By Meehna Goldsmith of www.watchmatchmaker.com & Christies Watch Blog – Longitude

 

Once a little known and niche brand, Panerai has come a long way since Richemont acquired them in 1997.Their watches can be found on the wrists of everyone from Heidi Klum and Bill Clinton to your neighbor next door. It’s actually Sylvester Stallone who can be credited with bringing Panerai to the public’s attention. He discovered a Luminor on a jeweler’s shelf while he was in Rome shooting “Daylight” and wore it in the movie.

Panerai originally made instruments for the Italian Navy; they weren’t really true watchmakers. A specialist in water-resistant cases, they sourced movements from manufacturers such as Rolex and Angelus. After Richemont came into the picture, they stayed true to the aesthetic roots of the brand but began a repositioning to a higher market segment that included complicated movements and in-house manufacture. Just last year they presented a tribute to Galileo with three pieces culminating with their most complicated piece to date, the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50mm L’Astronomo (PAM00365). After mastering the deep with dive watches, Panerai is now reaching for the stars.

Typically, Panerais are bulkier watches because cases need to be watertight. Perhaps to catch the thinner watch trend as seen in Piaget’s lineup and their record-setting Empereador, in 2010 Panerai debuted the P.999 series of movements in the PAM0037, the first Radiomir to get an in-house movement. (The PAM0036 and PAM0038, also powered by the P.999 movement, are the same as the PAM0037 only with different cases and dial treatments.) The P.999/1 ticking inside is really the star here, showing the brand’s technical versatility. It is not only the smallest manufacture calibre but also the slimmest with a 27.4mm diameter and 3mm profile.

Turning over the watch reveals the view of the P.999/1 through the sapphire caseback. For an entry-level watch, a lot of thought and design went into this hand-wind movement with a hearty 60-hour power reserve. It’s a good thing there’s no rotor because it would be a shame to hide this landscape of swoops and curves. It’s a treat for the eye to wander around the bridges, all the pieces falling into place like a puzzle. Winding the watch with the grooved crown embossed with Panerai’s logo gives equal pleasure.

Of course, the chassis has to live up to the P.999/1 movement. Cased in stainless steel, the 42mm PAM0037 comes in the characteristic steel-cushioned shape that really is blessed with sensuous body, especially when viewed from the side. Unlike thicker Panerai models, this one can hide under a shirtsleeve and slip out easily when you need a quick time check. Though the 42mm size is smaller than the average 44-46mm of the new modern standard, the PAM0037 still has presence on the wrist due to the thin polished bezel. For men used to the larger and heavier Panerais, this switch might seem a little too out of character. However, it’s a perfect fit for women who dig the Panerai styling but find the usual offerings too heavy and overpowering on the wrist.

True to its lineage, the PAM0037 has a black sandwich dial with black luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers, and running seconds at 9 o’clock. The dial holds a nice symmetry; the running seconds at 9 o’clock balance well against the 12, 3 and 6 Arabic numerals. Completing the composition, the font and size of the model name fit just right. While the PAM0037 looks great in by day, it also is quite handsome at night. The lume on this piece lights up like a rock concert stage, bright and legible and focused on the action. It doesn’t need much charge to bring out its bright face either.

The PAM0037 probably isn’t going to see many watery expeditions, but it still holds its own with a respectable rating to 100M, sufficient for a dip in the pool and snorkeling in Pigeon Cay, Honduras. I’d suggest a change from the crocodile strap in these scenarios, but fortunately the PAM0037 comes with removable wire loop strap attachments.

With their new complications and transfer over to in-house movements, Panerai is expanding their reach from the devotees to a new audience of watch aficionados that appreciate design along with manufacturing competence.

The lowest price point for a Radiomir in the current collection is the PAM380, which retails at $4,600, but this model has an ETA movement. The PAM0037, retailing for $7,700, is outfitted with an in-house movement, but you pay a premium for the privilege.

See Panerai’s catalogue for more details on the P.999 movement series.

 

Article provided by Meehna Goldsmith you can also follow Meehna on Twitter @thewatchlady

Original Article can be viewed at http://blogs.christies.com/longitude/function-movement/manual-winding/pam00337-radiomir-panerais-first-in-house-movement-that-has-a-sexy-slimmer-profile/

 

Written by Meehna Goldsmith

Mention the name Panerai and you’ll hear a racuous cry of celebration across the globe. Calling themselves the Paneristi, (they even have their own forum), these fans are the best advertising Panerai could ask for. The acolytes gather online and in person from countries as far flung as Australia to the Netherlands to trade tales and share their Panerai watches. In front of a Paneristi you don’t want to rake on their beloved brand or you might risk starting a brawl.

The Paneristi have so much clout that Rafael Alvarez, the new U.S. President, acknowledged that Panerai develops based on feedback from the disciples. What the Paneristi want, they get. They may protect the brand with their lives but they also don’t cut Panerai any slack if they find out they’re cutting corners with the watches. Witness the furor that went on when someone opened up the back of his PAM318 “Brooklyn Bridge” edition limited to 150 pieces only to find a scratched and unfinished movement inside. Panerai fans were not only disappointed but some were extremely pissed off—and rightly so.

But back to the real story. While most of the attention will be on the Luminor Tourbillon GMT Ceramica from SIHH this year, which retails for $141,000 (circa £90,000), I found the Panerai 424 (PAM424) much more in keeping with the brand’s DNA; it’s Panerai doing what Panerai does best.

 

In line with the trend to revisit heritage pieces, Panerai also issued the Panerai 424 Radiomir California 3 Days (PAM424) at SIHH 2012 with now what is officially called the “California Dial”. I showed you some of the other brands digging into the archives for inspiration for current models such as the Baume & Mercier, JLC, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, to name a few.

It’s rumored the “California Dial”, which shows Roman numerals on the top half and Arabic on the bottom, got its name because a dealer in California retailed it. Before Richemont took over Panerai, the brand was an assembler and not a watchmaker. They designed the cases and then sourced materials from other companies such as Rolex. Since the “California Dial” originally came from Rolex, you can also find “California Dials” on their watches as well as those from Movado.

This isn’t the first time modern Panerai dusted off the California Dial. In 2006 they put out the PAM249 Radiomir 1936 California Dial in a limited edition of 1936 pieces based on the PAM 3646 made for the Italian Marina Militare.

 

The new PAM424, which hearkens back to the 3466, incorporates what Panerai deems evolutions, a term they use to describe all their new introductions. As Alvarez explains, the brand can’t stay static but has to evolve.

For example, the 3466 didn’t have a date and the Panerai 424 (PAM424) does, and while the vintage example used a Rolex movement, the Panerai 424 (PAM424)uses the P.3000 in-house handwind movement the company introduced last year with two barrels giving a 3-day power reserve. Panerai retained the vintage looks of the 3466 with the 47mm cushion-shaped stainless steel case, wire strap attachments, conical, blued hands and a plexi crystal.

For the PAM424 Panerai chose an exhibition back and a water resistance to just 100 meters, which seems odd for an homage to a military diving piece. I would’ve preferred a closed back like the original. It’s not like the finishing on the movement is supposed to be the selling point here. The new OP logo on the dial and the “California” inscription engraved on the flange at 12 o’clock are new and identifying characteristics of the Panerai 424 (PAM424).

So what would I choose? I haven’t seen any 3466 come to market, but if they did I’d still choose the PAM424. And it’s not just because of the huge price differential that makes the 3466 unattainable to most, including yours truly.

I like the upgrades and modern touches Panerai did to the watch, giving it an overhaul and facelift. Inside ticks a robust new movement with a convenient 3-day power reserve so you can take the weekend off and kick back without hassling about the time. And, even if the watch did wind down, the independently moving hour hand connected to the date makes resetting a cinch, especially because you can move forwards or backwards.

With the Panerai 424 (PAM424) you’ve got a great daily wearer that’s based on the original but using state-of-the-art technology. It’s the difference between owning a vintage Ferrari and a brand spanking new one. The vintage you only drive on special occasions while the new one can roar out of the garage whenever you want it to.  The Panerai 424 (PAM424) offers you superb performance in a modern package.

The Panerai 424 (PAM424) Radiomir California 3 Days retails for $9400 (circa £6500). The 3466-??? Who knows, because I haven’t seen any come to market but it’s certainly a boatload of cash.

Article provided by Meehna Goldsmith you can also follow Meehna on Twitter @thewatchlady

Original article can be viewed at http://www.watchmatchmaker.com/1_mens_watches/this-or-that-the-new-panerai-424-takes-on-the-rare-vintage-3646.html