I have there Rolex watches I've bought over the last 31 years. I can no longer get any new ones that I want as they are pretty much impossible to get with the long "Prospect" lists. Further, I refuse to purchase above list price. (I bought a new Explorer II during the 2008 recession at a 15% discount) Consequently I've bought a few Pagani, in the Rolex styles I'd like to acquire. They are pretty decent, especially for the price. No complaints and the Pagani OP style, which is fully mechanical, is amazingly accurate!
Enjoyed your comparisons... I own a Rolex OP Datejust, as well as the two Paganis you showed here. For the money, they are phenomenal watches, yet still far from the Rolex equivalents. Even still, it's hard for me to justify spending the $$ for another Rolex when 'homages' as well done as these exist. And man, you found the PERFECT strap for your Pagani Chrono! I need to find one of those!
Agreed, you CANNOT COMPARE THEIR QUALITY punch to punch, but if you want to enjoy an Oyster profile as you can in Pagani, there's NO objective need to pay 80 plus times for an OP. Subjectively it is another thing, but no one will argue against that the most perfect watch of all (I`m talking about the OP, even Gerald Genta regretted not designing it) can be had and enjoyed by many in that humble sub 100 USD PD. Got both as well (my OP is a1968 date in silver) and I seldomly use the Rolex; here in Mexico City is not advisable to do so, so I only wear it at special functions or travelling abroad to the States or Spain. Therefore, I can enjoy the OP style with the little PD and not give a damn about something happening to it. Really, an OP is NOT 80 times plus better than the DP. Maybe 20, and stretching it, but the PD is never 50, 60, 80, plus times inferior.
Both brands look equally good. Paying extra 9.900 $ for a Rolex logo and a "better stainless steel" and a "better sapphire crystal" is superstition to me that shall justify ridiculous prices. Steel is steel and crystal is crystal. I agree to the different feeling a Rolex bracelet might give you. But you wear it on your wrist at the end of the day and don't slide it through your hands all day to enjoy the "expensive feeling". So I go for Pagani instead, even if I had the money and the Rolexes were available. And I did not even start speaking of the servicing rip off industry.
It's hard to argue with the realities, I get it. If Pagani would do a better bracelet, and they have the capital to do so, it's a simple choice for most people. I do hate the writing on the pagani dial though! 😂
@@WatchComplications Yes that's true. Regarding the brand names that are also written on many watch dials: The Pagani logo looks ok but the brand name is not so great and most Chinese don't seem to understand how quirky their brand names appear to Western customers. I once bought a "Winner" hulk hommage just because the brand name seemed almost ok compared to the alternatives I saw and the logo reminded me of Invicta. The watch itself was a 4 out of 10 quality -wise and I could have had better hulk watches for the same price but with creepier brand names. So I bought a bad watch just because the brand name was not as bad as the other ones.
@@v.t.3194 I'm even ok with the name Pagani (maybe forgo "Design") and the logo itself isn't the worst of things...seen much worse. As for "Winner", have you seen the one I show in this vid: th-cam.com/video/1f09GrD9PdA/w-d-xo.html
If you take the total opposite ends of the spectrum (as you have here) you can see quality differences between the two watches, even if the Pagani might be enough for a lot of people. But I've been fascinated for years over just what you get in a Rolex that you don't get from a nicer medium brand such as Christopher Ward or Oris or even OceanX. What differences actually are likely to matter to the buyer? It's awfully hard to imagine $10000 or $17000 worth of watch.
Exactly. Right now I'd say the most "wearable" watch I have is my CW C63 Sealander GMT in white. The quality is amazing, the bracelet is all pros, and it was only around $1k. I don't see the added value in getting something like the Rolex Explorer II at $10k, it's mostly the name. Sure the movements are significantly different, but at least the SW330-2 will be readily serviceable at a low cost. And the CW actually looks better. I've worn both and it's not a $9k value proposition as far as the tangible products are concerned.
I just stick with what I like, now I’ve had Rolex, omega, Cartier and constantly worried about theft and damage so these homage watches are ideal .if you lose or damage one no worries, I still think invicta are so much better finished than pagani.
Since I'm not into the Sub look Invicta doesn't really appeal to me, but if I had to choose between Invicta and Pagani I'd probably go pagani, but might depend on the specific model. Regardless, yes, stick to what you like! :)
You have to give huge credit to Pagani design for what they manage to produce for the money. I was really against buying one and now I have 4. I am tempted to spend extra on a san Martin. What do you guys think?
having a couple paganis is probably good for most enthusiasts. i can’t speak to san martin since i haven’t tried their watches yet, only their cases. but I have heard good things about them. Though it’s on the low end of things.
Sold my Rolex Daytona that I had from new for 18 years. I have (so far) bought 4 Pagani' and a Cronos Submariner homage. Love them all. I have owned various Rolex for the last 30 years and can honestly say I get more joy from my homage collection than I ever did with the Rolex.
Enjoyed your comparison video. Though one can't really compare these 2 brands at opposite ends of the spectrum (and prices you pay), one can have so much fun and pleasure from buying & wearing watches like Pagani Designs and similar homage watches. Sometimes you'll be really surprised by how good they are & amazing value for money.
to be fair it depends on the angle of the camera. I can verify in person that the pagani visually looks bigger, which is mostly due to the case differences. I put some additional pics on my blog post on watchcomplications.com
I have this exact Rolex OP 39. I think a more fair comparison would be the San Martin version. I'm currently on the waiting list for a Rolex Sub, but after buying a San Martin Sub homage, I can no longer justify buying the Rolex. San Martin's quality is so good, that it scratches the itch to own the real thing for me.
Water resistance is over thought IMO. If Casio sell a watch with 50m no one bats an eyelid and are happy to swim with it. I have a Skmei Casio knockoff with 50m WR for work as a painter and have run it under the tap, immersed in bucket of water, showered etc. Absolutely no problem at all. Plenty of people comments on other channels regards Pagani WR say they have been swimming no problem!!
I’m not particularly concerned about WR. If you watch a variety of my vids you will see that one of my favorite watches is my Casio MRW200H. And I also swim with my Pagani 1651 often. In this video I’m addressing dress watches so WR is not to be expected too much anyway and I just state the facts.
@@WatchComplications all good, was just generalising re WR. I've seen on other channels where people are too scared to swim with 50m rated pieces. Anecdotal reports of people who have scuba dived with the F91W! Great video cheers.👍
@@Adrian_3006 just on a personal note I typically only swim with 10atm rated and above, though I'm ok with 5atm in mild water situations. Remember, ATM is not about depth as much as it is about pressure, though the two are obviously related. A fast flowing stream of water or flap of an arm in a pool can have as much pressure exerted on the gaskets as a particular floating depth. This reality is where people can end up disappointed with a given rating. Subtly floating around at a lower depth is one thing...a wave hitting a crown at almost zero depth could be the same thing.
yeah I've come across a lot of reviews and posts about SM. I've bought some of their watch cases before which are nice. Maybe someday I'll pick up one of their watches.
You can tell the diff immediately, anybody saying diff has issues. That said? it’s all relative. I can’t afford a Rolex, but that Pagani looks great. Simple as that. Thx Rolex for the great design!
Wow I was guilty of ignoring the NH35 aspect. I suppose a lot of us are since it’s become so ubiquitous. It wasn’t that long ago you couldn’t get this quality a movement without spending at least 4 or 5x this $75 price, but now as a commodity it’s a minimum expectation! Still to get a comparable package today, movement+watch, you’re looking at generally $250 minimum. I am seriously digressing here! I think companies like Pagani and San Martin are positioned to take this game to another level. This is only one of a few recent “homages” of theirs that are highly competent time pieces. 2-3 years ago their watches were laughable, but now ppl are literally doing videos comparing them to their Rolex inspiration haha. These companies are using quality materials, manufacturing, and improving QC. Something is gonna give, and it’ll be interesting to witness. I don’t know enough to wager a guess!
@@khackett7 Things have certainly shifted over time with the offerings and quality coming out of certain Chinese manufacturing facilities (not all). But yeah, the market is already going soft and will continue to do so for the time being, I think.
I just got the Pagani Explorer 1 for $80. Is it Rolex quality.....NO, but it scratches the itch for me. 40mm, sapphire, NH35, nice oyster style bracelet, easy screw pin adjustable. Micro adjustment is average!! I'm very happy with it. Just the Pagani logo on the dial. Typical Pagani case back. Best bang for buck new watch I own! Agree, it's a copy, not a fake. Works for me. Thanks 😊
Hah, I got the OP one. I liked it but NOW I see why ppl are so upset by that microadjust. At first I liked it because it was the perfect relief for my wrist thru the day, but it destroyed the spring bar that it snaps on to, and switching it out is criminally annoying. That ruined it for me lol.
I'm not sure I expressed it that way, but certainly there are different coatings that can be applied, the polishing quality can be very different, and then of course there are different materials used.
doing the pagani skeleton datona homage next to the actual Artisans de Genève “La Barrichello daytona skeleton would be hard unless you've got seriously deep pockets.
Like any watch it depends on its specific rating. I wouldn’t swim with the one in this video, but one of the dive models I show in earlier videos I’ve had in water many times with no issues. Sure take their specs with a grain of salt, probably plenty of stories out there. But I do like swimming with my one Pagani dive watch occasionally.
ive already used all of 3 pagani wathches that i have on the sea/shower/pool etc and all of them dont have issues submerging on water ..maybe they just got a bad batch..
@@WatchComplications still at a glance it definitely is trying to be a Yellow OP, they have no real iconic design of their own that they are pulling from. If you did a side by side like this but with a Grand Seiko, an Omega, or even like a G-shock there would be an insane amount of difference in their personal design language.
Of course Pagani doesn’t have an iconic design of their own, and I’m not suggesting they do. The point is comparing them head to head to show the characteristics, since so many people tout both brands.
I have there Rolex watches I've bought over the last 31 years. I can no longer get any new ones that I want as they are pretty much impossible to get with the long "Prospect" lists. Further, I refuse to purchase above list price. (I bought a new Explorer II during the 2008 recession at a 15% discount) Consequently I've bought a few Pagani, in the Rolex styles I'd like to acquire. They are pretty decent, especially for the price. No complaints and the Pagani OP style, which is fully mechanical, is amazingly accurate!
Good reasoning all around. Thanks for watching.
Enjoyed your comparisons... I own a Rolex OP Datejust, as well as the two Paganis you showed here. For the money, they are phenomenal watches, yet still far from the Rolex equivalents. Even still, it's hard for me to justify spending the $$ for another Rolex when 'homages' as well done as these exist. And man, you found the PERFECT strap for your Pagani Chrono! I need to find one of those!
The strap is one of the clip on straps from Vario. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Thanks!
San Martin makes a few homages. They are about $300range and the bracelet and finishing is next level they are really well done.
Is it possible to buy a used Rolex oyster for sale?
Agreed, you CANNOT COMPARE THEIR QUALITY punch to punch, but if you want to enjoy an Oyster profile as you can in Pagani, there's NO objective need to pay 80 plus times for an OP. Subjectively it is another thing, but no one will argue against that the most perfect watch of all (I`m talking about the OP, even Gerald Genta regretted not designing it) can be had and enjoyed by many in that humble sub 100 USD PD. Got both as well (my OP is a1968 date in silver) and I seldomly use the Rolex; here in Mexico City is not advisable to do so, so I only wear it at special functions or travelling abroad to the States or Spain. Therefore, I can enjoy the OP style with the little PD and not give a damn about something happening to it. Really, an OP is NOT 80 times plus better than the DP. Maybe 20, and stretching it, but the PD is never 50, 60, 80, plus times inferior.
thanks for sharing and for watching
Both brands look equally good. Paying extra 9.900 $ for a Rolex logo and a "better stainless steel" and a "better sapphire crystal" is superstition to me that shall justify ridiculous prices. Steel is steel and crystal is crystal. I agree to the different feeling a Rolex bracelet might give you. But you wear it on your wrist at the end of the day and don't slide it through your hands all day to enjoy the "expensive feeling".
So I go for Pagani instead, even if I had the money and the Rolexes were available.
And I did not even start speaking of the servicing rip off industry.
It's hard to argue with the realities, I get it. If Pagani would do a better bracelet, and they have the capital to do so, it's a simple choice for most people. I do hate the writing on the pagani dial though! 😂
@@WatchComplications Yes that's true. Regarding the brand names that are also written on many watch dials: The Pagani logo looks ok but the brand name is not so great and most Chinese don't seem to understand how quirky their brand names appear to Western customers.
I once bought a "Winner" hulk hommage just because the brand name seemed almost ok compared to the alternatives I saw and the logo reminded me of Invicta. The watch itself was a 4 out of 10 quality -wise and I could have had better hulk watches for the same price but with creepier brand names. So I bought a bad watch just because the brand name was not as bad as the other ones.
@@v.t.3194 I'm even ok with the name Pagani (maybe forgo "Design") and the logo itself isn't the worst of things...seen much worse. As for "Winner", have you seen the one I show in this vid: th-cam.com/video/1f09GrD9PdA/w-d-xo.html
I like the bang for the buck you get with the Pagani Design.
I’ve seen worse 😅
Perspective: a Pagani costs less than one link of a Rolex bracelet. 😂
I am in love with my PD 1690 OP in yellow orange and I regulated it be around +2spd to +5spd . Crazy.
can’t argue with functionality and price for sure! there is no reason for a rolex to cost as much as it does, they’re mass produced.
I love these comparison type videos. The orange dial on the pd really pops.
Thanks for watching. I'd say the color leans more toward yellow, but there is a subtle orange tint to it. A good summer color for sure.
If you take the total opposite ends of the spectrum (as you have here) you can see quality differences between the two watches, even if the Pagani might be enough for a lot of people. But I've been fascinated for years over just what you get in a Rolex that you don't get from a nicer medium brand such as Christopher Ward or Oris or even OceanX. What differences actually are likely to matter to the buyer? It's awfully hard to imagine $10000 or $17000 worth of watch.
Exactly. Right now I'd say the most "wearable" watch I have is my CW C63 Sealander GMT in white. The quality is amazing, the bracelet is all pros, and it was only around $1k. I don't see the added value in getting something like the Rolex Explorer II at $10k, it's mostly the name. Sure the movements are significantly different, but at least the SW330-2 will be readily serviceable at a low cost. And the CW actually looks better. I've worn both and it's not a $9k value proposition as far as the tangible products are concerned.
I just stick with what I like, now I’ve had Rolex, omega, Cartier and constantly worried about theft and damage so these homage watches are ideal .if you lose or damage one no worries, I still think invicta are so much better finished than pagani.
Since I'm not into the Sub look Invicta doesn't really appeal to me, but if I had to choose between Invicta and Pagani I'd probably go pagani, but might depend on the specific model. Regardless, yes, stick to what you like! :)
You have to give huge credit to Pagani design for what they manage to produce for the money. I was really against buying one and now I have 4. I am tempted to spend extra on a san Martin. What do you guys think?
having a couple paganis is probably good for most enthusiasts. i can’t speak to san martin since i haven’t tried their watches yet, only their cases. but I have heard good things about them. Though it’s on the low end of things.
Sold my Rolex Daytona that I had from new for 18 years. I have (so far) bought 4 Pagani' and a Cronos Submariner homage. Love them all. I have owned various Rolex for the last 30 years and can honestly say I get more joy from my homage collection than I ever did with the Rolex.
Always thought that the pd hands are too skinny, but seeing it besides the Rolex, it looks modest
They’re typical hands I’d say. Thanks for watching.
Very cool comparison! Thanks for making the video.
Glad you liked it!
Up,up,down, down, left,right, left, right B, A, start.
good ol' fashioned cheat code
I’m from MA I never heard of that AD. I did order the Pagani Design OP in yellow along with their Milgauss homage.
Worth calling up if you're after something. Tell them you heard about it through Brian and the channel.
Even tho I would like to own a genuine Speedmaster, my PD1701 is a very nice substitute, albeit with a different strap as you suggested.
Sometimes it's enough :)
Great video. Really enjoyed the comparisons.
thanks, it was a long time coming.
Enjoyed your comparison video. Though one can't really compare these 2 brands at opposite ends of the spectrum (and prices you pay), one can have so much fun and pleasure from buying & wearing watches like Pagani Designs and similar homage watches. Sometimes you'll be really surprised by how good they are & amazing value for money.
yeah it's a little tongue-in-cheek, as you probably noticed. I also enjoy watches across the cost spectrum. thanks for watching.
@@WatchComplications Haha... but I take you seriously!
The brighter colored dial of the PD makes the watch look bigger than the dark dial on the Rolex too.
I don't know but Rolex looks bigger than Pagani to me.
to be fair it depends on the angle of the camera. I can verify in person that the pagani visually looks bigger, which is mostly due to the case differences. I put some additional pics on my blog post on watchcomplications.com
color is certainly a factor, thanks for noting that. in person it’s a lot to do with the case design.
@@WatchComplications I think Rolex looks bigger to me because the dial of Pagani is busier.
yeah fair…that one line in the odd font “P.t. Time” is so irritating! 😆
I have this exact Rolex OP 39. I think a more fair comparison would be the San Martin version. I'm currently on the waiting list for a Rolex Sub, but after buying a San Martin Sub homage, I can no longer justify buying the Rolex. San Martin's quality is so good, that it scratches the itch to own the real thing for me.
very understandable. and yeah the San Martin seem a decent low cost alternative. thanks for watching.
ppl think rolex sub is the real thing and makes a big deal of it.. meanwhile nobody cares their jeans are not Levi Strauss.
@@watchhobbywithdannythemedic though to be fair, Levi’s are nice jeans that not only wear well but last a loooooong time :)
I'm thinking of buying a pagani watch and practice on them while watching your tutorial.
good watches for practicing stuff…low risk.
Water resistance is over thought IMO. If Casio sell a watch with 50m no one bats an eyelid and are happy to swim with it. I have a Skmei Casio knockoff with 50m WR for work as a painter and have run it under the tap, immersed in bucket of water, showered etc. Absolutely no problem at all. Plenty of people comments on other channels regards Pagani WR say they have been swimming no problem!!
I’m not particularly concerned about WR. If you watch a variety of my vids you will see that one of my favorite watches is my Casio MRW200H. And I also swim with my Pagani 1651 often. In this video I’m addressing dress watches so WR is not to be expected too much anyway and I just state the facts.
@@WatchComplications all good, was just generalising re WR. I've seen on other channels where people are too scared to swim with 50m rated pieces. Anecdotal reports of people who have scuba dived with the F91W!
Great video cheers.👍
@@Adrian_3006 just on a personal note I typically only swim with 10atm rated and above, though I'm ok with 5atm in mild water situations. Remember, ATM is not about depth as much as it is about pressure, though the two are obviously related. A fast flowing stream of water or flap of an arm in a pool can have as much pressure exerted on the gaskets as a particular floating depth. This reality is where people can end up disappointed with a given rating. Subtly floating around at a lower depth is one thing...a wave hitting a crown at almost zero depth could be the same thing.
@@WatchComplications very true.
I care about Price/Quality ratio. San Martin is a great value proposition from China. Their DJ is stunning
yeah I've come across a lot of reviews and posts about SM. I've bought some of their watch cases before which are nice. Maybe someday I'll pick up one of their watches.
the Pi Time sucks on the Pagani, but for $100....
Yup.
You can tell the diff immediately, anybody saying diff has issues. That said? it’s all relative. I can’t afford a Rolex, but that Pagani looks great. Simple as that. Thx Rolex for the great design!
Yeah, it's hard to argue given the price and availability for a certain look.
Wow I was guilty of ignoring the NH35 aspect. I suppose a lot of us are since it’s become so ubiquitous. It wasn’t that long ago you couldn’t get this quality a movement without spending at least 4 or 5x this $75 price, but now as a commodity it’s a minimum expectation! Still to get a comparable package today, movement+watch, you’re looking at generally $250 minimum. I am seriously digressing here! I think companies like Pagani and San Martin are positioned to take this game to another level. This is only one of a few recent “homages” of theirs that are highly competent time pieces. 2-3 years ago their watches were laughable, but now ppl are literally doing videos comparing them to their Rolex inspiration haha. These companies are using quality materials, manufacturing, and improving QC. Something is gonna give, and it’ll be interesting to witness. I don’t know enough to wager a guess!
@@khackett7 Things have certainly shifted over time with the offerings and quality coming out of certain Chinese manufacturing facilities (not all). But yeah, the market is already going soft and will continue to do so for the time being, I think.
I just got the Pagani Explorer 1 for $80. Is it Rolex quality.....NO, but it scratches the itch for me. 40mm, sapphire, NH35, nice oyster style bracelet, easy screw pin adjustable. Micro adjustment is average!! I'm very happy with it. Just the Pagani logo on the dial. Typical Pagani case back. Best bang for buck new watch I own! Agree, it's a copy, not a fake. Works for me. Thanks 😊
Hah, I got the OP one. I liked it but NOW I see why ppl are so upset by that microadjust. At first I liked it because it was the perfect relief for my wrist thru the day, but it destroyed the spring bar that it snaps on to, and switching it out is criminally annoying. That ruined it for me lol.
So theres tiers of saphirre crystal? First time i heard that one.
I'm not sure I expressed it that way, but certainly there are different coatings that can be applied, the polishing quality can be very different, and then of course there are different materials used.
cool video, if you could just keep the same watch on the same side at all times that would be great :)
doing the pagani skeleton datona homage next to the actual Artisans de Genève “La Barrichello daytona skeleton would be hard unless you've got seriously deep pockets.
true, but would be fun.
@@WatchComplications you know some of thes other watch youtubers might have acess to one, could be worth asking 🤷🏽♂️
Honestly the PS looks nicer than the op
not sure if I'd go that far, but it does look ok for $100
Guess which one is the best investment?
i wouldn’t call any watch an investment. for me, they both have a place. and both should be worn. :)
Why Rolex isn't running?
wasn't wound at the time
the factories that make the pagani has a "separate" line to create direct knock offs with logos and all. it is what it is
yup.
This Pagani design, 1690 is a very important design.
How many millimeters is it?
if you mean diameter, they are about 39mm
@@WatchComplications
Thank you.
It's horizontal.
It says 39.7, but the correct answer is 39.Thank you very much.
Every Pagoni Ive looked at so far have comments about water intrusion - from shower or submerged only 1 foot at the pool. Hard pass.
Like any watch it depends on its specific rating. I wouldn’t swim with the one in this video, but one of the dive models I show in earlier videos I’ve had in water many times with no issues. Sure take their specs with a grain of salt, probably plenty of stories out there. But I do like swimming with my one Pagani dive watch occasionally.
ive already used all of 3 pagani wathches that i have on the sea/shower/pool etc and all of them dont have issues submerging on water ..maybe they just got a bad batch..
Pagani "Design"
Fair. Write them a letter.
@@WatchComplications I mean, change out the dial, put tape on the rolex signs on the clasp and it looks like a rolex 🤷♀️
So your answer to the title is…no? One aspect of this is showing how different they are. It’s not about just a dial color. Watch the whole video.
@@WatchComplications still at a glance it definitely is trying to be a Yellow OP, they have no real iconic design of their own that they are pulling from.
If you did a side by side like this but with a Grand Seiko, an Omega, or even like a G-shock there would be an insane amount of difference in their personal design language.
Of course Pagani doesn’t have an iconic design of their own, and I’m not suggesting they do. The point is comparing them head to head to show the characteristics, since so many people tout both brands.