reference but they are no longer available. He was the first and last to sell this reference. (notice 6152 ref. is not the same as 6152/1 ref.)
- Esdee case sets are still rare. Specifically his Titanium Mille Metri and the hinged lug version in bronze. Those models are only made by him. He might stop production one of these days.
- (Gordon) Nw's case sets. Perfect 6152-1 and nice 3646. He might return one day!
- Oyang case sets were highly appreciated too. He produced both a 3646 and a 6154 case set. His 6154 (the most well-known) had no gen construction like Athaya's has. To be fair, in those days nobody had access to a gen 6154 to see how they were internally designed.
- Elias' buckles. They're the best and no longer in production.
- Elias' Kiefer dial. Made of brass, like gen and very well done. Athaya can provide something similar in steel.
- Ross dials (rmcsherry). He is still making dials BUT NO longer offers rep branding. They were nice and crisp. Belkin12 is the best alternative.
- Cartel / Jackson big egi in 60mm. They stopped production some years ago and now it's almost impossible to get. The same happens with the fantasy 47mm model.
- Cartel vintage Mare Nostrum. The one without engravings on the bezel. I reckon is no longer available.
- Athaya's pilot case is great too and is no longer in production. You can buy alternatives from different makers but his version was the closest to Laco's modern interpretation with a twist. Including the option to choose between plexi or sapphire and real steel blue hands.
- Athaya's horn lug. No longer in production. It was modelled by Esdee by produced by Adrian. Why? because Esdee produced a different version and was kind enough to share it with Athaya. There are 2 models for gen references: straight lugs (what Esdee sold) and curved lugs (what Athaya sold)
- Athaya's 6152/1 in bronze ( no longer in production). He offered a steel version too.
- As mentioned he offered a bronze or SS 6154 too. His last version was almost 1:1.
- Athaya's MM Angelus dials. He is the only one who provides correct 3-piece dials with Marina Militare engravings (NW only offers LP)
- Joe (neckyzips) once made a big egi to gen specs but he is no able to produce more pieces.
- Okabum was a Spanish maker known on the old forum for his superb aftermarket CG for Jackson 6152-1 and Cartel case sets. He produced other parts like hands but that's it. The CG was ok, not perfect, compared to today's standards but was the only available option.
- QuizatS was a Portuguese plexi producer and member of the old forum. He sold the first 1:1 quality Rolex compatible tropic plexis for Panerai watches. Vintage Panerai watches used Rolex plexiglass. T24 and T25 to be more specific. T24 was smaller in diameter and used for 6154 and 6152 models. T25 (bigger) was used in 6152/1. His plexi models were named Q24 and Q25 accordingly and moulded from gen Rolex versions. They had almost no distortion, just like gen. He stopped making those but Athaya started making his own version afterwards. River sold them too.
- DSN produced some vintage models too (6152/1, 6154, 3646, etc). His last addition to the hobby was a 6497 with Rolex engravings.
- tr0y (Fabian) dials. They were great and had higher-quality engravings and layouts. Black 3-piece dials with a smooth anodised aluminium finish and clear plastic inserts. The downside was that the insert was a PITA to get correctly in place and that his RP version had no 1:1 engravings (almost none of the current 3-piece dials have the correct engravings). You see, not all the R letters in "Radiomir Panerai" have the same width on gen dials, and that's something tr0y was not aware of. But his Marina Militare and sterile dials were the best. He offered two versions: closed or open loop. The loop of the numbers 6 and 9 was different between gen dials depending on the model/version. They were expensive but totally worth it. I own many of his dials. All the variations. If you need pictures.
- Vlad's dials. He offered an okay Rolerai version (not very gen-like but pretty). But his better addition was a gen construction 2-piece Mille Metri plexi dial. They are rare and nobody makes them nowadays... Well, that's not completely true since some people are able to work with plexi blanks, like odokadolo or Athaya. They can produce something similar with decent quality.
- Alternatively, there is this one guy from the old forum, well known for his PreV wood boxes, who can make almost perfect clones of Panerai plexi dials (the Mille Metri and the rivet versions). His nickname is stph_dxtr. He is more active on Instagram.
- Lastly, Radiomires (Lasse Oxboll) dials, boxes and manuals. He is a graphic designer but is only active on Instagram nowadays (he is from the old forum). His rivet plexi dial was IMHO the closest to gen in appearance (not construction) but is no longer in production. The closest to his work in quality is the guy's version I mentioned before (stph_dxtr). In addition, Radiomires offered gen-like vintage-style cardboard boxes for watches and movements (aged or mint). He also included great labels to get the perfect finish on them. And, as side work, he offered a "field notes for watchmakers" notebook. It was inspired by the original field notes version of the notebook. It included a list of references and measurements of vintage Panerai watches and old movements as well as several blank lists to add the details of your own projects.
