Panerai Black Watches Sale, Swiss Replica Panerai Black

Panerai Luminor Marina Logo Brooklyn Bridge (PAM00318)

I'm a dishwasher at a busy restaurant, and this watch hasn't let me down yet! It's a great watch, easy to read, and works awesome!

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Marco, From Dogan Iskenderun Hatay

Panerai Radiomir 1940 10 Days GMT Oro Rosso (PAM00625)

A good buy, nice deal, smooth transaction.

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by al casciato, From USA Hesnee

Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic Acciaio 42mm (PAM00523)

This Panerai watch was an anniversary gift for my husband whom is a watch collector. He loved it!even as an owner of a Brieghtling & Rolex. Great Value!

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by camilla-arriane olsen, From Denmark H?rning

When it comes to gold watches, not all golds are the same. Beyond the simple differences in yellow, red and white gold, brands are increasingly differentiating their collections with their own personalized alloys of the precious metal.

For many, a Swiss Made gold watch is the ultimate status symbol, regardless of the complexity of the movement that beats inside it. But the sheer range of different types of gold offered by luxury watch brands, each clamouring to ensure us that their version of gold is better than anyone else's, can be confusing.

How gold is your gold?
It's interesting to note that the ISO 8654 standard that governs the colours of gold is actually derived from a Swiss watchmaking industry standard that was first drawn up in 1966. This standard classifies gold colours in six grades, from 0N to 5N, the latter of which you may well have seen in numerous gold watch specifications. But what do these numbers mean?

They refer to the observed colour of the finished product, rather than any specific alloy of gold. The 0N and 1N colours contain only 58.5% gold and are therefore not 18-carat (or 18K or 18 Karat if you are American) alloys. Any alloy containing 75% gold or above is considered 18-carat, which is the case for 2N to 5N gold. At the top of the scale, 5N gold contains the least amount of silver if it is used in the alloy and therefore offers the reddest hue to the finished product, which is referred to as red, pink or rose gold, depending on the watch brand.

The World Gold Council, however, uses a much more specific notation, subdivided into three colours of 18-carat gold as follows:

• Yellow gold: 75% gold, 15% silver, 10% copper
• White gold: 75% gold, 25% platinum or palladium
• Rose gold: 75% gold, 9.2% silver, 22.2% copper

As we can see from the current offerings from the leading watch brands, not all rose gold alloys - the predominant one at least as far as men's gold watches are concerned - are the same, as the brands carefully juggle the three main constituents of the alloy to create their own "house blends".

Magic Gold - Hublot
Hublot's unique and proprietary Magic Gold alloy is produced in the brand's own mini-foundry on site at the manufacture in Nyon. The secret recipe combining gold, copper and platinum creates the world's first and only scratch-proof 18-carat gold alloy.

Sedna Gold - Harry Winston
First used by Omega, this gold alloy that is exclusive to the Swatch Group brands contains a higher proportion of palladium, which gives the case a warmer colour and finish. Harry Winston uses it for the first time this year in its Avenue collection. The palladium ensures a long-lasting lustre to the red tones in the case. The alloy is named after the trans-Neptunian object that astronomers called Sedna and is renowned for its red glow.

King Gold - Hublot
King Gold is the other gold alloy used by Hublot. Its exclusive colour is even redder than traditional 5N red gold. To achieve this result, the brand's metallurgists increased the percentage of copper and added platinum in order to stabilise the colour over the years and neutralise oxidation.

5Npt gold - Panerai
Surprisingly, Panerai only introduced its first models in red gold at the SIHH in 2012. The 5Npt alloy used by the Florentine brand consists of almost one-quarter (24.1%) copper, which adds a redder tinge to the gold Panerai watches. Like Hublot, Panerai adds a tiny percentage of platinum (0.4%) to prevent oxidation of the metal.

Chopard - Fairmined gold
Chopard cares more about the provenance of its gold than it does about its colour. The brand has gone to great lengths to incorporate Fairmined gold into its collection, since it requires an entirely separate foundry and production line and it must ensure that the Fairmined gold is not contaminated with any other type of gold - even in the waste recovered during the manufacturing process. The Fairmined appellation means that the gold was mined in a responsible manner and that the miners themselves receive fair payment and an overall premium for demonstrating that gold can be mined sustainably.
Chopard was the first brand to launch a high-end luxury watch made of Fairmined gold: the L.U.C Tourbillon QF Fairmined, which was presented at Baselworld last year.

On December 8, Artcurial auctioned off some 69 lots in a sale titled "Panerai Only," the first public auction dedicated to the Italian brand. The sale included timepieces made from the 1930s to the present day. Notwithstanding its commercial aspirations, it aimed to give greater visibility to a brand whose history and production were cloaked in secrecy for years due to its military connection.

"The brand deserves to be better known by the public," said Marie Sanna-Legrand, a specialist in Artcurial's watch department. "Panerai has produced unusual diving watches since its founding. It was only natural for us to dedicate a sale to the brand just ahead of its 80th anniversary," she said.

The 80th anniversary in question refers to the birth of the Radiomir, first made by Panerai in 1936 for Italian military divers. The brand itself dates back to 1860 when it started as a small shop backed by an atelier and watchmaking school, primarily supplying measuring instruments and diving watches to the Italian Marine.

 In 1997, the brand was acquired by the Compagnie Financiere Richemont. Today, Panerai produces its own movements and assembles its watches in a manufacture in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.

In sheer numbers, the sale was less than spectacular. It totaled €1,014,010 (including premium) against a presale estimate of €1,325,800 (not including premium), with only 43 percent of the lots sold and 63 percent sold by value.
"When you consider the historical pieces, 80 percent were sold," said Romain Rea, an outside specialist retained by Artcurial to procure consignments and prepare the catalogue. "Limited editions also sold well to collectors and dealers. It was the middle range, pieces priced between €3,000 and €15,000, what we call second-hand pieces, that sold less well, in the 20 percent range. This is a phenomenon we have witnessed globally in the watch market," he added.

According to the auction house, two world records were achieved. Lot 52, labeled an exceptional and rare limited edition 1956 stainless steel diving watch was sold for €125,800. Lot 38, a Radiomir model PAM00021, a 1997 limited edition wristwatch with a Rolex movement and a re-edition of the 1938 Radiomir, sold for €103,500. Both found buyers at or close to their lowest estimates.

Two other models, lots 25 and 40, from the 1950s, both with Rolex-manufactured movements, found buyers for €101,000, at their lowest estimates.

 "We had gathered historical pieces that trace the brand's history and important stages of production," Mr. Rea said. "There was a time when there were few clients for Panerai watches. Now, there is a growing collector base and the sale helped in further developing that base."

Educating the public and developing a collector-base with an appreciation of the merits of a brand can help narrow the gap with the top market sellers, Patek Philippe and Rolex. Clearly, the global result of the Panerai sale pales in comparison to the spectacular results that, say, a Patek Philippe or Rolex sale can generate.  
Just weeks before the Panerai Only sale, Sotheby's had sold the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication for nearly $24 million. Christie's single brand Patek anniversary auction last November generated $19,7 million. A year earlier, Christie's single-themed Rolex auction titled "Rolex Daytona Lesson One" had fetched $13 million.

While Christie's and Sotheby's may shun brands other top sellers for theme sales, auction houses like Artcurial can carve their own niche market and capture clients out-priced by a rare Rolex or Patek.
"Thematic watch sales are a strategy we believe in and that we will continue in the future," said Ms. Valade, Director of the Watch and Jewel Department, Artcurial.

We are in Egypt, 600 years before Christ.
The Pharaoh's wise men have just developed a new instrument for reading the time. It is called the Merkhet. Its original construction allows it to read the time even after sunset. With this invention, man can start to tell the time even in the black of night. And this will allow him to improve the precision of time reading.

Nowadays this story seems outmoded or confined to archaeology books. There is light everywhere and the time can be read in any conditions. Even at night, the light shines…
But things have not always been so. Not so long ago, in fact, the ability to read the dial of a watch was of crucial importance. And, as is so often the case, it was war that created this need.

On the night of 20th December 1914, the French Farman MF 11 were the first bombers to fly at night. The ability to read flight instruments in complete darkness thus became a strategic priority.
From 1917, the American Defense Department decided to order luminescent watches from the US Radium Corporation, which used radium paint for the luminescence. History recalls above all the struggle of the "radium girls", who spent their days painting watch dials with radioactive substances, with the health effects that we can imagine.
But at the time, this production was strategic… and it remained so for a long time.

At the dawn of the second world war, such instruments that were readable at night were no longer needed just in the air. Night could also appear in the middle of the day - you just had to dive under water.
We now move to Italy, where a few men understood that underwater combat could offer a precious advantage in the case of conflict. They followed the example of two of their predecessors, Major Rossetti and Lieutenant Paolucci, who became the first combat swimmers in history, when they sunk an Austro-Hungarian cruiser in the port of Pola in November 1918.
Inspired by this feat, their comrades wanted to dive discreetly, swim towards their targets, destroy them and then disappear. They became the first combat swimmers of the 10th MAS flotilla.

In order to operate at night and underwater, the members of the MAS flotilla needed equipment that was both reliable yet innovative, including genuine diver's watches that were both water resistant and legible. And it was this latter aspect that needed the most work. One of the officers in the flotilla heard about a watch workshop in Florence. He visited it and met Guido Panerai. Together, they decided to develop a watch that would meet the requirements for future operations by the Italian swimmers.

Once again, radium was called to the rescue. Panerai developed a water resistant watch with two superimposed dials: one was hollowed out with large 12, 3, 6 and 9 numerals and the other was covered with radium. They were fitted into an oversized case that was 47mm in diameter and housed a Rolex movement.
The Radiomir was born.

This is where the story starts. Italy's combat divers started operations. Their exploits inspired navies all over the world. And they wore new versions of the Radiomir. By the end of the conflict, Panerai had produced just over a thousand watches, but this remained a military secret for years to come.

In order to keep its market share, the Florentine brand improved its Radiomir models and looked to other countries that called upon the services of former combat divers from Italy. But the technical specifications did not change: legibility and water resistance.
The dangerous radium was soon replaced by a new substance based on tritium: luminor. The water resistance of the newer diver's watches was also improved by a new crown protecting bridge, which is today affectionately known among fans as the "bottle opener".
But it is once again an aspect of light that gave the new watch its name: the Luminor.

Still today, the Luminor and Radiomir models dominate the Panerai catalogue. They are no longer military secrets but they still keep their unmistakable DNA, a mixture of industrial design, operational simplicity and Latin charm.

Luminor or Radiomir. The choice appears simple. Yet it is decidedly complicated. In the end, I opted for a Luminor that is particularly dear to my heart: the PAM 590. It is the link between the past and the present, bearing a seal that is famous in the brand's history, and was launched this year as a limited edition. It is the embodiment of what I think a true Panerai should be.

Why Panerai ?
The Luminor and Radiomir are the two emblematic models of the brand, which was relaunched in 1993 and incorporated into the Vendôme group in 1997 (which later became the Richemont Group). Officine Panerai has since experienced an astonishing rise to fame.

Even though its history is not as long as that of many of the famous Swiss brands, Officine Panerai has managed to exploit it in an almost unique way, using the techniques of Hollywood to build up its muscled up Radiomir and Luminor models in the style of the Expendables, order its collections like sequels or even prequels and grab the attention of an appreciative and particularly expert audience by developing its models in very small steps.

The brand has not only imposed its unique style, it has also liberated wrists by daring to offer 44mm diameter cases from the start of the 1990s, then relaunching the original 47mm cases at a time when 39mm was the norm.

Furthermore, Officine Panerai probably invented the concept of special editions and still today manages to generate both excitement and frustration among fans and yet still be forgiven! Although the concept is now found in overabundance among its competitors, whose initiatives are not always successful, the Officine can delve into its history - and the abundance of prototypes and variants in its production - to surprise and constantly nurture the legend.

The Panerai Luminor PAM 590: From the US with love!

The first version of the Luminor dates back to 1950. At the time, this diver's watch had a diameter of 47mm and a case that was rounder than that of the current 44mm Luminor models. In order to highlight the difference, a few years ago Panerai produced a version similar to the original model: the PAM 372.

But let's get back to our contemporary Luminor. It means a lot in the recent history of the Officine, because Panerai re-entered the watch market with a similar model in 1993. Before 1997 and the acquisition by the Vendôme Group, which later became Richemont, Panerai produced several versions of its Luminor with a concession to its predecessor: its size shrunk from 47mm to 44mm.
Offering a 44mm watch in 1993 was already very audacious. Panerai would wait a few more years before re-issuing its legendary 47mm model.

In order to lure future customers, the teams at Panerai decided to recreate the Luminor. The task was entrusted to Alessandro Bettarini, who designed a new case that was more angular than the original and had slightly reduced proportions. The success of this new version was such that Paneristi (as fans of the brand are known) call it the Bettarini.

The Bettarini is still listed in the Panerai catalogue but at the SIHH in 2014 the brand presented a new version, still at 44mm diameter, but with a more refined profile. The PAM 590 uses this new case.

Another major change is the movement. Since 1993, Panerai had been using Unitas movements in its Luminor models, which fitted well with its image as an assembler of tool watches. But, following its competitors, the brand presented its first "in house" movement, the P2002, in 2005. A long series of new movements followed until the hand-wound P5000 movement was launched in 2014, with an eight-day power reserve. Thinner than the Unitas, this movement allowed the Bettarini case to shed some weight.
It is the impressive power reserve that makes the Panerai PAM 590 so interesting. It bears the inscription "8 giorni brevettato" on the dial, which first appeared in 1950 on a Luminor Submersible produced for the Egyptian navy. At the time, the watch was fitted with an Angelus calibre.

The "8 Giorni" name stuck and still gets collectors salivating. Panerai has only launched a few models with this logo on the dial. The PAM 590 is one of them, which gives it even more charm.

The dial hides another interesting feature of the 590. Like all Panerais it is simple and loyal to the principles of legibility. The 9 is replaced by a small seconds counter. But if you look closer you will see that the colour of the hour markers is different from the colour of the "Luminor Panerai" text or the "8 Giorni" logo. The hour markers are orange, the text is white.

In Panerai culture this is known as a "non-matching" dial. It is an allusion to the first watches of the pre-Vendôme period (before the acquisition by Richemont), on which some white luminous hour markers would quickly change colour on exposure to the sun, creating a difference in colour between the (non-luminescent) inscriptions on the dial and the hour markers. What was originally a quality issue thus became a genuine Holy Grail. Some dials were replaced but other owners kept their watches as they were, thus creating a buzz about "non matching" dials that now makes them sought after because they are original.

The Panerai PAM 590 takes on this characteristic and therefore has a dial inspired by vintage models. Another reason to fall for it.

In summary, our Luminor has a "Bettarini" case, a "non matching" dial and an "8 Giorni" inscription.

At the start of this review, these terms may not have got your attention. But now that you have become Paneristi, you know why this Panerai PAM 590 is so special.
And if I add that in 2014 it is only available in the USA, I create both frustration and expectation.
Welcome to the world of Panerai!

What does the devil's advocate think?
A Panerai is recognisable, easily identifiable. This is both its strength and its weakness. The uninitiated will quickly say "OK, it's a Panerai". But the strength of the brand is in the subtlety of the changes it has made to its models from one year to the next. And this subtlety is sometimes… too subtle! You need time to appreciate the difference in colour of the hour markers, the orange of some numerals compared with the sandy yellow of others. Or the shape of a hand that recalls a particular model of 1942, compared with one from 1943! And there are numerous other examples.

A Panerai, therefore, is not just a watch. It is an object that you have to get to know, and that takes time. It will help you to get to grips with a phrase that angers any enlightened fan: "they are all the same!".

What image does the wearer of this Panerai project?
A Panerai is a "tool watch", an instrument for work invented to serve a particular purpose. It was born to be functional and effective, not to please. And that is precisely why it does please!
If the wearer of this PAM 590 is able to explain the distinguishing features of this model compared with another Luminor, he will already have come a long way and will be considered an expert rather than someone who has simply given in to a particular fashion.

Another point that is specific to Panerai watches: their ability to "accept" all kinds of leather straps. The Luminor is particularly versatile in this regard and has helped to build up a "strap culture" that is specific to the brand.
So if you really want to show that you are an aficionado, nothing could be simpler: forget about the strap supplied with the Panerai 590. It's not that it's ugly in any way, just that you should not keep it! That's the way it is. Choose a 74 instead, which will suit it very well.
You don't know what a 74 is?
Then you still have some ground to cover in your Paneristi education!
It's up to you to find the answer…

The essential lines of the case and dial are faithful to the unmistakable Panerai identity, being unaffected by the flyback function, which instantly zeroes the chronograph hands and restarts them without it being necessary to stop and zero them first. The blue chronograph seconds hand and the rhodium plated minute hand are centrally mounted, so that the dial carries only the continuous small seconds counter at nine o'clock. The push-pieces of the chronograph functions are positioned at 8 o'clock and 10 o'clock, thus leaving intact the outline of the lever device protecting the crown which helps make the case of the Luminor 1950 water-resistant to 10 bar (about 100 metres).

The material of the Luminor 1950 case, 44 mm in diameter, is a synthetic ceramic based on zirconium oxide, which is up to five times harder than steel but substantially lighter in weight, as well as exceptionally resistant to scratches, corrosive agents and high temperatures. Every component of the case is individually moulded and undergoes successive stages of working and firing. The final bead blasting gives it an even, matt finish.

On the back of the case a large porthole in sapphire crystal reveals the P.9100 manufacture movement, the first chronograph calibre with automatic winding completely developed and made in the Officine Panerai manufacture, featuring a column wheel, two spring barrels connected in series which provide a power reserve of three days, a bidirectional rotor which winds the springs of the two barrels, and a variable inertia balance wheel which oscillates at 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz).

The Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Ceramica (PAM00580) is supplied with a natural untreated leather strap and a second strap made of rubber. The buckle is in titanium, to which a special resistant black coating has been applied.

The new Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso - 47mm is a Special Edition which incorporates the combination of history, design and technology.

From the aesthetic point of view, the appearance of the new Special Edition is a harmonious combination of the deep blue of the dial and the alligator strap with the warm glow of the case made of 5Npt red gold, an alloy which owes its coloration and resistance to oxidation to its high proportion of copper combined with a percentage of platinum.

The case has the cushion shape characteristic of the first watch created by Officine Panerai for the commandos of the Royal Italian Navy in 1936 and it has the historic diameter of 47 mm. The P.3001/10 calibre, entirely developed and made by the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel, can be admired through the wide window in the back. Beating at a rhythm of 28,800 vibrations per hour, it drives the hours, the minutes hands, the classic seconds counter at 9 o'clock as well as the the date window at 3 o'clock. This hand-wound calibre has the GMT function and a power reserve of three days, with the power reserve indicator in the back.

The new Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso - 47mm (PAM 00598) is a Special Edition created in 200 units.

Revue FH - 24 February 2011

A powerful, fascinating reminder of the sea makes the new Special Edition Luminor Submersible unique. This professional underwater watch is the development of the model made by Officine Panerai more than half a century ago for the commandos of the Egyptian Navy. The new Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo - 47 mm is actually made of bronze, one of the materials associated since antiquity with the world of the sea.

Bronze is an alloy based on copper and one other metal, usually tin, to which other elements can be added to achieve particular performance. The bronze chosen by Officine Panerai for the case of the new Luminor Submersible is CuSn8, an alloy of copper and pure tin very resistant to corrosive action by sea water and atmospheric agents. As well as its high degree of structural strength, this material preserves the warm shades of the original while acquiring over time the aged appearance through the patina which covers it. This patina is the result of the reaction of the bronze to external agents (air, humidity, heat and wear). It does not alter the properties of the material but is rather a sign of its ageing, making each example unique and personalised.
The brushed bronze case, 47 mm in diameter, is water-resistant to 300 metres and has a unidirectional rotating bezel with ratchet click and graduated scale for calculating the times of immersion, with raised studs for reference. The characteristic bridge protecting the winding crown, with the lever ensuring perfect water-resistance of the crown itself, is also made of bronze. The sapphire back is fixed to the caseband by a ring of titanium, a metal chosen for its hypoallergenic qualities.
The dial follows the characteristic appearance of the Luminor Submersible, with bar markers applied in place of the figures 12 and 6, but it is executed in an unusual dark green colour which goes well with the bronze colour of the case. Protected by a sapphire crystal, the dial has skeleton hands which are highly luminous, the little dials of the small seconds at 9 o'clock and, in a symmetrical position, the window with the date.
The movement of the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo - 47 mm is the automatic P.9000 calibre, entirely designed and produced in the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. The P.9000 calibre has a structure with a three-quarter plate, clearly visible through the transparent caseback, a diameter of 13 3/4 lignes and two spring barrels which provide a power reserve of three days.
Produced in a limited edition of 1.000 units, the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo - 47 mm is completed by a leather strap, treated in such a way as to have an appearance similar to that of the period models and fitted with a personalised titanium buckle.

WORLDTEMPUS - 7 May 2010

Several brands—the latest in line being Girard-Perregaux and Panerai—have attempted to make good commercial use of a cooperation with Ferrari. But—honestly—they didn't really succeed.

Cabestan's Jean-François Ruchonnet and Timothy Bovard are expecting to break the streak with the collaboration they announced yesterday: the Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan uses the movement of the Winch Tourbillon Vertical as its mechanical base. For its visuals, Ruchonnet allowed himself to be deeply inspired by Ferrari race car technology and design. The result is eight cubic centimeters of pure mechanics dressed in a uniquely captivating design.

To find the pure essence of what makes up Ferrari's design magic, Ruchonnet teamed up with the Ferrari design team in Maranello headed up by design director Flavio Manzoni. The two worked together to identify elements in Ferrari's Formula 1 race cars that would become the basic design elements of the Scuderia Ferrari One: each component had to serve a specific purpose, and every material was chosen to enhance performance.
"This is not a simple licensing agreement as was the case with Panerai," Cabestan's president Timothy Bovard explains. "Cabestan and Ferrari have partnered to design, produce, and market the Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan. Ferrari will furnish certain components of the timepiece such as the titanium, the carbon fiber, and the leather."

"This is a joint product development between Ferrari and Cabestan and not a typical licensing/sponsorship agreement," Bovard continues. "As such, the financial relationship between the parties is royalty-based." In addition, Ferrari and Cabestan will directly market the timepiece to Ferrari owners only. "The Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan is a much more exclusive timepiece than any other ever developed with Ferrari or, in fact, with any other car brand in the world," Bovard explains the difference between this collaboration and others between watch- and automakers. Additionally, it will be possible for customers to have some elements of their own Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan personalized.

The Scuderia Ferrari One by Cabestan was created to honor the past sixty years of Ferrari racing in Formula One and will be offered only in a limited edition of 60 pieces. "This is just the first creation, and others will follow to celebrate specific events and car models in the world of Ferrari," Bovard assures us.
Bovard expects the first pieces to be ready by the end of the year. They will retail for € 300,000—which is more than the cost of a new Ferrari.