Officine Panerai

ameriddd
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New member to the Panerai 317 club!

Hello all -

I'm new to the Panerai club. I’ve always loved their look, but had a hard time justifying the cost with so many replicas out there that look pretty damn good. My past watches are relatively modest - Cartier Santos and a Vacheron Overseas Dual Time. Once I saw the 317 and 335, I knew I had to bite the bullet and get one finally. I initially liked the 335 more because it had the date function and had a bit of a cleaner, less busy look, but the more I compared the two, the 317 became more and more appealing with the chrono function, extra tick marks and the unique PVD movement. The extra subdial at 3 and monopusher really seemed to balance out the look of the watch.

I'm not sure if I am just really lucky, but I was able to get a 317 within less than a month of searching. I thought the only way to get a 317 would be through a flipper, and the markup on them actually seems to be pretty minimal (almost the same price as retail if you are in a state with a high sales tax rate). I e-mailed the NYC boutique and they said they'd add me to the list (which I had read somewhere was 60 people long, which is apparently false). I was shocked when 5 days later, they had one in the store for me! As a result, I wonder if all the "exclusivity" talk on here is real or flippers just trying to talk up the price. Regardless, I think this is a truly special watch due to its movement, though it may not garner that much of a premium to retail price especially since the base retail price is so high already (sorry to all the flippers out there). If anyone is set on getting one, the NYC boutique seems to be the way to go. Ask for Lindsey and let them know Alex referred you, or if anyone is interested in getting one, feel free to send me a PM.

Now for my review -
Likes
1) Exclusive black movement really is quite impressive. I’m always skeptical when someone says that it will never be done again, so I’m not counting out the possibility that Panerai does indeed do something similar in the future no matter what anyone says (including their CEO).
2) Feature set is impressive (dual time, GMT, chrono, love the monopusher, ceramic case, buffalo strap)
3) Standard Panerai goodness – crown guard, 1950 case and domed crystal, sapphire back

Dislikes
1) Being used to an automatic, the manual wind is a bit cumbersome. Thankfully you only need to do it once a week because of the 8 day power reserve, but it takes far longer to fully wind than I thought it would, but allows you some time to admire the beautiful PVD movement.
2) The movement is beautiful, but there really is not much movement to it when it is running. The top right area spins back and forth, but that’s about it. I had hoped that the really cool looking turbine thing at the bottom would spin as well (not sure when it moves? Anybody know?). The chrono wheels turn slowly when you active that as well in the middle.
3) 30 minute chrono seems really weak to me and severely limits its practicality
4) The buckle system is much more painstaking to put the watch on and take off versus the clasps on other watches, but I guess such is the Panerai style. It also puts that crease in the strap which is a bit annoying as well if you ever bought a used one or decide to sell. Easier to store and transport though.

Concerns and Questions
1) As another thread notes, what happens if you need to service this? Is Panerai keeping a reserve of PVD’d parts available or will they manufacture more if they need to?
2) Is the movement more prone to failure given the stories of 80% of movements not passing quality control?
3) With the new composite material in the 339, is ceramic an outdated material?
4) Why is the lumi blue under UV? Are any other Panerais like this and what purpose/advantage/disadvantage does it serve?
5) How careful do I need to be with the ceramic case? I’ve read stories of ceramic cases and bezels cracking. If I put a key and tried to scratch the case, is it impervious to that? Hitting a wooden or metal door? Concrete? Etc?
6) Screw to change straps is PVD apparently – does this get scratched when you use the screwdriver to change straps?
7) Is there overwind protection? If not, what’s the risk of damage and is it better to just wind up to 7.5 days instead of the full 8 to be safe?
8) The manual says the second time zone should be on the same exact time as the main hand when setting the time. What’s the risk of damage if you don’t do this? Silly me, I did not know that on my other dual time watch that you shouldn’t set dates when the time is between 8PM and 2AM. Is this another common thing with these complex watches?
9) Is there a special method of care for the ceramic?