S.R. provides an owner's review of his recently acquired Panerai PAM682 Submersible, offering a detailed look at its design, wearability, and movement. His post highlights the unique appeal of this 42mm model, particularly its blend of classic Panerai elements with modern proportions.
This is a review of my newly acquired used Panerai pam682 and a preview of my short ownership, whilst waiting it to be serviced by my AD.
To begin with, I would like to call out the beautiful 1950 case and the transition of short beautiful lugs. I’ve been eyeing for a while to get a Panerai before I acquired this reference. What caught my eye were the pam1084 base model and pam914 model. Both are absolutely beautiful classic reference, though some might agree old pams like the pam005 to be a true classic. Yet I was drawn to this model because of its manageable size and beautiful bezel. Some would say a true Panerai has to be 44mm or up, but for my round shape 7inch wrist, this watch suits to utter perfection.
What I really adore about this reference is the texts on the dial. Newer submersibles lack the “Luminor” text, which I assume is an effort of Panerai to separate their Luminor and Submersible lineup. Having both the Luminor and Submersible text together on the dial draw my attention, as if I was seeing an yin and yang symbol.
A beautiful 42mm 1950 case with a robust bezel and a hint of blue on the seconds hand is truly a perfect combination.not overpowering but just enough to make it pop to the user. This specific reference has a closed case back which I love, having an ownership history of rugged Breitlings and numerous tool watches. I believe it adds to the originality of the watch, having such a rugged construction.
The first time I saw this watch, I fell in love, a kind of love no one can explain. It was the perfect addition to my humble collection. Having a current collection lineup of a vintage GS, KS, a Breitling colt automatic, and a modern GS, this was the perfect statement piece. Something different from the usual, something iconic, something bold and modern, yet with a hint of elegance.
After my honeymoon period (a week or so), I’ve decided to add a nice oem bracelet to it as well. Luckily my AD had one matching bracelet in stock, which I acquired immediately. It does extend the lug to lug of the watch, but I believe it still wears great, comfortable and compact. I’ve also added some lovely alligator straps so I can wear this timepiece to any dressier occasions. Currently, my strap collection consists of a oem rubber strap, flat navy alligator strap, grey blue padded alligator strap, and a wotancraft custom strap which is yet to be received. To those who are wondering about the added weight of the bracelet, I wasn’t able to notice any heaviness on my wrist since it’s rather thin and elegant, unlike the first and second generation bracelets.
Let’s talk about the movement now. This specific reference contains a p.9010 calibur, which is a in-house movement produced by Panerai. Some key points to note is the jumping hour function when the crown is in 1st position. Other than that, it seems to be a pretty generic three hands movement with a 72hr power reserve. It has been keeping excellent time since day one of +3 seconds or less. I suspect this is thanks to the double mainspring barrel and its consistent tension. I would also like to note that this is the p.9010 calibur before its so called “changes”, where they took out the jumping hour, hacking function, and numerous finishing techniques. please excuse me for my short knowledge about this calibur, and feel free to correct me if I said anything wrong. I’d love to talk about it in depth.
The last few weeks have been a blast with this fine watch and I am planning to wear it for most of my wrist time.
Now to talk about some cons, the bracelet is aesthetically pleasing, but could be uncomfortable time to time due to its lack of micro adjustments. Lucky it did come with half links, which is a huge plus. Other than that, it has been a fantastic experience.
Currently this watch is being serviced by my AD due to my lack of attention. I unfortunately dropped this watch, which caused the bezel to be loose. After trying to attempt a DIY solution to fix it, the bezel popped out. I try to tell myself that this accident was a good chance to get it fully serviced and take any scratches out with their polishing service. (Even though I know I messed up a little bit) I’ve attached a photo of the watch without the bezel is case anyone is curious how it looks like under its robust bezel.
Long story short, this pam reference has provided me a wonderful experience and will become a life long wrist buddy. I hope all of you wear your pams in good health and have a fine day.
S.R
