Need Help Deciding Rolex Daytona, GMT IIC, or Pam 297

[URAP]

Hey Gang,

New to the forum and looking for some input from the seasoned veterans here. I've been trying to decide on a new watch (Currently own 1997 Omega Seamaster 300M Chronometer). So, I've narrowed it down to 3 different watches.

Daytona SS Black Dial (Used $9-11K)
GMT Master II Ceramic 116710LN (Used $5-7K)
Panerai Luminor GMT #297 (Used $5-7K)

I know they are very different watches and each has its own charm, but I'm having a hard time deciding.

Daytona

Pros:

I really like the Daytona and wanted one since the early 1990's but couldn't afford one then (about $4000 back then).
Probably the best upside in terms of resale value out of the 3.

Cons:
No Date
Most expensive one of the 3

GMT Masters IIC
Pros:
Great looking all around watch
It's a Rolex GMT Master IIC!

Cons:
Looks too much like my current Omega, that's it...

Pam GMT
Pros:
Another great looking watch
Cons:
A little on the larger size
Not a rolex which is both good and bad (see note below).
Resale not as good.

My dilemma about buying Rolex.

I work at a public golf course as a golf instructor with both middle class and affluent cliental. As I plan on wearing my new watch on a regular basis. My fear is that I will be "judged" by my middle class potential clients for wearing a "Rolex" and may come off pretentious to them (I don't want to offend anyone for wearing such an expensive watch. I don't want to lose potential business). My current students know me and know that I'm a very humble individual.

What do you guys think? Am I thinking too much about the Rolex Brand? This is what I was looking into Panerai's. One could wear a $30K Panerai and 99% of people wouldn't even know it. But, if you wear a 20 year old Rolex worth $1K, they look at you different simply since you're wearing a Rolex. I know it may sound a little silly to think about all this, but I think some of you may know what I'm talking about.

I know this is a personal preference question, but with all this being said, which watch would you buy?

Thank you in advance for your input.

Lastly, for those of you who said Daytona, should I buy a Zenith or the Rolex movement (4130).

[kilyung]

Who cares what others think? It's your watch. I don't wear watches playing golf but I'd probably wear my Daytona. My Panerais are just too big and my GMTIIc is too flashy (although I think it matches my Mizuno MP-32 irons very nicely!).

[GolfPunk]

Buy the daytona 4130 movement - you wont regret it

[Art 1]

One of the cons for the Daytona is poor visibility and an almost useless chronograph to to poor visibility. I have pretty much stopped wearing mine.

I would go with the GMTc.

[jkglasgow11]

Daytona........ and don't worry what others think!!! Good luck with your choice

[Yazo]

I'd definitely get a 16520...Zeniths are the best IMHO!!

[gazp]

GMT 2 C

1. Same bracelet and clasp as the Daytona.

2. Has a date on it .

3. Latest movement with blue parachrom hairspring .

4. Ceramic Bezel

5. Independant 24 hour hand to tell time in 3 different timezones and also the facility to use as a compass.

6.Looks Great and is very comfortable to wear .

7.About 5k less money.

The Daytona is a great looking watch but if they were readily available and did not have the aura or whatever you want to call it then would they be as popular ........ It would be interesting to find out how many people , if they are being honest , whether they bought the Daytona because of this mystique of being very hard to get hold of which is a very clever marketing ploy!

Hey guys please dont torch me , I have owned both , and many more over the years and I love them both but this is my honest opinion .

I was a Golf Pro for over 20 years and have taught many golfers whilst wearing a Rolex and 99% of them wont even notice your watch , they are much more concerned about whether you can sort their game out so buy what you want and dont worry about what they think

[Sixxgrand1]

Daytona: expensive, do you really need a chronograph? blingy, hard to read time and chrono.

GMTIIC: common, busy bezel/dial/face, green gmt hand, unnecessary PCL's which add to bling..

Out of these three I would choose the PAM.

For the finest low key Rolex - buy an Explorer II. You will be thrilled!

Good luck!

[mtrunner]

Out of the three I would go with the GMT-IIc. Great watch and the best for everyday wear in my opinion.

[JUSTROLEXES]

Daytona or GMT II C one of the 2 and since it's almost double the price I'll leave that to you.

[WatchTimes]

Id Get an Exp or an Exp II for low key quality timepiece.

But I really don't think Id wear an automatic watch with swinging your arm that much. You are causing excessive wear on the movement, it is not meant for the constant sharp swinging inside you will cause with your swings.

I know years ago most watch companies, dealers and watchmakers would say not to wear an auto when playing golf, now I understand things have advanced and improved but you are not just swinging the clubs once a week...

Buy a nice SS Oysterquartz for work and a Daytona for when not at work.

Or

While I do not like Tag at all they make a nice watch a couple golfer friends own and wear when out on the links, it is supposed to be balanced for golf and shaped to keep out of your way I think it weighs 55 grams? WAE1111.FT6004 is the model

Or Suunto G6 Wrist-Top personal Golf Computer Watch Check that bad boy out!

All of those you picked are quite heavy... Not that heavy bothers me for regular wear but for swinging....

Whatever you decide please let us know.

[URAP]

Thanks for all the great input.

The points about the Daytona being hard to read and how little the chrono gets used is a valid point. Since I'm plan on wearing it regularly, it looks a little more formal then the other 2 watches.

I actually don't wear a watch to play golf and when I teach, I guess I'm swinging a golf club less then 10% of the time.

The Pam is a great looking watch, fear is that it's a very LARGE watch and that I'm going to "catch" the watch on many things as I'm wearing it. Maybe not...

Please keep the comments coming!

[URAP]

Thanks for all the great input.

The points about the Daytona being hard to read and how little the chrono gets used is a valid point. Since I'm plan on wearing it regularly, it looks a little more formal then the other 2 watches.

I actually don't wear a watch to play golf and when I teach, I guess I'm swinging a golf club less then 10% of the time.

The Pam is a great looking watch, fear is that it's a very LARGE watch and that I'm going to "catch" the watch on many things as I'm wearing it. Maybe not...

Please keep the comments coming!

[slcbbrown]

For me, this isn't a tough question-- GMT.

[Singslinger]

Originally Posted by Art 1

One of the cons for the Daytona is poor visibility and an almost useless chronograph to to poor visibility. I have pretty much stopped wearing mine.

I would go with the GMTc.

Have to say I agree.

Of the three, the Daytona's movement is also the costliest to service and repair, which might be an issue later. (I was also annoyed by the ease with which the polished bezel picked up scratches).

I like the PAM and the fact that you can switch straps but I'd say that as an all-rounder - for sports and formal wear - the GMT IIc is the way to go.

[Rolex Freak]

You've longed for the Daytona...so get the Daytona. Forget about what people think. They should judge you based on the person that you are, not what you wear.

[KirkWilfred]

hands down...GMT IIc

[jessiethe3rd]

We don't know much about your collection and how you are looking to wear this watch... what do you do? I would probably just do the GMT IIc. Why? All around functionality - it's a fantastic watch. This isn't discounting the Daytona but I don't know how I feel about a Daytona as an everyday watch.

For me the only Daytona that is going on my wrist is an Everose Daytona. Needless to say if the Daytona is your dream then I'd go for it.

[Atomant]

GMT II c

[rolexgmtmaster]

I've owned all three watches, the Panerai was a PAM243, but similar shape ;)

The GMTII C is the best out of all three. At least, I liked it weight, look and feel on my wrist.
I was so excited the day I got my Daytona but then after a few more days, seriously I didn't like it, maybe because I'm used to a Sub, which is my daily watch.
Myself now I'm looking for a GMTII C because someone bought mine off my wrist, believe it or not!!! That's how nice it was.

The other point is in terms of people looking at you. It's tough, you're right, if someone doesn't know about watches, they'll be indifferent to a $1000 Rolex vs a Daytona.

In the end, I would go and try and wear all three of them in the store, and see which one has the best feel on the wrist, (since you're golfing, and it may slightly affect your shots ;)

Cheers!

[Watch Professor]

Gmt iic

[Lion]

Go with the GMT IIC.....

[Mantooth]

GMTIIc, for sure.

[aboen]

Since you asked...
Not a fan of the Daytona's also find chronographs to fun but mostly useless complication for me.
A big NO on Pam 292 ...ugly mostly non-functional cylops and crazy expensive for having a basic ETA movement inside.
I say go for the GMT IIc...one of the best modern Rolexes IMO.

[Andad]

IMO

The Panerai modified Valjoux 7750-P1 movement is a beauty but no stop watch function.

The Daytona movement is legendary but no date.

The GMT IIc is the best watch that Rolex has released in their new models so far.

I don't think you can make a bad decision here so well done on whatever decision you make.

[GolfPunk]

Originally Posted by URAP

Thanks for all the great input.

The points about the Daytona being hard to read and how little the chrono gets used is a valid point. Since I'm plan on wearing it regularly, it looks a little more formal then the other 2 watches.

I actually don't wear a watch to play golf and when I teach, I guess I'm swinging a golf club less then 10% of the time.

The Pam is a great looking watch, fear is that it's a very LARGE watch and that I'm going to "catch" the watch on many things as I'm wearing it. Maybe not...

Please keep the comments coming!

The Daytona is NOT hard to read at all, every time I look at it, it is a pure pleasure!

[URAP]

Originally Posted by jessiethe3rd

We don't know much about your collection and how you are looking to wear this watch... what do you do? I would probably just do the GMT IIc. Why? All around functionality - it's a fantastic watch. This isn't discounting the Daytona but I don't know how I feel about a Daytona as an everyday watch.

For me the only Daytona that is going on my wrist is an Everose Daytona. Needless to say if the Daytona is your dream then I'd go for it.

As mentioned before, I only own a 1997 Omega Seamaster Pro (Pre James Bond). I've worn this watch daily since then and I really like the watch. I work as a golf instructor and wear it all year round when I teach. I don't wear the watch when I play golf, so that's a non issue. After many years of looking (And have the funds saved again), Now, I have decided to make a 2nd purchase and having a hard time deciding.

These are my top 3 choices and actually there was another choice I didn't list. My 4th choice would be a Subc.

Background on the Sub as a 4th choice: After college graduation is when I started to look at watches. My first choice back then (1994) was Daytona but knew it wasn't a practical daily watch. So a Sub was my 2nd choice. Once I saved enough money to purchase the Sub, it had gone up (from $2200 to $3200) in 3 years. I came close to picking up a used one for $1700 but was sold before I had a chance to see it. Then I discovered the Omega and found one BNIB for $1000, so, $1000 or $3200, I chose to be practical and bought the Omega instead. Fast Forward to present day. As much as I like the Subc, the reason it didn't make my top 3 is that it seams almost everyone I know who owns a Rolex, owns a Sub. So, for this reason only, it didn't make the top 3. The GMT was not as popular as the Sub, and when I saw the GMTc, I instantly fell in love with it.

But now that I've been on the forum and spent over 20 hours researching these past couple of days and hearing the various opinions on the daytona and Pam, I might drop those and decide on a GMTc or Subc now. Not that I'm buying one solely based on the responses, it makes more sense. Both watches are much more practical then the Daytona or Pam for a daily watch.

The reason I'm thinking between the GMTc and Subc are the primary features. I do use the timer quite a bit (which is one of the reason why I wanted a Daytona). I swim/dive more then I fly between various time zones. When I do fly, it's been Cali and AZ so, not much of change there.

What I really need to do is to overcome the fact that I'm the one wearing the watch and I really shouldn't care what others may think about me wearing a Rolex. With either watch, it's very obvious. But that's really hard to over come. I am Asian and many of my students are Asian and Rolex is a MAJOR status symbol among Asian communities. I think since Asians are VERY brand conscious, this is what led me to think twice about owning a Rolex in the first place.

I hope this all makes some sense in my thought process.

Sorry for ranting on...

[URAP]

After doing further research and thinking about it some more, I think I'm dropping the Daytona and PAM. But to complicate things even more, now I'm thinking about the Subc. Originally, the Subc was my 4th choice which I didn't list. I thought I wasn't interested in the Subc due to the fact that almost everyone I know who owns a Rolex, owns a Sub (about 75%).

Back in 1994, I really wanted a sub and started to save for it. But after 3 years of saving up, the Sub went from about $2200 to $2800 and the omega I was looking at was only $1000 (Retail was $1750 for the omega and I could get it for a discount where as Rolex's had very little discount). So the practical part of me decided to get the Omega. Along with some other reasons, one of them being that I didn't like the sub bracelet back then.

Fast forward to present day, now that the Subc has come out, I have a choice of the newer Subc, and a small part of me still likes the Subc and since I'm dropping the Daytona and PAM. I have to consider the Subc.

This is the fun and agonizing part of buying something new. Doing the research and then making a decision. Realizing the pros and cons for each watch.

Need to do more research between GMTc & Subc

Thank you all for the great input.