we're talking PANERAI. If, on the other hand, we're comparing...watches...the opposite applies and I'd choose the 197. At the beginning of my Panerai..journey..I DID buy a 231. Nice basic, terse, quintessential Panerai model, only in gold. When I bumped into a 197, I saw it as the..evolution..of the 231 with its 8days P.R. I bought it and gave the...lesser...model to one of my collegues, for a song and a dance. Only later, when I "understood" what type of watches are..PANERAI (as opposed to watches made..by Panerai) I wished I hand't made the...swap. Here's my 197...