Panerai SIHH 2010

It's that time of year again...

SIHH is coming and all the new arrivals start showing up that will be presented at this year's show.

It looks like Panerai is going, at least a somewhat, back to its roots with some of the new models. Using their in-house movements we see so many variations of the Luminor Marina which has been a staple in the Panerai watch line.

Yes, there are some strange models like the new Mare Nostrum but overall we could see a trend of Panerai going back to basics...and that would be great.

Thank you

Now You can get Mario Paci Straps in Beverly Hills...

Great news!

Now you can purchase TC and Mario Paci straps for your Panerai Watch in Beverly Hills, California.

Philippe's Watches on Dayton way, just 300 feet from the Panerai Boutique, has a huge selection of Mario Paci®, Giovanni e Figlio®, TC Vintage and TC Milano straps for Panerai. Philippe's Watches has been in Beverly Hills for 20 years and they are making it easy for you to visit and buy a Vintage watch strap for your Panerai after you've been to the Panerai Boutique.

Stay tuned as more exciting news is coming

Thank you

Elliot

Numerals on Panerai dials......

Q: Why is the Arabic numeral “6” different from one Pam to another?

A: The simple/short answer, with only a few exceptions, is that the “open 6” is representative of Historical Pams [112, 111, et al], whereas the “closed 6” is representative of Contemporary Pams [104, 123 et al].

Furthermore, the Historicals are open, we presume, because of the early usage of the sandwich dial that had actual "cut outs" to allow the luminous material to be visible. The 113 and other white dials are one exception to the Historical/Contemporary rule—there is not historical precedence for a white dial, and therefore we presume they all use the “closed 6.”

I was asked today about the rising prices of Panerai watches...

Here is the question: Did we do this to ourselves? By paying $30,000 for 5218-201A or $45,000. for Slytech? What about $25,000 for a 127? I think by buying and selling these pieces at such an inflated rate we ourselves have priced us (true Panerai collectors) right out of the market!

Here is my response: Good question. In part, yes we did but there is more to the equation. Think of the 5218 or the "A" series like oceanfront property....they aren't making it any more.....so the price continues to climb as more buyers search for a finite supply of magnificent watches.

But on the other hand, in my opinion, we have a double edge sword as far as Panerai Corp is concerned.

The age old rule is when you have a price increase, you will lose a certain percentage of clients. This will be made up in the short term by the higher prices as you continue to cultivate new business to buy the remaining inventory.

Now you ask...Where is the BUT!!!

But your product has to have a value or point of difference that makes it worth each and every price increase. How many brands have 200 years of watchmaking expertise? We know that Panerai, with its in-house movements is new to the movement business....unless these movements are made by another Richemont Company, which they are not saying....(OK disclaimer: 190=IWC...98=GP..you get my drift)

Do we need bouillon, I mean Tourbillion? Well, maybe you need bouillon to pay for Tourbillon.

Keep in mind that if the company gets too far away from what got them to this point, then people can delay the purchase for a year, 2 , 3, or more rather than in the not to distant past when having multiple pieces from the same year seemed so normal.

Thank you

Elliot

Panerai SIHH 2008 "Watch Lampoon and Harpooned"

I saw the list of the new pieces that Panerai has shown at SIHH 2008 today...The "Cartierization" of Panerai otherwise known as the "Luminova Express" is moving at full speed.

I love Panerai watches. I love the look, the feel, the history, the total chronology....the entire package.

In seeing "the list" I am stunned by the inevitable. This "Cartierization" of Panerai has reached a new plateau (depth?).....allow me to explain my point....

PAM00297 Luminor GMT 44mm
brushed steel case
black dial...bracelet: brushed steel with polished surface between the links

Bracelet's are back.....for so long they were the "red-headed" step child that sat in the AD's case

PAM00299 Luminor Marina Automatic 44mm
brushed steel case
polished bezel...black dial
bracelet: brushed steel with polished surface between the links

More bracelets.

PAM00310 Luminor Chrono 40mm
brushed steel case, polished bezel
black dial...adjustable buckle

The return of the 40mm Chrono.....

PAM00311 Luminor 1950 titanium 8 days
Chrono monopulsante GMT 44mm
case brushed titanium, polished titanium bezel
P2004 - 8 days chrono
hand wound...brown sandwich dial

Monopulsante GMT.....a must for every Palombari!

PAM00317 Luminor 1950 ceramic 8 days
chrono monopulsante GMT 44mm
case ceramic and bezel
P2004 - 8 days chrono
hand wound...black sandwich dial

Ceramic PVD style in a Chrono.....this will be big after the 292 sells out.

PAM00306 Luminor 1950 titanium Tourbillon GMT 47mm
case brushed titanium, polished titanium bezel
P 2005 - 6 days tourbillon GMT
hand wound...dial brown sandwich
historic titanium buckle

Tourbillon.....from ETA to Tourbillon...no baby steps here! Historic Titanium buckle? When did they first use Titanium on a Panerai?

PAM00315 Radiomir titanium Tourbillon GMT 48mm
case brushed titanium, polished titanium bezel
P 2005 - 6 days tourbillon GMT
hand wound...dial brown sandwich with pink gold ring
historic titanium buckle

Radiomir Tourbillon...it is like having 2 kids....you can't do something for one without doing it for the other....Luminor, play nice with your older brother Radiomir.

PAM00316 Radiomir platinum Tourbillon GMT 48mm
case platinum bezel
P 2005 - 6 days tourbillon GMT
hand wound...dial black sandwich with pink gold ring
radiomir white gold adjustable buckle

Platinum....I was getting worried that there was no Platinum piece but...WHEW!!! 48mm...nice and heavy..GMT tourbillon......I can see the line now stretching from Tourneau all around the corner to Wempe.

Just my opinions on the pieces from SIHH 2008. To me.....disappointing.....

Thank you

Elliot

Appreciation of Tritium once again takes the spotlight...

While current series (F/G/H/I) prices are steady or lower, I see the Tritium pieces continuing to increase......

All of my information shows that the "A" series, 127 etc, Pre-Vendome and a few neo-vintage watches continue to rise at a rapid rate yet the LNIB have held steady or have gone down in price....

What do you think the reasons are?

I think the collector's are showing that the "Tritium" Panerai are a limited commodity that cannot be duplicated. I also think that as people get more and more into Panerai the appreciation (love thereof not $$)of Panerai watches and history continues to soar.

Yet, while people flock to these pieces, there may just be a bit of a "glut" of LNIB for the time being. The price increase will allow these pieces' prices (say that 3 time aloud) to steady at the risk of making a bit of an over supply of the new models at higher prices....

Of course, this is my opinion and I welcome yours.

Thank you

Elliot

Radiomir or Luminor.....tough choice.....

That is a tough Choice....

Historically, the Radiomir were the first Panerai produced in 1938....


Today a great 1st Panerai is the 111 Luminor Marina or the 112 Base....both hand winds and truly historic.


Although, the Pam 287 Radiomir is probably the best looking "New" series Panerai in 5 years.......




Picture is from the Officine Panerai website.

Thank you

Elliot

A New Edition...Mario Paci XV "Santa Croce"

The best just keep on getting better!

Mario Paci Straps®, already considered one of the finest straps in the world for Panerai Watches has come out with the latest edition. Mario Paci XV The "Santa Croce" is available now in 2 colors, Miele and T. Moro.

These straps are hand made in the Cuoierie Meccaniche Brelli, the Original Strap maker for Panerai watches from 1938 to 1997, in Castelfiorentino, Italy.

The leather's used are very distinctive Tuscan hides know for their pliability and soft feel yet leave nothing to be desired in a Vintage strap. A sewn in Mario Paci New Natural Pre-V buckle is standard and adds to the vintage look.

Available at MarioPaci.com, Watch Obsession in the UK and Time Will Tell in Singapore in all the usual sizes. These straps are great.

Thank you

Elliot

Original Italian Military Pouch Straps...

With so many people asking for Ammo pouch type straps we decided to do some research in Italy for these leathers.

Mario Paci, Fabrizio Ciampi and I looked from Arezzo to Pisa and from Monticatini to Siena and finally came up with some Original Italian Military Pouch leathers.

The issue we found came in 2 colors: Rossiccio and Mandorla.

And now we are pleased to announce Italian Military Pouch Leather straps for your Panerai Watch. Hand made in Castelfiorentino, Italy by the Original Strapmakers for Panerai from 1938 to 1997 Cuoierie Meccaniche Brelli.

We are making these available from our inventory in all sizes for immediate delivery or custom made in 12 Business days.

Visit us at www.tcstraps.com

Thank you

Elliot

Has Panerai has deliberately veered away from its history...

...and headed towards what I have called in the past the "Cartierization" of the brand?

Is this bad?.....

Well, not necessarily. For a long while, Panerai buyers either bought and then got into the history OR got into the history and the purchased their Panerai. After this first step, with the help of Panerai Enthusiast forums, all of us dived right in to the Brand, History, lessons and nuances of these prized watches. The hunger for information led to so many of the Negretti books, the Zei books and much of the information in the reference sections of Viapaneristi.com.

People like Mario Paci and Fabrizio Ciampi lived this history and were able to pass down this wonderful knowledge. With the changes in the marketing of the brand, after Richmont established it presence as the new owner, Panerai went after the Macro instead of the Micro and this is why we have seen so many new Panerai Enthusiasts...as well as seeing the brand go more "upscale" in pricing but more available in supply. As the prices increase with very little change in the production, they are now on par with so many other brands. Do they have too many models? Well, I for one have trouble keeping up with all the new model numbers but that is my problem and not the Company's headache. When I see a Pam 183, 190 (yes, I know about the movement), 232, 287, 210 and 268 there can be confusion but each one has a subtle difference whether it is date or Base, Power Reserve or GMT etc, etc.

So while there are so many models compared to what we had just a few years ago, it is quite obvious that the "New to Panerai Enthusiast" has found the beauty of this watch and brand appealing and has broadened the scope to more corners of the earth than ever before. Panerai Watches are still quite unique, still have their history, still enable you to change the look with so many strap choices readily available, 350 Authorized Dealers spread worldwide...it's a beautiful thing. Now we have the Vintage, Pre-Vendome, "A" "B" watches for one segment of the audience and the New Models with variations on a theme (sorry Eric Satie)to quench the thirst of those coming to the brand in 2008.

Thank you

Elliot

How many "New to Panerai" folks have been experimenting with straps?

With all the new Panerai watches...so many Radiomir's....in 44mm, 45mm and 47mm...do you find that you have been looking for straps to either dress up the watch or lean more towards Historical and vintage straps?

Also, how many of you find that you have started to wear your straps with a longer length so that you are sure to use both keepers and possibly see the "tail" when you look straight on at your watch dial?

I am seeing so many people switching around from Kevlar to alligator...from Alligator to Vintage...from OEM length to their actual needed length....

How many are diehard Deployant people and how many have made the switch to a sewn in buckle?

We hear so many people who have Deployants but yet they say Deployants are uncomfortable. Also, the same folks have difficulty getting replacements straps at their Authorized Dealer and they find the selection quite limited in the aftermarket arena.


This will be interesting to see how the trend is going relative to the newer Contemporary Panerai Models. Once people understand the History of Panerai I think we will see more and more switching to the Vintage styles.

Thank you.

Elliot

True History of Panerai in a strap........

Mario Paci Special Edition...1938 "Productione Originale"

You can't find a strap for Panerai watches that is any more Historic than this Special Edition from Mario Paci.....why?

1. Leather from the 1930's originally used on straps for Panerai Watches

2. Made in the same Factory as the OEM straps for Panerai from 1938 to 1997

3. The same leathers used on the Vintage watches such as the ORIGINAL California dial watches

4. Made is the same style as the Straps in 1938 with oversized keepers, open buckle slots and more

5. GPF-MOD Flat buckle reproduced to look like the Originals

6. Certificate of Origin signed personally by Mario Paci, former Chief Engineer of Panerai, compare the signature to the libretto's of the Pre-V watches.

7. A true collector's piece of the wonderful history of Panerai








A Mario Paci strap is simple the best. Quality, workmanship and History like no other.


Thank you


Elliot

Why do so many of us like handwind Panerai....

....because that is what we first learned about Panerai and the history of the brand.

We think back to the Marina Militaire, Dino Zei, Mario Paci, Mrs. Panerai, Decima Mas, La Spezia, and so many other historical names and places that we learned about when we got into the brand.

I believe that Panerai as a company has decided to get away from the remarkable history during the "Cartierization" of selling a watch that can be thought of as more of a trend than a historical diving watch.....or in the case of the Mare Nostrum, officer's watch.

It is due to this "Cartierization" that the newer Contemporary models have become the models of choice TODAY but, as long as the flame stays alive, many people will learn to understand what got us to this point in time and they will take a hard look at the "timeless" pieces of the Historical Panerai Brand.

Elliot
www.tcstraps.com

1.877.34.WATCH

Euro's, Dollars and Panerai......

Every day we see the Euro going up and the Dollar going down.

As I write this the USD is $1.46 for each Euro. An all time high (err low?) We know that European companies base their revenue on their currency but to raise prices to lessen the shortfall also reduces the amount of product sold.

Mercedes has absorbed the price differential to a certain degree. Companies like Nestle, Volkswagen, Siemens, Ing and so many more have had a rough 2006/7. They may find revenue has gone up but costs have increased more rapidly.

Luxury goods conglomerates like Richmont, Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesey can raise prices only so much without affecting the amount of goods they can move. Their production machines may be able to turn out more product than the market place can absorb.

Funneling on down to the watch market that we Enthusiasts enjoy every day changes the paradigm for so many as their watches become out of reach "OOR" with each and every price increase. Science says that water finds its own level. What axiom fit the watch market if the economy of many nations slows down and discretionary income decreases dramatically?

Let's hope that every thing settles down. That the housing market and mortgage problems turn around and we again find ourselves pursuing the next purchase of our beloved watches.

Panerai Enthusiasts.....the New Breed!

It is good to see so many new "faces" enjoying the Wonderful World of Panerai watches.

I remember back when I received my first Panerai and was looking forward to all the straps and accessories: Panerai Watch Box, Ships, Maile Subs, Watch Straps, Buckles. Each day was a new adventure as to what I would learn and the people I would meet.

It took a short while to learn the history of the brand and wondered why it took so long to catch on to this Panerai Watch Lifestyle. There were so many "Pioneers" that got in early and wore Pre-Vendome Panerai and even some that bought the A/B series after Richmont took over the brand.

One of my biggest fears is that with all the Contemporary models that have hit over the past couple of years the "New Faces" will not invest the time to learn about what brought all the Panerai Enthusiasts up to this point in time deep in History dating back to 1860.

One thing I have seen is the thirst for straps as people see how much fun it can be to change the look of a watch or the look of an outfit just by changing the strap on their Panerai. Very few watches lend themselves to the ease of changing straps as well as the assortment of leathers available to Dress Up or Dress Down each individual's Panerai.

I guess every hobby has its "Passages" (sorry for that Gail Sheehy) and I see us going through one right now as the cycle continues for one group and just begins for another.

Regards

Elliot