# Alpha Paul Newman



## Big Rick (Dec 28, 2010)

I have just seen this watch in the for sale section and fell in love with it. Does anyone know where I could get one just the same, I have googled it and found some similar ones but not exactly the same. Cheers, Rick.


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

You could always try this place, occasionally they have Paul Newman Panda's on offer


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Big Rick said:


> I have just seen this watch in the for sale section and fell in love with it. Does anyone know where I could get one just the same, I have googled it and found some similar ones but not exactly the same. Cheers, Rick.


Their site is a good place to go about that. It's on HK though so you, if you want, you could try ebay. There are some European sellers that carry those but they are usually sold out. It's a great watch btw, I prefer the reverse dial (the "Panda") with cream dial and black subdials.


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## dtc2 (Mar 7, 2010)

is this a credible watch brand or a blatant copy brand ? aren't they essentially a made in china copy ?

how is this brand any different to say marine who copy panerai ?


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

Here we go again :groan:


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## dtc2 (Mar 7, 2010)

mach 0.0013137 said:


> Here we go again :groan:


I did a quick site search for "alpha paul newman" but nothingh came up ?

I can't believe I am the only one asking this question or thinking this ?


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

dtc2 said:


> mach 0.0013137 said:
> 
> 
> > Here we go again :groan:
> ...


As Mach says :groan:

IMO (which is never humble as you all know) *ALPHA is indeed* as credible a watch company as you can find in many ways, they produce a range of value for money watches at a credible price point in the market place, and are well enough liked by large numbers of watch aficionados - - HOWEVER, most, *if not every* model they make is a clone of a past or present model by other manufacturers, Rolex, Omega to name but two, cloned to the point where visually they are very good representations, down to being within a few grams weight difference, dimensions etc. :yes:

No attempt is made to deceive, each piece bears the ALPHA name and logo prominently, and folks buy them as such  OTOH, some folks disagree with this point of view, and that is their very own prerogative - - you must make up your own mind which side of the fence you dismount on! :lookaround:

Are they copies? :yes: Does it matter?







not really as far as I am concerned, they are *not* a fake bearing the name of the original!

2c worth (plus VAT)

:weed:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

What Mel said.

But apart from the controversies of homages vs fakos, Alpha makes amazingly good mechanical watches for the money they ask. I had a few and they feel great, keep great time and the st19 in their chronos is very very good.

I don't think Parnis is as good as Alpha, I had several Parnis and Marinas too but some had QC problems, like lose rotors and stuff...


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## Mutley (Apr 17, 2007)

Big Rick said:


> Does anyone know where I could get one just the same,


Err from Alpha Watches


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## Big Rick (Dec 28, 2010)

Mutley, Don't you think that I've not tried them already!!


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## martinzx (Aug 29, 2010)

Big Rick said:


> Mutley, Don't you think that I've not tried them already!!


Just looked at their website, there in stock


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## Big Rick (Dec 28, 2010)

Not exactly the same though!


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## Mutley (Apr 17, 2007)

Big Rick said:


> Mutley, Don't you think that I've not tried them already!!


 :dntknw: I found them on there

or you could try that ebay 180664716239, 350434169044, 300499510054. Or have you tried there as well


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Big Rick said:


> Not exactly the same though!


I've just checked too, they have it on stock. Go through the chronograph section within the site, don't google it because they have made some changes to their catalogue. I haven't been to their site for a while but there used to be only two PN, now they have different models like the PN with what used to be the Daytona bezel.

Anyway, in their site, the model you want is the last one on the first page of their chrono section (at least on my computer).


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## Big Rick (Dec 28, 2010)

Kutusov, Thanks for that. As you say googling it did'nt show that particular one up, a few very similar, not that particular one tho. I have ordered it a few minutes ago so hopefully it will be with me in a short while


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Big Rick said:


> Kutusov, Thanks for that. As you say googling it did'nt show that particular one up, a few very similar, not that particular one tho. I have ordered one a few minutes ago so hopefully it will be with me in a short while


If you chose regular HK mail (and you should because EMS will put your watch straight into customs... if you didn't, hurry up and email them asking for regular mail!), it will take a few weeks (from 2 to 4). It's a great watch, don't worry about what anybody might say. The ST19 Alphas are much better than the Subs or GMTs and those are mighty good watches for the money. Plus I see they now include a nice strap with deployment clasp with those ones! You'll love it! :thumbsup:


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Big Rick said:


> Kutusov, Thanks for that. As you say googling it did'nt show that particular one up, a few very similar, not that particular one tho. I have ordered it a few minutes ago so hopefully it will be with me in a short while


You have ordered one? Thank heavens for that :lol:


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Well done Rick, I hope it meets your expectations (I'm sure it will).


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## luddite (Dec 11, 2009)

BondandBigM said:


> You could always try this place, occasionally they have Paul Newman Panda's on offer


Is this just a rip off of an Alpha?


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

luddite said:


> Is this just a rip off of an Alpha?


Yeap, it's that Swiss brand famous for ripping off the entire Alpha catalogue







(aside note, that Daytona is just plain :drool: )


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

luddite said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> > You could always try this place, occasionally they have Paul Newman Panda's on offer
> ...





Kutusov said:


> luddite said:
> 
> 
> > Is this just a rip off of an Alpha?
> ...


Cream always comes to the top


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

BondandBigM said:


> Cream always comes to the top


Of course it does and no one on it's right mind would be seriously comparing a Rollie with an Alpha! I don't know if you ever owned an Alpha but let me tell you that their watches are, for their league, very very good. I bet you wouldn't be disappointed with their PN even knowing that the very similar Rolex is the real deal and much better built.

...and the Panda was on top of my wish list when I joined the forum and I forgot about it since then... all this discussion is making me wanting one again so I must resist the dark side :starwars: (or not if Mr Bond can find me a real Daytona, in mint condition, for about 300 quid. I'll even through another D&G bracelet as a freebie







)


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

Kutusov said:


> BondandBigM said:
> 
> 
> > Cream always comes to the top
> ...


 :lol: :lol:

I saw plenty when I was in HK, sorry but I wasn't as impressed as some here even at only thirty or forty quids. TBH some of the fakes on offer were better and cheaper


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## a-new-hope (Aug 17, 2010)

i ve got one nice looking but its broken, the screw down crown on a wind up watch is a stupid idea. The thread stripped within 6 months of owning it and from doing some research this is a common fault on these watches


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## BondandBigM (Apr 4, 2007)

a-new-hope said:


> i ve got one nice looking but its broken, the screw down crown on a wind up watch is a stupid idea. The thread stripped within 6 months of owning it and from doing some research this is a common fault on these watches


Tells you pretty much everything you need to know. Still I suppose at 40 quids they are disposable, I blow more than that on a Saturday night. Maybe if I stopped going out for a year I could have 52 Alpha's in my drawer :lol: :lol:


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## Chromejob (Jul 28, 2006)

I thought I posted this earlier, guess not.



dtc2 said:


> is this a credible watch brand or a blatant copy brand ? aren't they essentially a made in china copy ?
> 
> how is this brand any different to say marine who copy panerai ?


Let's call it by its name: the *Rolex Daytona* design.

We don't discuss "fake" models here, for good reason. There's no telling what the source is, who made the movement, etc. They're not credible brands.

"is this a credible watch brand or a blatant copy brand?" Always an interesting question, every time it comes up (as evidenced by the :groan: icons). IMHO a good watch can be ... both. :sly: Gunter Steinhart offers several very well made Rolex homages, with ETA movements, high quality cases and bracelets, and ... they sell briskly (I've got one). I suspect that these "hot sellers" help fund his less popular (but very popular among watch collectors) models, as well as very special limited edition models he makes for watch forums around the world. Is this a bad thing?

The movements in Alphas are IIRC made by Alpha (or Sea-gull? Shanghai?), so they're not "Franken-watches." Nor do they feature falsified dial markings. Many watch savants start with Alphas and then have them modified to suit their tastes (sterile dial, different hands, different bezel, having crown guards ground down to resemble 1950s/1960s Subs). A thriving little cottage industry has sprung up among WIS types who'd like to start with a good, cheap watch, and build it up to something relatively unique and personalized.

Alphas have been discussed and appreciated repeatedly on this forum, just use Advanced Search to find threads mentioning them. They came up more than once in my thread asking about Rolex Sub homages < Â£250. Several members like them and confirm they keep very good time considering their humble price and origins. (As some have posted above.)

Read some past threads and judge for yourself. :hi:

And as I'm sure you've noted, there is always a member or two who will try to dissuade you from buying a Â£100 watch and instead buy a far superior Â£5000 version.  That might seem outlandish, but raises a good question. If you like the watch design so much -- and had you not already ordered an Alpha[1] -- would you consider getting a better version, with a Valjoux movement instead of a good Chinese movement? My own inquiry about Submariner homages started with an eye to Invicta and Orient models that cost very little, but uncovered better brands with high beat rate Swiss movements for only about 100% more of the cost. Our esteemed host, Roy, has offered a number of nice divers as well. Unfortunately, I also picked up a German "Swiss" chrono-diver with (I'm told) a Shanghai 3L movement, and ... it's not the best watch in my humble collection.  I use it for grilling, where I wouldn't expose a higher quality strap and watch.

Let us know how you get on with yours!

[1] I'm writing this as much for the next person who reads this and wants a Paul Newman Daytona style watch.


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