For many years I have wanted a black Panerai in my collection, but somehow every time a new Panerai joined the family it was always in stainless steel. In my defense, the options with a black ceramic case are limited (as much as I love the look of PVD, I am too scared of scratches to own one). I admired the Radiomir PAM 292 for many years, but never took the plunge. Then I drooled over the PAM 317 but could not get over the high price point… but after 12 years of watch collecting, I finally added a black ceramic PAM to my collection – the PAM 1441.
Read MoreNEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM 968
O-M-G!!! This new arrival is one of my grails!!! When the first Panerai Bronzo was released in 2011, it was love at first sight. The love eventually turned into frustration as it was impossible to purchase one unless you knew someone or were a VIP customer. The years passed, new versions were released, but the Bronzo remained a myth… unobtainable at retail. What made things more infuriating was seeing many Brozos in the secondary market with a $10K premium or seeing one owner with multiple versions of the Bronzo (in many cases with all versions)... and there I was still dreaming about owning one someday.
Read MoreNEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 911 - "Last One for Paneristi"
After over one year of not purchasing a watch (new personal record), I am very excited about this latest new arrival. Not only is it from the brand that started it all for me, it is also a Limited Edition piece of only 500 pieces... and we all know how impossible it is to get Limited Edition pieces from Panerai! This PAM 911, also known as the "Last One for Paneristi", was designed by Mr. Angelo Bonati himself. Though unlikely that this will be the last one for Paneristi ever, it will be the last one under Mr. Angelo Bonati's reign. Jean-Marc Pontroué, Roger Dubuis CEO, is scheduled to become the next Officine Panerai CEO in April 2018. I have always been a fan and a harsh critic of Panerai (see my The Fall of a Giant? article), so it will be interesting to see what happens to the brand under the new direction of Jean-Marc.
Read MoreSTRAP REVIEW: Horus Snow Camouflage Rubber Strap for Panerai
This Horus strap was reviewed on 5 different criteria. The review is for this specific strap, other straps may perform differently. Evaluation is based on my wrist size, personal opinions, experiences, and preferences. If you would like to submit your product for a review, please contact me.
Read MoreFULL REPORT: Exclusive Panerai Dive Into Time VIP Event
Earlier this month I had the honor to attend the very exclusive Officine Panerai Dive Into Time VIP event in Beverly Hills. I had the pleasure to talk and dine with Giovanni Carestia (President of Panerai North America), Alessandro Ficarelli (Product Development Director), and several others from the Panerai team. And as if that was not awesome enough, we also had the chance to view and play with some newly released Panerai models. Needless to say, it was one heck of a night and one worth sharing with the rest of the watch community.
Read MoreNEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 563
My latest arrival is from the brand that started this entire watch craze for me, Officine Panerai. But before we get into more details, I would like to thank my awesome wife (Instagram @wifeofawis) for this incredibly thoughtful gift. For many years, I have wanted to add a white dial Panerai to my collection and this new PAM 563 is just perfect.
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