Rolex Forums - Rolex Forum - View Single Post - Jean-Marc Pontroue is destroying the brand

sjap68 · 12 May 2022, 08:32 AM

I was kind of late to the Panerai party, I bought my first about 8 years ago and it was a Pam 305 titanium submersible.
I loved the looks, I loved the feel but could never entirely shake the feeling that it had a little too much wrist presence, it was really great big hunk of metal that whilst I loved was not really too inconspicuous and always felt just a little too big ( I know , I know Panerai’s are meant to be big) there was no lug wrist overhang but it just felt too much.

I then proceeded to buy a Radiomir base black seal logo which I again loved the looks, but yet again I felt it wasn’t quite right on my wrist, there was a whole lot of dial that filled an awful lot of wrist space.

Next was a blue dialed Pam 1058 luminor, that was pretty close to perfection for me, it wore beautifully, I liked the size , I liked the looks , I thought I was done.

Alas no. I made the mistake of looking in the Naples Panerai boutique one day and spotted the Pam 683, this truly was love at first site, I tried it on. This to me was absolute perfection,
I bought it right there and then and wore it out of the store.

My Panerai collection was complete as far as I was concerned.

Until I spotted the Pam973 submersible goldtech 42mm with ceramic bezel this was beyond perfection, I couldnt get it out of my head, I had a great collection of Panerai’s, I had 3 Rolexes, how could I possibly justify another Watch.

Well your mind will play tricks on you to justify anything it would appear.

I bought it.

Any way long story short I have now reduced my collection by off loading the Panerai’s down to just the Goldtech submersible ( I also off loaded 2 Rolex ) and focused on just a 3 Watch collection.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t think Panerai is being destroyed I have bought a number of the more recent references and really liked them, I believe Panerai as a company are evolving to appeal to a different demographic than they were in the 90’s and 2000’s. There simply is no stopping progress or change.
As humans we are really averse to change and unfamiliarity, we like stability and the familiar, we like to maintain the status quo.

So I am happy to buy the more recent models that appeal to me, but can sympathize with the traditionalists who look back with nostalgia about the good old days and what used to be.

12 May 2022, 08:32 AM	#45
sjap68 "TRF" Member Join Date: Jun 2020 Location: Marco Island Posts: 82	I was kind of late to the Panerai party, I bought my first about 8 years ago and it was a Pam 305 titanium submersible. I loved the looks, I loved the feel but could never entirely shake the feeling that it had a little too much wrist presence, it was really great big hunk of metal that whilst I loved was not really too inconspicuous and always felt just a little too big ( I know , I know Panerai’s are meant to be big) there was no lug wrist overhang but it just felt too much. I then proceeded to buy a Radiomir base black seal logo which I again loved the looks, but yet again I felt it wasn’t quite right on my wrist, there was a whole lot of dial that filled an awful lot of wrist space. Next was a blue dialed Pam 1058 luminor, that was pretty close to perfection for me, it wore beautifully, I liked the size , I liked the looks , I thought I was done. Alas no. I made the mistake of looking in the Naples Panerai boutique one day and spotted the Pam 683, this truly was love at first site, I tried it on. This to me was absolute perfection, I bought it right there and then and wore it out of the store. My Panerai collection was complete as far as I was concerned. Until I spotted the Pam973 submersible goldtech 42mm with ceramic bezel this was beyond perfection, I couldnt get it out of my head, I had a great collection of Panerai’s, I had 3 Rolexes, how could I possibly justify another Watch. Well your mind will play tricks on you to justify anything it would appear. I bought it. Any way long story short I have now reduced my collection by off loading the Panerai’s down to just the Goldtech submersible ( I also off loaded 2 Rolex ) and focused on just a 3 Watch collection. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I don’t think Panerai is being destroyed I have bought a number of the more recent references and really liked them, I believe Panerai as a company are evolving to appeal to a different demographic than they were in the 90’s and 2000’s. There simply is no stopping progress or change. As humans we are really averse to change and unfamiliarity, we like stability and the familiar, we like to maintain the status quo. So I am happy to buy the more recent models that appeal to me, but can sympathize with the traditionalists who look back with nostalgia about the good old days and what used to be.