Officine Panerai

What is it about Panerai which makes many of us drool?  Why does strapping on a Panerai feel "good"?  And why don't I get this same feeling when I strap on a watch from another brand?  What is Panerai's allure?  I think it's safe to say that all of us who attended our recent New York City (Sep 8, 2011) and Los Angeles (Sep 15, 2011) dinner events know the answer.  Panerai's collector community is unique and unlike any other.  When you buy a Panerai watch, not only do you get a watch but you also get the opportunity to meet fascinating people who share the same vibrant passion.  And what's unusual is these new people you meet generally are all people who you get along with very well in real life.  There's something about Panerai which brings people together of all different color, religion, and culture. 

The primary objective of our recent LA and NYC dinner events was to showcase the new SIHH 2011 watches - to let our guests touch, feel, drool , and strap on the watches.  And at the same time, let our guests not only associate a face with a screenname but to let us all bond together, strengthening our passion for both Panerai and horology.  For our NYC event, we all met up at the NYC Panerai Boutique on Madison Ave.  Even though this was the 1st time I've visited the NYC Boutique even though it's been open for quite some time, when I walked in, I immediately felt at home since the layout and look is very much almost identical to that of the Beverly Hills Boutique.  The only thing different was the faces of the Boutique staff.  Below are some pictures of the store facade.

Below are the curvy wall displays just like at the BH Boutique.  And btw, sorry for the pixelated pictures.  I forgot to bring my DSLR flash attachment, so all the pictures were taken at high ISO. 

 
Even though I woke up at 2am that day to catch the 6am flight to NYC to land a few hours prior to the event, I was feeling energized and ready to meet and greet my fellow PuristS.  Many of the people who attended this NYC event were PuristS virgins attending their 1st PuristS event, so I was preparing my brain to begin remembering faces since I have a horrible memory when it comes to remembering people's names.  I'd say maybe 2/3rds of the people attending were people I've never met before, so we had a great turnout for this event.  It's always great to see new faces at our events because it demonstrates to me and my fellow PuristSPro team that our dedication and hard work is making a positive impact in the world of horology.  The first guests begin to arrive ...

 
Drinks and hors d'oeuvres were served.  It was a hot and humid day in NYC, so a glass champagne quelled my thirst as I began introducing myself and mingling with all the guests one by one.

Guests were trying on the new watches and asking questions to the Boutique staff.  A wonderful staff led by Boutique Manager Sharif Abdelfattah (sorry forgot to take a picture of him). 

 

 

Hmm...is this a watch with the new P.3000 in-house movement with 3-day power reserve?  Notice how large the movement is?  It looks like the movement was made for the case, instead of vice versa, which is a huge delight for me to see.

Yes it is!  It's the highly anticipated PAM372 47mm Luminor Base.  Sexy in all its might, this PAM372 oozes everything Panerai.  Hands down, I consider this piece to be the hottest and best piece of the entire SIHH 2011 collection.  And what's great is this piece is a regular production piece so everyone will be able to enjoy it instead of a limited few.

Panerai's look great on the wrist don't they?

Is that a 60mm PAM341 Radiomir Egiziano I see on a PuristS' wrist in the below picture?  Wow people actually do wear their PAM341's outside the house.  Amazing and I like it!  This PuristS and Panerai North America President Rafael Alvarez (on very left) are having a fervent conversation! 

  

 

After an hour and a half at the Boutique, we head over to Rothmann's which is a popular steakhouse in midtown.  Spectacular food each and every time I ate there when I used to live in Manhattan, so I was very much looking forward to a great meal.  And furthermore, the only thing I ate that day was a McDonalds sausage mcmuffin and hashbrown at the airport at 5am!

We all sit down at the table and chat for another 30 minutes as we wait for everyone to make their way from the Boutique to the restaurant.  Below is a picture of the menu for the night.  Looks like we are all in for a real treat!

After everyone settles in, I give some opening words as well as Panerai President Rafael Alvarez (below is a very brief video).

The TV on the wall played various Panerai videos throughout the evening. 

And now for the food pictures.  I won't bother describing each course as the pictures speak for themselves.  This dinner menu was probably the best menu we've ever had of all the PuristS dinners I've helped organize over the past years, and thanks once again to Panerai for this great meal.  Wine was great too!

 

The SIHH 2011 watches made their way from the Boutique to the restaurant and were passed around from table to table throughout the entire meal.  The Panerai virus was slowly inching its way around the room and infecting those who currently did not own any Panerai's.  Resistance is futile, and I'm positive many will be purchasing their 1st Panerai by the end of the year. We Panerai owners are very convincing and make great brand reps! 

The dinner was all about community and getting to know your fellow PuristS.  At my table, we chatted about everything from which hot clubs to visit in NY during the rest of my stay here, which Panerai we're eyeing, and even about men's grooming .  The comradery forged amongst the guests throughout the night was well evident and priceless.  I definitely am looking forward to meeting the NY PuristS again hopefully at another event next year!

 

Now onto our Los Angeles event a week later on Thursday September 15, 2011.  Since this is our 3rd annual Panerai SIHH collection dinner event, Panerai suggested we change the format up this year.  Normally we would have our cocktail reception inside the Beverly Hills Boutique like what we did in the NY event above.  And then head on over to a restaurant nearby.  We wanted to make this year's event more intimate and had a total of 28 people including staff.  Prior years were between 35-40 total people, so as a result, we had a huge waitlist for this LA event.  I apologize to those who were highly interested in attending this year, but hopefully you'll be able to attend next year's event.

And so, this year we held the event at the private club SOHO HOUSE on Sunset Blvd in West Hollywood. Below is the private dinner room that we booked with a max seating capacity of 28.  I snapped a few pictures while the room was empty before heading off to another room down the hall where we will have our cocktail reception. 

Here's the lovely view of LA from our dining room.  Looks even more amazing when it's night time!

 
Table settings with name place cards.

I head on over to the cocktail reception room down the hall which was perfect for our reception.  Panerai had 3 small displays cases setup which acted as our "teasers" for the SIHH 2011 collection.  No SIHH 2011 watches were passed around the room during the reception as the primary goal for the reception was to let the guests mingle amongst themselves and to get to know each other.  This also gives Rafael the chance to meet all the PuristS collectors whom he hasn't met before.  Great idea by Panerai and perfect for community building. 

Below is the infamous heavy and huge Panerai coffee table book. 

The first guests arrive, and the waitstaff did a superb job with getting everyone wine and champagne.  Sorry I didn't take any pictures of the hors d'oeuvres, but they were excellent especially the tender filet mignon strips served on skewer sticks. 

 

  

  

 

Everyone's having a great time!  Below is Panerai West Coast Sales Director Karl Poulson (on left) talking to a fellow PuristS.

All the guests arrive, and so we migrate over to the dining room.  Several women were even wearing Panerai's!  Now where are those men who keep posting "I can't wear a Panerai because it's too big for my wrist."  If a lady can wear one, you can do!  Man up!    

What needs to be changed is not your wrist size but the perception in your mind!


 


 

 





 
Here's an aerial view of our room.  Beverly Hills Boutique Manager Chad Warrick graced our presence along with his great staff - Tanya, Marcel, and Jason. 

  

  

  

 

Below is the menu for the night as well as pictures of each course. 


 

Here's the PAM373 which is the 47mm Radiomir 3 Days Platinum with a faint brown colored dial.  Looks fabulous on the wrist, and the weight on the wrist is sublime!  An awesome piece and definitely one to see in the flesh.












Here's the PAM373 along with the PAM379 which is a 47mm Radiomir in rose gold housing the new in-house P.3000 3-day movement.  Which dial variant do you prefer?

Below is a model which hasn't gotten much chatter which is the PAM345 44mm Luminor 1950 Monopusher Chronograph Destro in titanium.  Dial is the faint brown dial just like in the above PAM373. 



Here's the PAM382 47mm Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days automatic in bronze aka "Bronzo".  Another star of the SIHH 2011 collection, the Bronzo has a faint green colored dial and houses the P.9000 movement.  The bronze will develop a darkened patina over time which makes the case look even more beautiful.  Fits great on the wrist, and the brown strap is a perfect match.






A trio of 47mm bad boys - from left to right - PAM371 Regatta Submersible, PAM382, and my PAM203.









Here's the PAM384 45mm Radiomir Black Ceramic which houses the P.2002 8-day movement.






Another star of the SIHH 2011 collection is the below PAM375 47mm Luminor 1950 Composite which houses the P.3000 movement.  Those who were waiting for the Luminor version of the PAM339 will be happy with this composite model.

All in all, each of our 2 events in NYC and LA had different formats but with the same objective - to teach our fellow PuristS about Panerai and to share our common goal of learning more about watches and each other.  We are lucky to have such an enthusiastic community and a great brand who believes in us.  Thank you Panerai for hosting these 2 dinners with the PuristS community, and I wish you the best of luck with the new SIHH 2012 collection which is only a few months away.  I am sure you will amaze us all again!

Passion. Opinion. Information.

Cheers,
Anthony

 

 

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-09-17 17:25:32 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-09-21 14:04:03

Here are more pictures and videos of the SIHH 2011 collection from my Press Preview report earlier in the year in March.

Cheers,
Anthony

The first watch I looked at was the Panerai PAM380 45mm Radiomir Black Seal. This entry level Black Seal is different from the prior Black Seal models such as the PAM183 because this version has the Pre-V OP logo on the dial. The PAM380 is a regular production stainless steel watch with black dial from the Historic Collection. I really like how the Pre-V logo looks on a Radiomir. Prior Panerai's with this Pre-V logo have only been on the Luminors, so if my memory serves me correct, this is the 1st Radiomir with the Pre-V logo.

Below is a picture of the PAM380 Black Seal (left) and the original PAM183 Black Seal. Notice the different fonts used for "Radiomir Black Seal". I guess Panerai made "Black Seal" smaller to balance out the dial since there's now the Pre-V logo at 6 o'clock.

Which version do you like better? I personally like the PAM380 on the left. The Pre-V logo gives this Radiomir a slightly more sporty look.

Also, this PAM380 has a solid caseback instead of a sapphire back found on the PAM183.

Any of the Black Seals makes a perfect entry level Panerai for those looking to buy their first Panerai or Radiomir.

Next watch is the Panerai PAM373 which is the 47mm Radiomir 3 Days Platinum. It's a unique edition of 199 pieces from the SIHH 2011 Special Editionn and houses the P.3000 hand wound in-house movement. Panerai introduced a lot of models this year with a domed Plexiglass crystal instead of the usual domed 1950 sapphire crystal, and this Plexiglass crystal gives the watches an extra touch of uniqueness.

I've never understood the desirability of this dial which is used on a vintage Panerai model, but after having seen the PAM373 in the flesh, now I understand why. I must say the PAM373 is much better in person than in pictures. The added heft of the platinum case makes this watch even more impressive. With a retail price of ~$40k, it definitely will be out of reach for many, but for those who anticipate on getting one, you won't be disappointed!

Another great feature with this PAM373 is the awesome display back. You get the see the new manual wind P.3000 in-house movement in all its glory. It's a LARGE movement which fits extremely well in this 47mm case. The balance wheel is fairly large as well which is a huge plus in my book. I never liked the small balance wheel on the P.2002 movement.

Look at how well the movement fills the space, and the caseback bezel is very thin which makes the movement looks even larger IMO. And a note to all the other brands who offer large watches and are reading my report, learn from Panerai and make a large sized movement. Beautiful beautiful beautiful!!!!

 

Notice the small Pre-V logo next to the 950 platinum stamp on the caseback bezel? Awesome touch by Panerai isn't it?

Maybe someday in the future Panerai can make a more skeletonized version of the P.3000. I would love to see more of the movement if possible.

Also, the P.3000 movement is so large that it doesn't look like it can fit in a regular 44mm Historic Luminor. So my hopes of a 44mm Historic Luminor using the P.3000 movement just went down the drain. I guess Panerai can use the smaller P.999 movement in the 44mm Historic Luminors should it decide to stop using the Unitas movements.

Next up is the Panerai PAM376 47mm White Gold Radiomir 3 Days w/ California dial. It's a unique edition of 299 pieces from the SIHH 2011 Special Editions. It's another 47mm Radiomir housing the new P.3000 in-house manual wind movement and also uses the Plexiglass crystal just like in the PAM373. This PAM376 is just another mix and match combo by Panerai using the California dial, but at least this is the first variant using the new P.3000 movement.

If I had to choose between the PAM373 or the PAM376, I'd definitely pick the PAM373 but that's just my preference. I'm sure there are many others who would prefer the California dial though.

And once again, the large P.3000 movement is a stunner and huge winner in my book. I am definitely adding a P.3000 movement watch to my Panerai collection in the future but if I do, I fear I may not wear my other Panerai's anymore because they won't have this awesome display back view.

Next is the Panerai PAM384 45mm Radiomir 8 Days Ceramic . It's a black dialed ceramic Radiomir which uses the manual wind P.2002/3 movement and is part of the SIHH 2011 Historic collection. And for you strap fanatics, the black strap is very soft and conforms to your wrist extremely well. Normally this watch would garner more attention because it's a black ceramic watch. But looks like the new brown composite watches seem to be the more "in" thing now with Panerai fans, myself included.

Nevertheless, if you're looking for a more complicated ceramic PAM292, you may want to take a look at the PAM384.

And below is a shot by Ming of the awesome black strap on the PAM384. I believe it's buffalo?

Next is a model that many seem to like a lot - the Panerai PAM382 Bronzo 47mm Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic. This 47mm monster tuna can houses the automatic P.9000 in-house movement. The case and bezel are bronze while the caseback bezel is in titanium. The caseback bezel is in titanium because you don't want bronze in contant contact with your skin for health reasons. Unique edition of 1000 pieces.

In the Bronzo prototype above, you can already see the bronze develop patina which will give this Submersible a much desired rugged look which we all Panerai fanatics crave. Imagine a Bronze Panerai w/ tritium dial. Now that would be awesome but it won't be happening anytime soon since Panerai no longer uses tritium on its dials.

The dial on the Bronzo has a very slight green tinge to it. The green is not really noticeable since far away, you would just think the dial is the usual Panerai slate color.

Below are some more pictures by Ming of the Bronzo along with another video.

The racheting of the bezel on the Bronzo feels very solid like that of the PAM305 Submersible I reviewed earlier.

The Panerai PAM375 47mm Luminor Composite 1950 3 Days is another watch that Panerai released this year that houses the manual wind P.3000/1 movement. This watch differs from the other P.3000 watches in that it uses a sapphire crystal instead of Plexiglass. For those waiting for a 47mm brown composite Luminor, this PAM375 should be high up on your list. It's a unique edition of 2000 pieces and is from the SIHH 2011 Special Editions collection.

The overall thickness of the PAM375 seems to be thinner than other 47mm 1950 Luminors. The reason for this is because of the flat caseback bezel shown in Ming's picture below. It seems as if all the P.3000 watches have flat caseback bezels instead of the usual slanted caseback bezel found on the non-P.3000 watches. I really like this flat caseback bezel design because it makes these watches easier to wear on the wrist, giving more wearability to the wrist challenged.

The view through the smoked caseback makes the movement looks PVD'ed at certain angles. But in most viewing angles, the smoked display back just obscures the view of this lovely P.3000.

Next up on the chopping block is the Panerai PAM386 Brown Composite 44mm Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic. This is another brown composite Luminor but is a regular production piece. The PAM386 houses the automatic P.9000 in-house movement and is part of the SIHH 2011 Contemporary Collection. This piece normally would get more attention on any year, but the above PAM375 unfortunately stole PAM386's thunder.

The caseback crystal is also smoked like that of the above PAM375.

The PAM386 would make a great addition to my list of great 1st Panerai's to get for any Panerai newbie. It joins the ranks of the Radiomir Black Seals and the PAM000 and PAM005 in my book.  

 

Now let's take at the hottest watch of the entire Panerai SIHH 2011 collection which is the long awaited 47mm 1950 Luminor Base - the Panerai PAM372 Luminor 1950 3 Days 47mm Base. We've been waiting for a 47mm base for years, and we finally have it - thank you Mr. Bonati!

What's great about this PAM372 is this case is a brand new case for Panerai. There are slight differences with this 1950 case as compared to the normal 1950 cases, and I'll point out the differences below.

The PAM372 houses the manual wind P.3000 movement and also has the Plexiglass crystal. It's a regular production piece with 3000 pieces schedule to be made this year.

In the below picture, notice the thinner lugs on the PAM372 on the left as compared to the lugs on my PAM29 on the right. The lugs on this new case are thinner and more flat. And the reason why Panerai made this change is because the cases on the vintage Panerai models were like this.

I really love this new 1950 vintage case!!!!!

Another new thing about this PAM372 case is there is now a visible ridge on the sides of the case. You'll see the difference in the below comparison picture.

And below is a better shot showing both the thinner lugs and ridge on the sides.

Below is the usual P.3000 view through the display back. One cool thing to notice is this is Panerai's first time ever to engrave the BB # and water resistance rating on the underside of the lugs. I guess do they do this because there's no room to engrave anything else on the narrow caseback bezel. Just an observation I haven't seen anyone else point out, so might as well point out this minor characteristic.

The PAM373 also has the flat caseback bezel just like the other P.3000 watches.

Above is a great picture showing the shape of the PAM372 plexiglass crystal. Notice how it protrudes above the bezel. I feel this look further compliments the PAM372's vintage look.

And for the strap fanatics, here's a comparison shot of the PAM372 brown strap with my OEM brown calf strap on my PAM29. You'll notice the PAM372 strap has a slight shiny coating on it and has slightly roughed up edges. Great job on the strap design Panerai.

There were other new Panerai models that debutted at SIHH 2011, but these are the main ones. I'll be sure to take photos and videos of the missing watches next time hopefully in a few months.

Thanks for taking the time to read my report, and hope you found this year's collection as impressive as I have. And another big round of applause for the Panerai staff again. Their service is top notch as always, and great seeing you again Chad and Michelle. Looking forward to chatting again in the very near future! 

Additional Photos by Dr. Ming Woo:

 

  This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-09-17 15:05:55

Thanks so much for the extensive coverage and the detailed descriptions of all the new SIHH offerings!

Cheers,
Anthony

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But something about this particular rendition of the "Radiomir Panerai" font, a la the PAM372, is really appealing to me, over the 232...

C

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to Panerai for developing the P3000 movement.     Really set the right stage for future 47mm+ models w/ in-house movements.

... and allowing those that didn't attend to live vicariously while serving as a wonderful reminder for those that did.

Next time.

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Like you wrote in the last bit : Passion Opinion Information

Thanks for photo report

Best,

Horo

Many many thanks to PuristSPro and Panerai for orchestrating this fantastic dinner!  It was great to meet so many people; my first time meeting some new PuristSPro members and my first time meeting the new Panerai President Monseiur Alvarez as well.  To our new members and friends; Welcome to PuristSPro! 

A great event!  While I can't speak for the New York event, the Los Angeles event was hosted at an incredible venue, the food was fantastic, and it was just fantastic to see everyone again!  Some incrediulous watches were also brought over including the much anticipated L'Astronomo, which was a special honor and pleasure to behold. 

Many thanks to PuristSPro and Panerai for hosting this wonderful event! 

Ciao Anths!

A huge Grazie mille for bringing these 2 events to life in these photos!

Awesome coverage of the people, the watches and of course those glorious food!

Thanks for them all!

And yes, A Panerai ALWAYS feels so different!

Hope it was enjoyed fully by all!

Ciao

Stephen

Wonderful report(s), but where was the new 386???

If you don't see the video, then switch over to a computer instead of a phone or tablet.  I know my Droid doesn't support these embedded YouTube videos.

Sorry I don't have any new pictures of the PAM386.  When you're playing host, sometimes you don't get to snap all the photos you want since you're too busy meeting and greeting the guests, especially those who you haven't seen before

Cheers,
Anthony

This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-09-18 14:15:57

I am glad that you managed to take some pictures of the PAM 345 which as you stated has ont gotten much chatter.

Happens to be that it is the Panerai that I put in an roder for this year, it is the watch in the 2011 line up that really caught my eye.

Even if it continues to stay a discrete watch, I am certain that I will be more t han happy with my purchase.

Looks like you all had a load of fun at the two events.

Best regards,

George

organised. Congrats!  

I see several familar faces, all smiling. I cant wait the see the 2011 models .

Regards

John

From the venue to the food to the watches, everything was outstanding!  Most importantly, it was great spending time with new friends and old, and sharing our common passion for watches in general and Panerai in particular!

Thank you to everyone who contributed to the stellar evening!

Craig 

Fine watches and fine food. They both make me drool. 

Awesome photos Anthony and a great write up!

Taken under low lighting so pardon the dim video!

Cheers,
Anthony

 

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Great event by Panerai, a happy gathering of paneristi and purist and great watches there...

I really think Panerai did great this year . I'm hoping to see more from them next year

Best,

Sam

WOW.

 Wish i  could have this kind of GTG in Boston. !!!

 Great Pictorial of Great Waches. but most importantly is the People you meet and the Friendship that comes with it :0)))

Cheers and Thank you for sharing..

 Tony

Thanks again Anthony.  I hope the PuristsPro NYC gatherings will become an annual event.

That's what we had at the NYC meeting.