The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre,

[mak1277]

Sub and I enjoying a Rye Manhattan in Manhattan as wifey naps before dinner.

This could be a way more interesting post if it wasn’t about a watch.

 

[Omega Male]

... at a mall in Jersey ... you could see a movie, eat dinner at Cheesecake Factory and pick up a Sub on the way out

Putting the mid in middle class.

 

[Neville Southall]

Connaught cap tied Oxfords in dark brown. Have them in black already.

One of the best. Enjoy.

 

[Lizard23]

Was at a mall in Jersey with the missus that had a Rolex boutique, was going to go in but was time constrained. I did think it was pretty cool that you could see a movie, eat dinner at Cheesecake Factory and pick up a Sub on the way out

I know this place.

 

[Viral]

I know this place.

there's no theater at Short Hills.........but there is a Rolex boutique and a Cheesecake Factory

 

[Omega Male]

Connaught cap tied Oxfords in dark brown. Have them in black already.

Have those in mole suede with a rubber sole. Proper brothel creepers!

 

[smittycl]

This could be a way more interesting post if it wasn’t about a watch.

A watch, cocktail, shoes, timeless art. Pick your poison.

 

[mak1277]

A watch, cocktail, shoes, timeless art. Pick your poison.

I was thinking more like a different use of the word “sub”.

 

[Clouseau]

Speaking of art, I’ve been to the Walter Sickert exhibit last week, and thought that painting was kind of pre-Hopper.

 

[patrick_b]

Sub and I enjoying a Rye Manhattan in Manhattan as wifey naps before dinner. Successful day with visit to Crockett & Jones and the smashing Hopper exhibit at the Whitney. My fav American painter.

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Note, this is exactly how a practitioner of modern espionage would spend their afternoon in Manhattan. Sub, cocktail, museum. You aren't fooling anyone. How many al qaeda and/or ISIS terrorists did you take down between the drink and the museum?

 

[TheFoo]

Promised I’d write more on the new Panerai. It’s a PAM 673, a limited edition of 1,000 that they made back in 2016. I actually hadn’t been planning to buy it, but I’ve been on the lookout for a 372 (a similar, non-limited model that was also discontinued) and my Patek AD happened to have this unworn 673 on trade-in, complete with box and papers. They are fairly rare to come by and it’s an even better rendition of vintage Panerai than the 372, so I pulled the trigger.

For those not familiar with Panerai, it probably looks just like any other. But actually it’s quite special in that it is a near one-for-one remake of the original 6152 from the 50’s.

See below for pics of my 673 on a new strap from this morning (on wrist), followed by a couple vintage 6152 examples.

As you can see, a pretty close match! The size, proportions, dial layout, hands, etc. are dead-on.

It’s important to note that vintage, original Panerai number only in the hundreds and only came in a small handful of models, with what we today call the Radiomir and Luminor representing’s the lion’s share. There were minute variations within the so-called Luminor line, but they mostly came down to dial variations (e.g., “Luminor Panerai” vs. “Marina Militare” engravings). So, it’s a very crystallized iconography. Yet, Panerai almost never makes anything faithful to it!

Most modern Panerai Luminor models (from the 90’s onward) are made using the 44mm Bettarini case. Alessandro Bettarni designed it to be more “modern” and easier to manufacture than the originals:

As you can see, the middle case is rectangular and slab-sided. But the vintage models looked like this:

Much sexier! The case is 47mm (vintage accurate) and has many more curves and facets, as well as more slender and elegant lugs. Pictured is a modern 372, but it is truly a dead ringer for a 1950’s 6152 case.

This so-called 1950 case debuted in 2002 on the PAM 127, a limited edition of 1,950—also commonly known as the “Fiddy”.

If I recall correctly, these retailed for ~$8K. In the depths of Panerai craze, they were trading for $20K+. This was driven by the fact that the 127 was, at the time, considered the most faithful remake of the original 6152 available and thus the “ultimate” modern Panerai. For a while, Panerai didn’t reuse the case on any other watch, but then brought it back out in the mid/late 00’s to pair with their newly launched line of in-house movements. However due to the various complications, extra functions, and contemporary aesthetic cues of these watches, none re-captured the magic of the 6152 or even the Fiddy.

Then, in 2013, Panerai finally launched the PAM 372:

It was just about perfect. In fact, it is even more accurate to the originals than the Fiddy—no sub-seconds, no “1950” on the dial, and a refined case profile. Further, despite the fact that Panerai originally alluded to a limited production run of 3,000, it seems they decided just to keep making as many as they could sell. The original version had a classic acrylic crystal; they switched to sapphire by the mid/late 2010’s. It was ultimately discontinued by 2020, but by then nobody was really buying the watch, as Panerai had dramatically changed as a company and the loyal enthusiast base more or less evaporated.

That’s why, to this day, whenever someone asks for a Panerai recommendation, I point to the 372 almost automatically. It is Panerai at its purest, yet readily available and reasonably priced. If someone doesn’t get the 372, they don’t really get Panerai.

I actually had one for a number of years. What a cool watch! I forgot why I sold it, but probably to fund something else. My timing was just all off. In 2016, when the 372 was still in my collection, Panerai released an even more perfect watch, the 673. As great as the 372 was, one could nitpick: the hands were too chunky compared to vintage, “Luminor Panerai” was a bit big on the dial and not the most desirable engraving, etc.

In contrast, the 673 was without fault. They installed skinnier hands, made the engraving smaller, and changed it to “Marina Militare”—just as on the original 6152s issued to the Italian navy. The dial doesn’t even say Panerai anywhere! The icing on top? A proper acrylic crystal. All truly too good to be true. I believe this watch only came out because Panerai was undergoing a bit of an identity crisis at the time and willing to do anything to shore up sales and hype.

Anyway, I didn’t buy it back then because I already had the 372. So, years later (a couple days ago), I couldn’t resist when a perfect, complete, unworn 673 literally popped up in front of me.

Not sure what the market value is, as they seem to rarely come up for sale, but I definitely paid a premium over what I would have for a 372.

I’m not a Panerai groupie or anything, but I have always loved the story and design. Short of going vintage, for me, it doesn’t really get better than this.

 

[Kappelan]

Pointless power reserve that’s ugly, slightly less pointless date window that’s also ugly, oversized crown, and I’ve never understood why Seiko insist on pairing dauphine hands with rectangular indices. Also spring drive — controversial!

Good points but I still like it.

Why is Spring Drive controversial?

 

[patrick_b]

The 6152 is Mil-Sub cool and probably fetches a similar price. IIRC they had an oyster case and Rolex movement. Of all the Panerai variants, I'd agree that the 673 is highly coveted, uniquely collectable and looks amazing. I just can't see wearing a 47mm watch but it sure is sexy. That massively domed crystal is gorgeous!

 

[symphvaria]

Good points but I still like it.

Why is Spring Drive controversial?

It’s inherently regulated by quartz, which kind of defeats the purpose of the art of mechanical timekeeping.

 

[Kappelan]

It’s inherently regulated by quartz, which kind of defeats the purpose of the art of mechanical timekeeping.

Quartz in general doesn't bother me. With Spring Drive the movement is nicely finished and the seconds hand is floating beautifully. To me it's like hybrid cars the best of two worlds.