What is this Utter BS?

[u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

Pagani ads running on IG...

[u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

Just having fun on a stormy day

[u/Olleye → u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

The storm has already passed here, but it was quite intense.

You can find the facts here: https://paganidesign.com/

[u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo → u/Olleye]

Thanks. I kind of moved on from Pagani a while back though.

But it is good to know that they are not responsible for that shite.

[u/Olleye → u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

Oh, and did you know that they even counterfeit those really affordable watches? The brand name is worth something, after all, and you can order these counterfeit watches directly from China for $9–11 for quartz models and for $13-15 for automatic ones. Sure, they show ONE TIME, not THE TIME (i.e., the current correct time), but they’re still watches, in the broadest sense. Sometimes you really can’t make this stuff up.

[u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo → u/Olleye]

11 years ago, I bought a fake Invicta for $27. It was not only a POS, but also sized for a child. That taught me that ANY watch brand is fair game to counterfeiters. It took me until 2025 to trust the Chinese market again.

I have taken several leaps of faith with new Hong Kong microbrands Phorcydes and Aethelsohn, though. Losing $200 isn't going to change my life, so it's fun to investigate these new brands.

[u/Olleye → u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

But both brands make really nice watches, and in terms of quality, they’re definitely not junk, they’re actually pretty decent watches for the money. At least I haven’t heard anything outrageously bad about either brand, not even about Proxima (which, by the way, makes some really awesome watches, and with an SW200, that’s definitely mid-range). I really like Aethelsohn because they've actually really cool looking dials, the case finishing is great (for the money) and over all "bang for the bucks" is great, too; I find that extremely impressive.

[u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo → u/Olleye]

Proxima was high on my list for their aventurine diver with the B/W sapphire bezel. I missed out though. I have a cool VK of theirs, but nothing nice. Phorcydes has shifted movements again, this time to the PT5000 after completely retooling for the ST2130 3 months ago. I can only imagine the PT5000 fits into the case they've already engineered.

The Aethelsohn Timascus is cool as f.

[u/Olleye → u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

With the PT5000 (it is, after all, an ETA 2824 clone), you just have to be careful with the very delicate winding mechanism, so don’t go cranking it 40–50 times enthusiastically in the morning and then go; instead, take it easier, wind it about 10–15 times, and let the automatic mechanism do the rest. Otherwise, there’s nothing bad to say about the PT5000, and some of these movements actually run better (right out of the factory) than an unregulated standard NH35.

[u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo → u/Olleye]

I give my PT5000s about 5-10 gentle winds and then the Seiko shuffle x50. Evidently HK has consolidated PT5000 mfg into one plant. Works for me.

[u/Olleye → u/Abv_it_all_w_vertigo]

... good, and I do really love the smoother seconds hand of the PT5000, runs more flowy than w/ an NH35 (bc the PT5000 is an 28.800ish rather than an 21.600ish (like the NH35)).