Officine Panerai

Hello community, I’m seriously considering a 682 (first generation 42mm Submersible). But I’ve seen a number of examples whose bezels are misaligned. Is it simply bad luck that the ones I’ve seen have been misaligned, or is this a systemic quirk of the re...  

answer, your question. We have not had enough "reports" on these pages, to be able to provide you with a sense making answer. At the same time, though, even while looking at your close up picture, I had to use my glasses to spot the..infinitesimal..anomal... 

one of the things I appreciate most about mechanical watches is their precision and attention to detail on a microscopic level. This is a visual detail that speaks to a lack of such precision. It wouldn’t bother me on a $600 Seiko, but on a Panerai I’d ex... 

after all, each of us has his.....idiosyncrasies.

But the bezel on my current 42mm Submersible, a 973, is perfectly aligned.

Yes, I’d hope that they would have made a point to address the issue with the latest model. And yours is beautiful!

This issue is not just a Panerai issue, but other manufacturers have the same issue. With an applied bezel insert, you can adjust the position to compensate for mechanical variances. However, there is no forgiveness with a machined Panerai bezel. I believ... 

My WIS friends and I were moaning about the fact that this type of error isn’t usually found on a Rolex, but you’re right—most of their bezels have inserts that are surely more ‘adjustable’ than a fully machined bezel like this one. With regard to what ot... 

I would be curious how far out of alignment would still be acceptable to the eye? Based on this rough sketch, you look to be "off" about 90 arcminutes (0.25x6x60). Anyway, there has to be a way to adjust for alignment. I can't imagine how you could not ha...  

very clear picture, the problem might also be represented by the size of the dot. The..first second..marker it's in the right place. If the dot were to be moved to the right, it would end up on top of the...marker, no?

Here is an updated drawing. Please keep in mine, the camera angle can distort the perspective. I'm working with what was provided. What makes this more critical to the eye, is that Panerai has provided two parallel alignment tools (12 o'clock baton marker...  

if that is in its RIGHT place, the DOT is too big to be "moved" to the right WITHOUT touching it.

The bezel markings are machined correctly. It is the rotational phasing of the bezel with respect to the dial that is of concern. -John

if the bezel markings are correct and in order to align the DOT to the centre of the 12 markings on the dial you rotate it, the 1st second's marker would be moved further right and would "mark" 1.somethig seconds, instead of only 1...no?

This is what makes engagement with this community so amazing! I can’t thank you enough for your thoughtful replies to me and others on this thread. To your point about camera angles, it’s a live shot I took while inspecting it, and given the specific alig... 

I'm curious to your findings the next time you see the watch. There is an online video that shows the manufacturing and assembly of a Panerai 968. You can see how they line up the 15, 30 an 45 bezel pips. Right after that section, they assemble the Bezel ... 

Hello John, wanted to share that I went back and saw a second example, and this one was as close to spot on as I’ve seen. So I made the deal and took it home. Thanks for all of your analytical assistance! Here’s to you: ...  

if it truly bothers you send it into service. I see both sides of this situation and in the end it's easy to correct if/as desired.

So I’d rather not have to send in a newly purchased watch straight to service or to try to work that into pricing on purchase. But thanks for your view.

If you're not happy return it.

I mentioned the pearl at 12 o’clock as point of reference, but the whole thing is off. I did try twisting it (all the way around to the left, since it’s uni-directional) and I even checked if it was within the range of the wobble. No dice—it’s simply misa... 

I have located European Patent EP1835363B1. Here are the illustrations in that patent. Based on this patent and what I have discovered, there is no adjustability in this design. The Ratchet Ring (12) snaps into the Bezel (5). The radial orientation betwee...