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Officine Panerai

Panerai was never known for their finishing

 

My 115 from 20 years ago has automated finishing on it...in fact, many models that put Panerai on the map at the height of their fame were based on the Unitas 6497 that had rudimentary finishing compared with the Great Houses. Everyone knew this.

 
Movements weren't the point of the brand as long as the watch kept decent time. But watch fads come and go in terms of what consumers want and don't want. Today is different from yesterday...and I can guarantee what folks say is so important now won't be important in 20 more years...the standards of today may even be seen as (gasp!) scandalous in the future just as yesteryear's are today. Every watch company is trying to find the new angle that can help them differentiate and sell more watches.
 
As an example, one of the greatest and most recent 'watch wars' was started when the great watch houses within Swatch and Richemont signified their intention to sell through their boutiques and even online direct to consumers thereby cutting out the midddle-man whether ADs or resellers...the watch ecosystem was disrupted. And what happened? We started seeing watch resellers and ADs hyping "Independents" because they have to sell something to survive and the big houses were closed to them. And what better way for the resellers and ADs to compete than on 'hand-finished anglage.' Independents' "in-house" movements often keep crappy time and who knows how long the independent brand will be around...but, hey, they're hand-finished!
 
I guess in short, the watch market is a lot like the art world. Pick your poison...and don't be surprised if others pick theirs.

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