Are Pagani Design Watches Reliable?

Pagani Design are popular watches among budget collectors, but are they actually reliable?

This is an interesting question, Pagani often get a lot of stick around their watches as they are so cheap, but I don’t think this is really justified. I do think over the last couple of years the overall quality has got a lot better and while they are still far from perfect, I think you can get a reliable enough watch from them.

What Does Reliability Mean In Watches?

If we are going to decide if a Pagani design watch is reliable, we first need to know what a reliable watch is.

For me, reliability means two things …its ability to tell the time and then its ability to function properly (which means it shouldn’t just break for no reason)

If you can have a watch that will tell you the time and not fall apart as you go about your day, and it can do this over the long term, then I would call that reliable. You want to be able to pick the watch out of your watch box and know that it will do what it is supposed to.

Does Reliability Mean Accuracy?

You have probably just seen me say “tell the time” and assume that means the more accurate the better …and I would agree, but not fully.

I think accuracy does play a role, but I think most watches fall within a reasonable tolerance. Of course if the watch is doing something like running 4 hours slow a day… this is not acceptable, but on the other hand, I don’t need a chronometer certification level of accuracy to say a watch is reliable.

I would put more emphasis on the movement’s ability to actually run over its accuracy. I don’t want to look down at my wrist and see its run out of power by lunch time.  

So long as it’s accuracy is within the factory tolerance, and so long as it will run well, I think that is “reliable” enough.

Can Pagani Design Watches Reliably Tell The Time?

When we look at the reliability of Pagani designs watches time telling ability, it’s not a straight forward answer.

Really it depends what model you have bought, or I should really say, it depends what movement is inside.  Some of the movements you can get are actually really good and you can trust that they will work fine for many years.

As I’ve already discussed, they may not be the most accurate, but so long as they are running as expected, then they are reliable.

Seiko Mmovements Are Reliable

A lot of Pagani designs are now using Seiko movements, and really anything with Seiko movement will run reliability.

They are well tested over many years and they just do a good job. They may be cheap, simple movements, but they work well and run for a long time before needing a service.

You will see watches with NH34, NH35, NH36 and even Vk63, which are the quartz movements.

Sometimes they will be listed as “Japan Movement” but really if you dig around you can find out they are using Seiko.

I think it’s important to note the versions they use, such as the NH35 are just the non-branded Seiko movements, which Seiko sell to other brands to use, so they are equally as reliable as anything Seiko branded.      

If your Pagani as one of these it, you can be satisfied your time telling capabilities will be reliable.

(You can read more about – Will The NH35 Movement Last Long-Term?)

The PT5000 Can Be Okay

A lot of the earlier models from Pagani would include the PT5000, which is an okay movement, but also not the best.

It is a clone of the Swiss ETA 2824 and while on paper that means it should be a solid movement, the reality is a bit more 50/50. It should be reliable, any all the reports seems from users see to say, which makes sense, since it’s copying a reliable Swiss model, but the issue usually revolves around how well it has been assembled and lubricated as well as the quality of the parts.

I’ve seen endless examples of people taking these types of movements and finding all sorts of dust and fingerprints and just general poor workmanship that is going to affect reliability massively. 

It also a relatively new movement, being introduced in 2015, so there is no long term history how well this movement performs yet. Pagani seem be using less of these movements in place of the Seiko ones, and I wonder if it is to ensure a better quality watch over the long term.

(You can read more about – Is The PT5000 A Reliable Movement?)

Pearl Movements Have Unknown Reliability

These Pearl movements seem to have been totally phased out now, but some us will have a Pagani with one of these, especially if you have a GMT.

These really are an unknown in the watch world. There is so little information about them and my only guess is they are some sort of cheap clone, but I have no idea of what. The general reports with these are that they are not very reliable and likely to fail after a year or so.

Currently I have one that has been running for about 2 years and all seems well, but I could tell the first time I wound it up that it wasn’t going to last. It just felt very crunch and low quality.

I have a feeling these may be like the PT5000, where they are decent on paper, but just poorly assembled. I am certain that if you just took one of these apart and serviced it, it would run really well …but how many people are going to do that with a new watch, let alone one that might break after a year.

I think these movements are what give Pagani design the bad reputation, so I am glad they have switched them out for the more reliable NH36.

(You can read more about – Pagani Design GMT Watch Review)

Are Pagani Design Watches Built Reliably?

When it comes to the actual build of Pagani watches, they are pretty decent.

On paper they certainly have great specifications that could easily rival a much more expensive watch. However, in reality, you can tell some costs have been cut with the assembly.

The watches are put together well, I can’t see them falling apart, but you can see some corners have been cut on the finishing. This is more aesthetical things like rough edges or misaligned markers, but the watch itself will be quite solid.

When I look at the case of my Pagani watch, along with the bezel and glass, there is no reason this cannot all last for decades. When you pair this with a Seiko movement you are starting to get a pretty reliable watch.

My one area of concern would be around the gaskets. I imagine they are fine when the watch is new, but I have a feeling these may also be cheap and not last too long. Although, these would actually be replaced when a watch is being serviced, so it is not a huge concern for me. 

I think over all, you get a watch that is reliably made, they are not perfect, but they will also not just fall apart on your wrist after a few weeks.

Pagani Designs Could Easily Be Made More Reliable

I think the baseline you get with a Pagani is fine but with a little tweaking they could be really good.

If you are a into watch making, I think you could easily make sure your Pagani is actually very reliable. You could redo the gaskets, service the movement and just generally clean the inside of the watch up which should all add up to give it more longevity, accuracy and reliability.

Although, how many people are actually going to do this …not many.

I think post people will just wear the watch it until it dies and then replace, which I think is a shame as with a little care I think they could be transformed into a watch that could have a very long life. 

(You can read more about – Can Pagani Design Watches Be Considered As A Good Alternative To Luxury Brands?)

So Are Pagani Design Watches Actually Reliable?

I truly believe in the short term Pagani watches are very reliable. When it comes to the long term, I think for the average person, they are going to run into trouble.

I think the cost cutting corners will cause some issues and the watch will really start to become unreliable. I think the poor craftsmanship with some of the movements will be an issue and I think the gaskets may be a weakness that could cause a disaster.

However, I do think if you put a bit of love and care into a Pagani, it could rise to the top and actually be a long term reliable watch.

The issue is the fact that they are cheap. It will be cheaper to replace them than service them, which is a shame, as I would like to see more of them kept running for the long term.    

I fully intend to service my own once it starts to run into trouble and I think that will really revive it and give it many more years of life. 

(You can read more about – Frequently Asked Questions About – Pagani Design Watches)

Conclusion

Hopefully now you can see that if you have the right movement in your Pagani, it can actually be a really reliable watch.

They are not the highest quality watches, but they use decent materials and are assembled well enough to last for a long time. This combined with a decent movement like a Seiko means that you should find that your Pagani is pretty reliable. It isn’t going to fall apart and it is going to run as expected and actually tell you the time.

For how cheap they are, I think you get a great deal with how reliable they can be.

(You can read more about – Are Pagani Design Watches Any Good?)