Wishing to join the dark side.

[ArcticMoose]

A few months ago looking for a mid-size YM at a dealer in Sydney I happened to comment that the Panerais in the window looked good, but that they were far too large for me to wear without feeling like a clown.

The dealer insisted I try one on and came back with a trayfull.

The tobacco sandwich dial instantly caught my eye. I tried it on, and it looked absolutely perfect in the mirror. I asked how much (not knowing anything at all about the brand) and was told $30k.

Great.

I tried on a few of the others in the $8k range, but they didn't do anything for me.

I concluded that if I had that type of money (which I didn't) I would prefer to spend it on a WG Sub or a JLC Master Calendar and have enough change for a Pepsi and and a birthyear 5513. I hadn't bothered to check what model it was, and couldn't really remember how it looked. None of the Panerais I've seen since interested me. I decided it must have been mood-related that particular day and promptly forgot about it

Or so I thought, until I saw the photos in Moscos ad for a Monopulsante GMT PAM 311 and it all came back to me, that is the one I tried on. It would be the perfect watch if it also had a date.

So, that particular offer is still out of range budget-wise even if it is much better than the $30k of my first contact. However, there are a few used ones within reach locally, which at the moment happens to be northern Europe.

I haven't been 100% convinced of the sources though, so basically, I want to know how to detect a fake. Are there fully functional fake P.2004 movements available? I.e. can you be reasonably sure of purchasing an authentic watch if the chrono, fly-back, power reserve indicator, actual power reserve, GMT hand and second hand zero during setting function as expected?

Also, I haven't been able to find any videos of the 311, 317 or 275 in action. Has anyone else had better luck?