Panerai Luminor 1950 (PAM 321) Fake Watch Review
There are reasons why people love and wear their watches. Perhaps their view has some emotional connection to an event in their past, maybe it was a gift, and if you are like us (watch nerds) you love having a useful mechanical toy on your wrist that also has style. While I usually readily understand my fellow watch enthusiasts, I’ll be the first to admit I did not understand the subgroup of watch nerds who are quite frankly fanatics of this Officine Panerai brand, otherwise called the”Paneristis”.
If you aren’t familiar with this breed of watch lover, simply spend a few minutes perusing the Paneristi forum and that I pretty much guarantee that you will depart the site astonished, maybe perplexed, by the real enthusiastic and regular posts from Paneristis all around the world. They talk about every model, post pictures, speculate on brand new models, provide advice to novices, and even throw parties (around the planet ) where fellow Paneristis come for a good time, make friends, and of course show off their beloved Panerai luminor 1950 pam 127 replica watch versions…
I was simply blown away when I found the Paneristis and didn’t know why they existed in the first place. Also mesmerizing was why Panerai, a comparatively newly revived watchmaking firm with limited styling, had become this iconic brand? That’s, I had been dumb, until I got my first Panerai… In this article I shall review my Panerai luminor 1950 flyback replica Luminor 1950 GMT or PAM 321 while still attempting to shed some light on the Paneristi movement. While I don’t consider myself a part of the”cult” however, I have a heard appreciation for the brand and its products and I believe I also understand what the fire is all about — or at least I shall talk with you my comments on the subject.
Like I said, Panerai, such as many other watchmaking brands and for many different reasons, had a discontinuous history. The business began in Florence (Firenze) in 1860 in which Giovanni Panerai set up a watchmaker shop and marketed maritime equipment. In the early part of the prior century Panerai’s roots in horology were cemented as they became the provider of watches for the Italian Navy. At that time, Italian frogmen would utilize their watches to time and synchronize strikes and in certain instances even mount torpedoes they would browse to bring down unmanned aircraft boats. Possessing a private time tool that you could use and watch underwater was a must for these surgeries and Panerai provided only that with their big watches which comprised a patented luminescent radioactive substance: radiomir.
Working with Rolex, Panerai helped create a number of the first water resistant timepieces. Earlier Panerai luminor 1950 regatta imitation watch models even included Rolex movements… However, possibly because of Italy’s loss in World War II or on account of the quartz crisis of the 70’s, or maybe a bit of both, the brand pretty much vanished… What happens next is well recorded, but suffice to say American celebrity and noticed watch enthusiast and collector Sylvester Stallone gave the brand a boost of life by wearing a Panerai in one of his films and by sporting the watches on the red carpet and during interviews. What followed was that the purchase of the company from the Richemont Group and its flourishing, aided by the obsessive Paneristis and online forums. Jake’s Panerai World blog has a comprehensive account of the Panerai history, for instance, heterosexual link, I urge the interested reader peruse for details and illustrations.
While the somewhat romantic history with the new Hollywood tie-in would result in a fantastic movie, it doesn’t promise a great watch. I truly wanted to know what was so special about Panerai and its watches, especially after seeing my cousin Alain, a medical doctor in Miami, and someone I genuinely admire, always sporting one. There has to be a deeper set of reasons that some men (and even gals) are attracted to the brand and become obsessed with it. After wearing my PAM 321 for a week direct during a portion of my winter vacation, I believe I broke the puzzle… but let me describe the PAM 321 along with the common design language it shares with all Panerai models.
Similar to a lot of powerful watchmakers, Panerai follows a common style and design language for each of its watches. The most common traits are: a huge pillow instance, exceptionally legible and simple dial with super-legible font, and a flexible range of straps.
On my PAM 321, the circumstance is the so-called 1950 case which is a pillow case shaped by a solid block of brushed stainless steel. The crown is polished steel and is protected by the unique-to-Panerai crown protecting device which helps to make the eye watertight. Basically it’s a half-crescent crown shield (tight seal device) of brushed steel which entirely covers the crown except for a small lever that if pulled (with nail or finger) releases the crown. It’s an ingenious device that has become a defining visual differentiator for the brand and that’s currently trademarked by Panerai because the 1960 patent rights have expired…
Possibly the most amazing part of this PAM 321 (and of many Panerai watches) is its incredible legibility, day or night. This is the result of the sandwich dial structure in which the hour mark and the 12, 6, and 9 hour marks are filled with Panerai luminor 1950 gmt clone watches luminescent that just shines with just a small bit of charge. Historically, Panerai has had different innovations in that area, including using radium-based luminescent, which was replaced with the non-radioactive luminor substance which gives the series its moniker. The legibility is indeed good that simply using it during the day, you’ll get all nighttime legibility… so it’s the perfect watch to sit down on your night table. Aiding because legibility is a well domed sapphire crystal on top of the grandfather clock-like easy dial using the Panerai special font that can be read from a distance.
Using the included components (strap change and flat screwdriver) I will quickly switch to the supplied black rubber strap. It gives the watch a sporty look and turns it into a veritable”diving” watch. While not a real diver (no rotating bezel, though it’s 300m water resistant) I had no difficulties with it in the pool and at the beach where I used it, to the dismay of my brother Laurent, as my favored snorkeling watch as we hunted, off the seas of Montrouis, for lionfishes (Pterois)–a predatory species that has invaded the waters of the Atlantic.
While utilizing the PAM 321 for snorkeling or diving is making use of this watch in the context of its historic roots, the capability to easily, quickly, and just change straps means that I can modify the personality of my PAM 321 within a minute to match my outfit or the current situation. The provided alligator strap is great for workplace while the rubber works well for the sea or the pool… but the beauty of possessing Panerai watches is acquiring third party straps while at precisely the same time entirely changing your watch.
There are literally 1000’s of aftermarket belts readily offered for many Panerai models. They are sold from all over the world, some starting as low as a few bucks and some reaching well into the $1K range. The materials differ from calf leather (fresh or distressed and everything in between) to alligator and crocodile, and to more exotic leathers such as stingray, reptiles, snakes, ostrich, and many more. The available colours are multitudinous and the comfort level will fluctuate with the material and structure. For mine, I was able to get a pair of distressed calf leather Large Belt straps from TimeRepublic seller on eBay for approximately $60 each (with transport ) and with a pre-V (pre-Vendome) buckle included.
And of course, this isn’t mentioning official Panerai luminor 1950 10 days gmt replica straps and bracelets that you could also purchase. In the Panerai shop in Bal Harbour, FL, for significantly more cash, I was able to bring the mythical assolutamente deployment strap to my collection as well as a rare brushed stainless steel bracelet. As previously mentioned, each strap only completely changes the opinion as if I had purchased a new opinion. This can be from comments of friends and family during my holiday where I used the opinion every day. Together with the stainless steel bracelet, I basically altered my PAM 321 into a PAM 347 because the bracelet is the sole difference between the two models.
Interestingly, the GMT hand is coloured exactly the same as the dial and is lean such that by moving the hour hand above it, you can conceal the GMT hand and convert the PAM 321 to a non-GMT watch. That is unlike what is generally possible with other GMT watches in which the GMT hand makes one revolution of the dial in 24 hours. The date changes when the hour makes two revolutions of the dial. However, one drawback here, highlighting that this isn’t a”real” GMT watch, is that you don’t easily know if the GMT hand is signaling AM or PM.
Two additional features of this movement would be the quick reset moments and also the 3-day power reserve indicator. To begin with, by releasing the crown and pulling it to the second place, you are able to move the minutes hand along with the GMT hand. However, what’s cool is that once you pull the crown into that second place, the seconds hand instantly moves to zero and the movement stops. This allows you to precisely place the present time to a reference time. No more do you want to wait for the seconds hand to achieve 60 in order to prevent it and set it correctly. The P.9002 movement does this for you .
The indicator interferes slightly with the GMT hand when the lumed arrow head travels across it, but that is a little price to pay to quickly know that you should wear or end the watch. I also found the energy reserve indicator to be accurate, showing exactly 36 hours remaining when I completely charged the watch and left it in my Wolf Designssee winder with a 36 hours begin wait.
As mentioned, I wore the PAM 321 at various contexts: in the pool; interacting; at parties; as well as snorkeling and skin diving at the beach. It is a fire that develops from having a watch with exceptional style that’s versatile (myriad of available third party straps that can be changed easily), that’s legible (easy, super crisp dial and fonts using amazing lume), and with a solid presence on the wrist that’s difficult to match with almost any other watch.
I’m now so pleased with my PAM 321 that I am thinking about adding a Submersible 47mm version to my list of future timepiece acquisitions… And believe me after I received the PAM 321, I thought this would be my first and last Panerai, since in the moment, in my mind they looked exactly the same. Now I see every version and I immediately lust at the further attributes or minor differences.
