Panerai Steel Watches

SIHH 2010: Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT (PAM347)The new Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT watch is basically the same PAM321 model presented exactly a year ago, but with its black alligator strap replaced with a metal bracelet with vertical brushed finishing and polished surface between the links.Hence, the watch is equipped with Panerai’s fresh P.9002 automatic movement that stores enough energy to power the PAM347 for 72 hours and features such complications as the second time zone, date and a traditional circular power reserve indicator.Glossy stainless steel bezel nicely contrasts with brushed surface of the 44 mm case and makes the watch feel somewhat lighter than it actually is.With its 2.6mm thick sapphire crystal and a screw-down crown, the PAM347 is rated at 300 meters of water resistance making it a nice diving watch.Panerai plans to sell the watch at a recommended price of around $10,000.

Panerai Luminor 1950 8 Days Rattrapante split seconds chronograph (Ref. PAM 319)The new Panerai Luminor 1950 8 Days Rattrapante split seconds chronograph (Ref. PAM 319) is the best “affordable” offering in the whole model range.Damn it! I am starting to fall in love with Panerai watches. Although the brands timepieces always seemed too visually unsophisticated and almost boring, now I see a certain rugged beauty in them.The transformation started last week when I stumbled upon the gorgeous PAM 326 Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight encased in a 44 mm titanium body and featuring a deep blue dial.And now this one. It is completely out of my budget (at least, for this terrible year) and this is the very first time I deeply regret this fact.With its 47mm wide case, the new PAM 319 is huge, but there was a good reason behind the choice of the body’s size. The in-house manufactured Calibre P.2006/3 hand-wound movement, which beats inside the case, measures generous 13.75 lignes in diameter, which roughly translates into impressive 31 millimeters.The movement is supposed to store energy enough to power the watch for 8 days or about 192 hours, that’s why Panerai employed a relatively rare among other watchmakers design featuring not even two, but three mainspring barrels.Like earlier 8-Days models, this one also features a linear power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock and features a three-dimensional dial with a SuperLuminova-coated layer sandwiched between the inner and outer layers. The dial itself sports high-contrast and highly-legible, clean layout making it a real pleasure to watch.Unlike most others rattrapante chronographs, the PAM00319 needs only two buttons to operate the complication with both push-pieces moved to the left side of the case in order to balance the heavy-looking winding crown guard on the right.It is certainly one of the best offerings on the market. Panerai says that only 300 PAM 319 will ever be manufactured.