I remember when I had one of my first AP Royal Oak's which was a regular AP chronograph (Purchased on impulse when someone offered me one like new plus £1000 for the steel Daytona I had) and it looked nice but fairly ordinary. I had read about AP and my good friend Tommy Lien was always telling me what great watches they were but at the time I didn't really appreciate the brand.
We did the deal and I got the watch home sat down and at last had the time to study the watch properley. ........ That is when it hit me, this watch is stunning, the steel feels like exquisite to touch and the bezel shimmers in the light like white gold. I remember comparing it to my other more moderately priced watches and the difference in quality was immense. Suddenly my other watches felt cheap.
I can't tell you why the AP feels so much better but I do remember that you don't see the difference in pictures or in the jewellers window. You actually have to spend some quality time with the watch and physically handle it to really appreciate it. I have owned several different AP's since then and I am well and truly hooked.
Panerai's are great watches in a different way though, and are actually better than AP in one important aspect. I had a Pam 156 Regatta GMT with a badly dinged bezel and Panerai replaced it for £40 in a matter of weeks. If I badly ding the bezel of my AP....... It does not bear thinking about.
Pleased to hear you finally took the plunge at last and I am looking forward to seeing your scans and hearing your views. Did you manage to get the black dial Themes on a bracelet that you were after?