Panerai Radiomir GMT Alarm (PAM00355)

WORLDTEMPUS - 17 February 2011

I am a Panerist. I have been collecting Panerai since 2000 and have worn quite a few models in the eleven years I've collected these oversized timepieces. Over the course of these years, I have realized that the standard 44-millimeter Luminor case sporting the manually wound Unitas 6497 caliber is my favorite version made by this Italian company with Swiss production.
Actually, a size of 44 millimeters doesn't really even sound as oversized as it did in 1993 when the first modern Panerai models saw the light of day. Refined by the Vendôme Group (later Richemont) when it bought the company in 1997, these distinct 44-millimeter Luminor cases with the easily recognizable safety catch and crown bridge look and feel as if they can take a beating. And they sure can. Since the trusty Unitas 6497 is ticking away on the inside, there should be no fear of harming anything when wearing this particular Panerai, regardless of the activity.
Of course, the high polish of the bezel and case is a scratch magnet like on any other watch sporting this fragile polish.

Torpedo and Tinted LumiNova
This particular version of the Luminor has a special dial. Not only does it feature the famed maiale (the manned torpedo that Italian military divers used for underwater warfare) above the 6, the dial also sports pre-tinted LumiNova on the hands and hour markers. This light brown hue makes the watch look like a vintage Panerai with dull tritium hands and markers - a look loved by Panerai collectors: "the darker the better" seems to be the credo among the most hardcore Paneristi.
Contrary to other watch companies offering tinted LumiNova, Panerai's hour markers and hands are luminous at night, proving that Panerai still favors function before fashion.

Etched Neighboring Edifice
The back of the watch, not being an exhibition case back, features an engraving of Florence's Palazzo Vecchio. This edifice is not only the premier landmark of Firenze but also the building directly opposite the Panerai boutique in the city where the Panerai family originally started the company in 1860. Other boutique versions feature landmarks of the city in which the boutique is represented: the Paris boutique version displays the Eiffel Tower, Madrid's the Neptune Fountain, and Taipei the 101 Tower, for example. The boutique versions are limited to 50, 150 and 200 pieces. This Firenze version is a limited edition of 200 pieces.
It comes on a very nice so-called assolutamente strap that looks like it has taken part in a battle, adding to the instant vintage look that Panerai obviously hoped to achieve with this choice.
The caliber, as mentioned, is the manually wound Unitas 6497 with COSC chronometer certification. This movement, well known for its inherent precision, is actually the movement preferred by most watchmaking schools around the world for use in class, for teaching beginners, and as the base for graduation projects. Its components are larger than those of other wristwatch movements - harking back to its origins as a pocket watch movement - and the whole movement is easily accessible.

Why the Unitas?
At this time, Panerai has quite a number of in-house manual calibers, the latest in line being the P'3000 that was introduced at SIHH 2011. So why is Panerai offering these limited edition boutique versions powered by the Swatch-Group-produced Unitas movement? Is this a symbolic farewell to a trusted ticker from an external supplier or just another way of making extra money for the already successful Richemont-owned watch company?
As 2011 comes to an end, we'll hopefully be wiser. And perhaps by that time we will see if Panerai enjoys 100 percent autonomy - or will still be depending on the Unitas to power its entry-level line.