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
My 'only' quartz watch at the moment (have got a eta based auto quartz watch with an automatic movement powering a power cell which is sort of quartz and sort of automatic but neither really)
I like that it's a sports watch and 'diver' but still keeps with what was the traditional case size range for the time and years before it (i think it's 36/37mm, i need to buy some calipers to measure).
This is a watch I worked with my watch shop/maker to restore. Picked up the watch on the super cheap at an antique mall/indoor flee market type place, it wasn't running.
On having my specialty shop that does all my work crack it open discovered it had catastrophic water damage to the innards and dial, likely early on, the case bracelet everything else was minty, no real scratches *(few nicks to crystal) and not really looking like a lot/if any polish had been done, just like somethone got water it and threw it in a drawer and forgot about it for 15 years.
I had a new exact replacement ETA movement ordered (i don't like the idea of movement swaps in general but mainly more for automatics and real vintage pieces if serviceable, quartz if a directly factory replacement can be had, so be it).
I sourced used but very clean hands and a dial (little bit of patina shows on this white one in the sun, especially around the lume at hour marks). old dial and hands were corroded. Got a used good condition crown from a donor watch of exact model as well. new gasket as well. It likely has good water resistance but at 20 or so ish years old i don't want to risk it so I don't swim/shower w it.
All in all i came in spending about what it would cost to get a good condition used one in the current market but this way I know the movement is brand new, authentic, and that the parts are also authentic from a verified used donor watch/es of the same model.