DW-8030G battery change.

Yet another battery change. This time it is the turn of the DW-8030G-1V. 

The DW-8030G-1V and it's brother the DW-8040G-1V. Both the watches are basically the same with minor differences. The major difference is when you press the light button (on the front), the DW-8030G will display 'Time To Get Tough' while the DW-8040G will show a 'flipping coin'. 

Both watches are no longer with me as I have given them away to a good friend (and his better half). 

Anyway on to the battery change. 

As usual, make sure you have all the right tools handy before you start. Since I have changed the battery in this watch before, I don't have to remove the straps to gain access to the case back. If you are new at this, I suggest you remove the straps to gain access to the case back. Also you don't have to worry about the straps getting in the way.

The case back removed. Remember the orientation of the rubber damper, least you install it the wrong way (which I did in another watch).

Remember not to disturb or lose the little spring you see sticking out of the module. That is the contact between the module and the peizo-electric speakers on the case back. If you lose it, you will lose the 'sound'.

The removed case back, screws and rubber damper.

Unlatch the battery holder. Use a thin screwdriver to unlatch it. Just gently pry the 'hook'.

The module, ready for battery removal. Remember to use a non-metal tweezers to remove the battery. You do not want to short out the module.

See the 'dead' display. 

The battery removed. Check to make sure there is no dust or dirt or anything else inside the battery compartment.

The new battery. The watch uses the CR2016 battery.

The new battery installed. Check and make sure everything is in place before you latch the battery holder.

Also check and make sure the display is 'alive'. And most important, don't forget to reset the module. You don't want to install everything only to find out that the module 'does not work'. 

Once everything is OK, reinstall the rubber damper. Don't forget to lubricate the rubber gasket to ensure water resistance.

Finally, install the case back and adjust the watch to the current time and date. And there you have it, how to change the battery in the DW-8030G watch. 

Jules Verne

Got a call over the weekend from the Panerai Boutique here in Taipei. Was it THE call? Nope, it was for the strap I ordered. It finally arrived. Which strap you ask? It is the Jules Verne strap for the PAM00183 Radiomir Blackseal. 

First a bit about the Jules Verne strap. The strap first came out in 2005 with the Jules Verne Sealand, reference PAM00216. The strap is unique in that it featured a nubuck alligator hide. From my readings, Nubuck is a process where the hide is buffed on the grain side. The end result is a velvet like finish. It is similar to suede in finish. 

Anyway the reference for the strap is MX006PQM Alligator Nubuck Gold, which is 27/22 for a thumbnail buckle. There is a black version as well. I prefer the gold version as you can see the grain better.

The strap change process.

The PAM00183 with the black calf leather strap. 

The Jules Verne (JV) strap. I love it. 

The back. It is a well made strap. 

Make sure you have the right tools. In this case it is the purple band screwdriver.

I leave the screws in the case. Pull the old strap out in an upward direction. Do the opposite when installing the strap.Also don't forget to lubricate the gaskets at the ends of the wire lugs.

The 3 parts that make up the wire buckle of the Radiomir watch. The center piece holds it in place (lock).

This is how it looks like inside the strap. The center piece 'locks' the two ends in place.

The wire buckle in the new strap. Very excited here. :)

Oh before I forget, you use one end of the wife buckle to guide the center piece into the strap.

The thumb nail buckle. Please note it is not an original buckle.

The change done. The watch looks complete different. I think it looks brighter.

I am indeed happy. Should have done this earlier. 

On a side note, if you are looking for straps for your Panerai, do visit the Panerai Boutique at the Taipei 101. They have a good selection of straps available and ready stock. I am already thinking of getting another JV strap, but this time it is the 24 mm for the Luminor watches that I have. 

The best part is that they have the Riva strap which I like. They have both the brown and black version. However it is for the folding buckle and not tang buckle. They also have the MX straps with sewn in Pre-V buckle in stock. They also have the carbon fibre finish leather strap in stock.

The Carbon fibre finish leather strap.

The Riva strap.

Photograph: Paneraisource.

Panerai Boutique Singapore

Was told that it will (hopefully) open mid November, around the 15th. Enjoy....

Finally success....

I think I finally managed to capture the dirty lume of the PAM00367. What do you think? 

And the thing at the back is not a banana. It is a banana case. Yes, a banana case. It is to store your banana so that it is not crushed. What will they think of next.....

Salon QP Exhibition

SalonQP (in it’s third year) will be held in November 2011. It will be held for the first time at the Saatchi Gallery in London’s Chelsea. It will be bigger and better than ever before.

Details of the event is as follows:

Venue:

Saatchi Gallery


King's Road


Chelsea


London SW3 4RY

Exhibition opening hours:

Thursday 10 November:      VIP reception


Friday 11 November:            12:00 - 18:00


Friday 11 November:            18:00 - 21:00 Evening reception


Saturday 12 November:       12:00 - 18:00

The following brands have confirmed their attendance:

A. Lange & Söhne


Bell & Ross


Bremont


Bulgari

Bulova


Cartier


Chronoswiss


Corum


Daniels London


Frédérique Constant


Girard-Perregaux


Graham


Harry Winston


Hermès

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Maurice Lacroix


Meccaniche Veloci


Montblanc


Nomos Glashütte


Panerai


Piaget


Roger Dubuis


Roger Smith


TAG Heuer


U-Boat


Vacheron Constantin


Zenith

SalonQP will also have a gallery devoted to smaller independent watch makers including:

De Bethune


Glycine


MB&F


Speake-Marin


March LA.B


Heritage Watch Manufactory


Maîtres du Temps


Schofield Watch Company



SalonQP is about discovering the art of watchmaking, as well as the watches themselves. To that end Salon QP will be staging specialist exhibitions, presentations and debates throughout the event, all designed to bring watchmaking to life. 2011’s interactive content will include:

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s watchmaking masterclass.

• A History of Watchmaking exhibition curated by the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie.
• A display of the finalist and winning entries of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers Picturing Time student design competition.
• John C. Taylor’s spectacular Chronophage.
• A series of lectures and debates by QP contributors, watchmakers, designers and auction experts including a round-table design talk.
• Bulgari's Kaleidoscope, which offers a unique view of the intricate internal mechanics of a complicated watch movement; a new version is being created exclusively for SalonQP.
• An expert services and repairs stand will give visitors the opportunity to have their own watches serviced by some of the best watchmakers.

SalonQP has already proved itself as a platform for launching new designs and watches. For this exhibition, expect to view the following:

• MB&F’s Horological Machine No. 5
• Roger Smith’s completed Daniels’ Co-Axial 35th Anniversary Wristwatch
• Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art studio, which will be appearing for the first time in London
• Schofield Watch Company and John Isaac who will both be launching their brands at SalonQP

For more information:

Salon QP

Photograph: Salon QP

Watch Winders International

This is a very interesting website. It focuses on watch winders. There are not many sites that discuss or even reviews watch winders. As such I find this very refreshing.

The best part about the website is that it shares information on buying and getting watch winders from international sites and sellers. The truth of the matter is that not many places are willing to sell and ship internationally and those that do aren't very helpful at explaining costs, shipping, various regulations on import and other things that international buyers need.

This website address such issues. Check it out at:

Watch Winders International

PAM Zero (Updated)

Yes, I finally succumbed and got myself a base watch. My collection consist mainly (in fact all) of Panerai models with the seconds hand on the sub dial. I was never into the base model as I like to see the seconds hand as it shows that the watch is 'alive' and ticking away. 

That finally changed when the PAM00390 came out. No, I have yet to get one (I am on the wait list). It looked pretty good, well from the photographs anyway. So I decided to do a bit more research into the base models. 

One of the most interesting articles I found are these:

Panerai 5218 Logo

Pre A Panerai

That got me interested in the base models. I perused the Internet looking at photographs of PAM00000 and PAM00112. I even had a look at the PAM00210, the base Radiomir. I was tempted to get this one as it is as close as you can get to the PAM00232 or PAM00021 (the grails of grails).

OK, I know, a post such as this is useless without photographs. So here are the watches I was referring to.

PAM00021. Only in my dreams.

PAM00232. Who knows, maybe one day.

PAM00000.

PAM00210. Nice alternate.

PAM00112.

Photographs: Panerai

Anyway back to the story. The more I read about the watches, the more I understand why it has to be the PAM00000 or the Zero. It is as close as you can get to the Panerai 5218-201/A Logo, the post vintage but pre-Vendome watch. 

With that decision made, I had a look around to see if I wanted to get it new or pre-loved. This is where things got a bit complicated. 

I realised that somewhere in the lifespan of the PAM00000, Panerai made a little change to the model. Evidently sometime in the M series (year 2010), Panerai changed the hands to the longer lume hands. This made the PAM00000 with the longer lume hands a step closer to the original. 

The 5218-201/A. Note the longer lume on the hands. The luminous material is up to the edge of the hands. 

Photograph: amanico

More researched (but not fully confirmed) points towards the models in the M series above millesimation 1,000 had the longer lume hands which coincided with the OP number being OP6834 and serial number beginning with BB. The older PAM00000 had the OP 6728 and serial number beginning with PB. 

Now this is where it gets more interesting. I would have thought that the N series (year 2011) would have the long lume hands, but evidently not. I have seen photographs of N series watches with the shorter lume hands. However the OP is the OP6834. Emmmm......

Anyway I got mine from the Boutique and it has the longer lume hands and the op is OP6834, but the millesimation is above 1,000. Perhaps it is the same for the N series as the M series? Who knows.

My PAM00000. The logo which is a graphic representation of the OP (Officine Panerai).

The longer luminous material on the hands. 

I have to say that I do like the plain and simple face of the watch. 

UPDATE:

I have seen N series with OP6728 serial number PB with the normal hands.