There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
*in bold are upgrades/changes made on the Ocean Rover 2
- 40mm pre-ceramic style case, chamfered lugs, no holes (hand finished)
- high-gloss enamel dial, forged applied indices (hand assembled)
- beveled sword hour/minute hands, custom Ginault red-second hand
- Sellita SW200-1/ETA 2824-2, 5 positions 6-week regulated
- ceramic insert, engraved, 60min full graduation, lume pip at 12 o'clock (if you prefer the classic look, aluminum inserts seen on our OR-1 can be mounted upon request)
- gen II bezel assembly, structurally redesigned for the most amazing turning and tactile feedback, the outer ring is slightly re-profiled with slightly deeper and sharper teeth for a better grip
- triple-layer, optometry grade (clear coating, no blue-hue) anti-reflective sapphire
- gen II 94530G bracelet, tighter mid-link tolerance, slightly re-profiled clasp for enhanced comfort and durability, 3 x 3 permanent link design allows a perfect fit even for the slender wrist.
________________________________________________________________ I don't know whether the allegations are true. But even if they are I think that it is at least some what admirable how they have transitioned from something we all rightfully see as wrong and harmful to making a legitimate product and showing that they are genuine about what they are doing by listening and improving their product. It was this more than anything that sold me the watch. I am not sure how the watch will hold up overtime, and I don't want to overstate the quality of the watch, but overall I am extremely impressed. Particularly around the regulation. Like I do for all new watches I get, I put it on the timegrapher and it was 0 to +1 across the board, which is far better than two watches I have bought over the last year which were equally or much more expressive. The only thing that I am not in love with is the bezel action. But that is more of a personal preference. And I have others praise it. It should also be mentioned that Ginault kept the 'HAND BUILT IN AMERICA' on the dial. Some have questioned the legitimacy of the claim. I personally couldn't care less for multiple reasons. Understandably this watch is controversial and comes with some baggage. But I couldn't be more happy with it!