Panerai’s new P9000 automatic movement line was the star for the watchmaker at SIHH this year. The entry level in-house made movement is meant to be a friendly rugged machine with function and reliability in mind. This is particularly seen in the watches that the new movement line showed up in. My favorite of which is this PAM00305 (PAM305), also known at the Luminor Submersible 1950. In addition to being Panerai’s first exhibition back diving watch it also has a face without a number 12. This is the first time I have seen this on a Panerai watch, though I am admittedly not a Panerai superfan like some people out there. You have to give this watch a double-take to make sure it is in fact a Panerai, because that “12” always in the same font, is just SO Panerai. Actually the look is based on some historic Panerai diving watches.

Like many Panerai diving watches, the PAM305 is made of titanium, and is a lofty 47mm wide. I like the clean look of the design and the dial. The rotating diver’s bezel has been seen before on other submersible models. The same complaint exists here, which is the lack of minute marks after 15 minutes. Despite this functional issue, the bezel looks nice. For me, the face of the watch is adequately styled to be a diving watch and a Panerai, though many Panerai watches faces often look a bare -as though something important was missing. Here it is the minute markers, but adding them would make it less of a Panerai. Look at the “1950” in the name, and you realize this is one of those classic homage watches. That makes it possible to forgive a few design quirks right? Oh, and is it just me, or do hands look misplaced? Like another set of Panerai hands out of the parts bin might have been a better choice. I know these are the standard hands for the submersible series, but still.

I actually like this watch more than most Panerai watches. It has got that chunky underwater theme that I like, an in-house made automatic movement, and a cool sorta retro theme (it is a historic watch homage). It also has a rubber diving strap that doesn’t look too dorky. I’d happily wear it. Retail price is going to be just shy of $10,000. Pretty steep, but I imagine actual street price to be in the $7k-8k range.

See Panerai watches on eBay here.

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