Talk to me about Panerai

[tekilla 0]

OK, so I'm pretty much a 'Day Zero' noob when it comes to nice watches. I've got fairly plain tastes and not really keen on outrageous designs or watches with massive faces, however, I'm intrigued (if that's the right word) about Panerai's.

 

I'd like to know more about them than I could find on Wikipedia and guess there must be some collectors around here who'd like to help educate me...please.

 

Italian watches, expensive and fairly hard to find (IE: not the sort of thing you'd find in a high street Goldsmiths)?

Are the reps good quality?

How does the wind up movement work & how long in between winds?

Why do people refer to them as PAM?

Is the watch on the RWG header a Panerai and if so, which model (I like it)

 

Like I say, total noob but would love to hear from enthusiasts :-)

 

Thank you.

[Cynikal.Mindset 1]

PANERAI = Italian for "they all look the same"

[houndoggie 58]

Panerai History

 

 

 

I make no claims about any of this being authoritative, but it's the best I've been able to glean from several sources.

 

In the 1860s, one Guido (good name that) Panerai set up a wordshop in Florence making precision mechanical instruments. The workshops carried on into the 20th century as "Officine Panerai".

 

By the 1930s the workshops were making a range of wrist-worn instruments for frogmen; compasses, depth gauges and the like.

 

In 1935 Officine Panerai were comissioned by the Italian Navy to construct watches for use underwater, specifically ones that could be read underwater. After some inital prototypes Officine Panerai delivered it's first product diving watches in 1938. These were fitted with Rolex movements (and Rolex crowns and casebacks).

 

Officine Panerai progressively improved its designs, with increased luminosity of numerals and hands, and the now famous crown-locking device. Later models were fitted with an Angelus 8 day (marked "8 giorno") movement . The radioactive radium which gave such legibility to the Radiomir models was replaced with the distinctly less toxic compound "Luminor".

 

Things get a bit hazy here, but as far as I can see the equipment manufacturing end of Officine Panerai drifted out of business after the end of the Second World War.

 

In 1993 Officine Panerai started to reproduce the Luminor, and the Mare Nostrum chronograph, basically targetted at the collector's market. These were produced only in very limited numbers.

 

In 1997 Officine Panerai were acquired by the Vendôme group. Under the new bosses basically the same models were produced, still in small numbers. However in a clever marketing move, a few "unique editions" were produced each year, with an intriguing movement or case design.

 

This basically brings us to the present day. There seems to be no great rush to produce Officine Panerai watches in huge numbers. Collectors are snapping up vintage models and "pre - Vendôme", and Panerai have just launched their most exciting range of production watches and unique editions yet. It will be intriguing to see what happens in the next few years, but with a steady hand on the helm Panerai might well become one of the most collectable brands around, whilst still not being seen on every street corner. COPIED FROM PANERISTI

 

 

The reps are excellent in quality.

Handwind Panerai are wound by the crown, and wound until the crown can't be wound anymore. Typical power reserve is 30-50 hours.

Not all Panerai are handwind.

 

 

Panerai are called PAMs because Panerai refers to them this way in there numbering system. PAM is short for PAnerai Model.

[dingle 57]

PANERAI = Italian for "they all look the same"

 

 

hater!

 

 

 

take a look here tekilla

 

http://www.paneristi.com/

 

[flottiglia 0]

The wind up movement is usually going to be a an Asian 6497 which is a Chinese clone of a Unitas movement originally designed for pocket watches.There are certain basic gen Panerais that use the Unitas version albeit dressed up "in house" .The rep movement has the same basic layout and design so can look quite authentic.These movements will run for 50 hours or so on a full wind.

 

They are called PAM's simply because the Panerai model numbering system refers to models as Pam 005,Pam 288 etc..

 

The watch in the header is a Panerai Radiomir style case with a base dial (no seconds) these cases are available in 45 and 47mm diameters with all sorts of dial variations.The original Radiomir watches were used by German and Italian frogmen before and during WW2..

[Luthier 1]

Exactly.

PAMs could be equipped with all kinds of movements - from automatic 21j,( the most primitive one, but sometimes it's a good workhorse), and Asian copy of Vaijoux 7750/7753 (25 jewels, hi-beat) to manual handwind movements - usually 6497, (17 jewels, low beat). Autos don't need winding, manuals do need it, usually 50 turns of the crown will give you about 42-48 hours of the run. Don't be afraid of low beat movements, because in most cases PAMs don't have big seconds hand, only small one, on subdial, and you'll never be able to say, is it hi beat or low beat, it runs smooth anyway.

Yes, it's PAM Radiomir on the header, no-name model, rusted and ugly. At least to me. But since our Boss is obsessed with PAMs - he can place there anything he wants. We all respect his twisted tastes...

[Miracle 13]

Can I get a Swiss eta in a pam

[Silverspeed 10]

No need for Swiss movements in Pams. The manual wind movments are never completely Swiss, the Chinese add Panerai decorated bridges, so at best you'll get a Swiss based 6497

 

A few years back Swiss 7753 Pams were a big hype, but nowadays the current Pams are actually better in terms of accuracy and the Asian 7750/7753 are quite reliable especially when pre-serviced