Rolex Forums - Rolex Forum - Forbes article on 532

FYI.....recent Forbes article on the 532: http://www.forbes.com/sites/arielada...for-cult-fans/

I've heavily warmed up to the 532, but, at €9,200, there's no doubt I will only enjoy it from afar.

Panerai Makes Another Watch Strictly For Cult Fans

Brands who have dedicated fan bases should consider them lucky. For years automotive makers have had clubs and loyalists who discuss, modify, and celebrate the work of a manufacturer. While super fan bases may not be the primary consumers of most companies, brands are eager to pay close attention and reward those who are loyal to them. Mega fans also offer a lot in return for free. Not only do fans offer what essentially free market research (just read their discussions), but they also offer feedback on products and suggest what types of things a brand should produce next. In the watch industry there are brands with their own healthy group of fans. Rolex of course is a big one, but many other brands have their share of very active regular buyers.

One such brand is Panerai, a Swiss brand under the Richemont group based on a historic Italian watch maker who produced timepieces for the Italian Navy. While the Italian Navy may have not been particularly memorable in terms of military victories, they did have some gorgeously designed watches made for them. Panerai endures today strictly on the preservation of its history offering recreations of iconic models. Panerai also has a very loyal following, and super fans even have their own name, “Paneristi.”

Panerai gained famed as a modern brand after the advent of the internet, so almost immediately fans were able to form communities online. Paneristis all around the world obsess over limited edition models, rare pieces, and stylish ways of matching models with after-market straps. Panerai is a fantastic business because it focuses on design people love, with enough exclusivity to keep people engaged. One thing Panerai has done – unlike any other brand its size – is to produce limited edition watches exclusively in honor of its fans. The newest such piece rewards those who want to boldly claim they are a “Paneristi Forever.”

This precise term is engraved on the back of the watch. The message is a bold one, and is clearly meant to appeal to existing Panerai fans. While it isn’t difficult to gleam that “Paneristi” refers to Panerai, only brand “insiders” will truly appreciate the message on the rear of the limited edition watch. While not exactly cheap, Panerai did opt to go with a more simple timepiece for this model. The watch itself is based on the Radiomir style case and is the Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days “Paneristi Forever” ref. PAM00532 (PAM 532) watch.

The 47mm wide case is steel with a black DLC coating. The black dial is lovely and purely Panerai with a unique little touch. In relief on the dial is a small picture of men riding a “human torpedo” – which was something actually used by the Italian Navy. Water resistant to 100 meters, the watch contains an in-house made Panerai P.3000 manually wound movement with a power reserve of 3 days. Attached to the strap is a fashionable natural leather strap. Panerai watches seem to have this special property in that they look good on most any strap design. For its mega fans Panerai will produce just 500 pieces of the exclusive PAM 532, at a price of 9,200 Euros.

http://b-i.forbesimg.com/arieladams/...M532-watch.jpg http://b-i.forbesimg.com/arieladams/...AM532-back.jpg