Considering 312 :: How Does It Wear?

[DCheeta]

Hey Guys,

I've been looking around for a new Panerai to join my PAM000, something with a little more going on than my beloved yet plain base model.

I've settled on the 312, as it has a lot of what I'm looking for - 1950 case, sandwich dial, automatic in-house mvmt, display case back, seconds hand, etc. However it seems to be thicker than the 000? Does it wear larger than the 000 (or similar models) or does it feel pretty much the same?

At 44mm my Zero is my absolute limit, size-wise, thus my concern. With my 6.5" wrist would I be better off with a 392/1392?

(I have tried on the 392 and 1392, but not a 312 yet.)

Thanks guys!

[rebel_1]

I've never owned a 312, but I did have a 112 and a 351. The 351 seemed to weigh almost the same as the 112, but the extra thickness was in the end, the reason I flipped it. Also, I prefer manual PAMs. If I were to pick up a Luminor, it would be a 176 or the newer version if it didn't have 8 Days on the dial. I tried a 176 on once and I couldn't believe how light and comfortable it was.

[Ruud Van Driver]

Take a look at the 359 before you pull the trigger, Dave. Ol' dirty dial is well worth a look; it has everything that the 312 does but in a polished case, full Arabic and ecru lume.

My wrist isn't huge at 7.25" and I find the 44mm Luminors to be a great fit. I've heard some say that they're top heavy but I don't have that issue and the only way I could see that is if the strap is particularly loose fitting. As far as thickness goes, mine are thereabouts with my D-Blue.

Another one you might think of is the 351, being titanium it's quite a bit lighter.

Hang on, this is Cru's job not mine

[fullcourt]

wear my 328, a 312 that came on a ss bracelet....almost everyday, great watch

good luck

[fullcourt]

359 is also a nice piece

[nick c]

Originally Posted by Ruud Van Driver

Take a look at the 359 before you pull the trigger, Dave. Ol' dirty dial is well worth a look; it has everything that the 312 does but in a polished case, full Arabic and ecru lume.

My wrist isn't huge at 7.25" and I find the 44mm Luminors to be a great fit. I've heard some say that they're top heavy but I don't have that issue and the only way I could see that is if the strap is particularly loose fitting. As far as thickness goes, mine are thereabouts with my D-Blue.

Another one you might think of is the 351, being titanium it's quite a bit lighter.

Hang on, this is Cru's job not mine

Great advice from Paul,

[DCheeta]

Ooh, great stuff, thanks guys! Now I have some more research to do, which I love (my favorite part of this hobby). By the time the weekend rolls around I'll be ready for a visit to the Panerai Boutique for a try-on fest.

Paul, I partially blame you for my new need for a more "complicated" PAM. I was more than content with my 000 until I started gazing wistfully at your new 737. It just has so much going on and I absolutely love it!

[Cru Jones]

Exciting times! That's the right move to try on as many as possible. For me, the 1950 autos like the 312/351/359 are a bit thick for my flat wrist, but the cases are beautiful and if they fit, they are awesome... just ask Ruud.

If you're being tempted by a more complicated PAM, but are wary of the 1950 auto's thickness, consider the 233. The 317 is a good choice too, as the black will wear smaller (if size is a concern).

For the new four-digit thinner models, I think the blue hand goes best with the submersible, so I'd look at the 1305 but less so the 1312.

As for 392/1392, I personally think the 44 wears better, as the 42 looks a little off and chunky. YMMV.

Good luck with the hunt!

[ap1]

6.5 and dissenter here I guess. I felt 1312 was too large and I've also owned 359. Preferrring a bit smaller these days. I've owned a ton of 42s and still searching for "the" one pam that will actually stick with me. The due is sized right for my preferences. But it's high polished which is a neg for me. I've gone through 298, 512, 392, 1392, 535. Take a look at the new 682

There may be something to the above comments where 44 is better proportioned / balanced
Yet they are simply too large for a 6.5 is my take.

[CGarza9655]

Not sure what your take on Ceramic cases is guys, but a 441 came into my work the other day and it was a thing of beauty. The 44mm case wore perfectly on my 7" wrist and was extremely light and form fitting. I managed to snap a quick pic of it with my phone alongside the new 45.5mm Big Size Seamaster.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Ruud Van Driver]

Originally Posted by DCheeta

Ooh, great stuff, thanks guys! Now I have some more research to do, which I love (my favorite part of this hobby). By the time the weekend rolls around I'll be ready for a visit to the Panerai Boutique for a try-on fest.

Paul, I partially blame you for my new need for a more "complicated" PAM. I was more than content with my 000 until I started gazing wistfully at your new 737. It just has so much going on and I absolutely love it!

You're welcome

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Exciting times! That's the right move to try on as many as possible. For me, the 1950 autos like the 312/351/359 are a bit thick for my flat wrist, but the cases are beautiful and if they fit, they are awesome... just ask Ruud.

If you're being tempted by a more complicated PAM, but are wary of the 1950 auto's thickness, consider the 233. The 317 is a good choice too, as the black will wear smaller (if size is a concern).

For the new four-digit thinner models, I think the blue hand goes best with the submersible, so I'd look at the 1305 but less so the 1312.

As for 392/1392, I personally think the 44 wears better, as the 42 looks a little off and chunky. YMMV.

Good luck with the hunt!

Yep, ask me they are indeed awesome

I agree the 233 could well be a better fit. Also, the domed crystal makes it wear smaller. I find that my 737 seems smaller that the 359 and 689 with it being manual and having the domed crystal.

Another vote to avoid the blue hand unless on a Submersible. It seems out of place on the new Luminors, particularly the 1359 and 1351.

Originally Posted by ap1

6.5 and dissenter here I guess. I felt 1312 was too large and I've also owned 359. Preferrring a bit smaller these days. I've owned a ton of 42s and still searching for "the" one pam that will actually stick with me. The due is sized right for my preferences. But it's high polished which is a neg for me. I've gone through 298, 512, 392, 1392, 535. Take a look at the new 682

There may be something to the above comments where 44 is better proportioned / balanced
Yet they are simply too large for a 6.5 is my take.

Hmmmm, I think a lot depends on the shape of the wrist. A 6.5" can look bigger than a 7.25" if the former is flatter and the latter is more rounded.

Remember that pic of the 684 I posted that Mrs Van D was wearing (see below again)? She's built like a tank but still has quite feminine wrists which tend to be on the round side of things. Whilst she wears a 31mm Lady DJ, that 42mm Submersible looked pretty good on her. The point I'm making (not very well) is that I don't think dial size v wrist circumference is so clear cut when it comes to a Panerai. A PAM is a watch that trying on first is an absolute essential.

Originally Posted by CGarza9655

Not sure what your take on Ceramic cases is guys, but a 441 came into my work the other day and it was a thing of beauty. The 44mm case wore perfectly on my 7" wrist and was extremely light and form fitting. I managed to snap a quick pic of it with my phone alongside the new 45.5mm Big Size Seamaster.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

I like the ceramic cases but what puts me off is the horrendous cost to replace the case if you drop the watch on a hard surface and crack it. It's 40% of the cost of the watch and that gives me the raging horrors.


This is a great thread and I can't wait to see where Dave's research takes him (and us)

[DCheeta]

Wow, thanks again guys, this is all great info. My Google is ablaze with Panerai model numbers today!

A few notes: First, I couldn't agree more about the blue seconds hand. I have seen them in person and I am not a fan. They break the aesthetic, except on the Subs, as a few of you have noted.

Speaking of Submersibles, I would love to try on the new 682 (thanks ap1). That thing looks badass, and 42mm would work for me. That 684 looks fantastic on Paul's wife's wrist. I wonder if they're in the NYC boutique yet. I'll find out…

Paul, I have seen and discounted the 359. For some reason I can't get into the full Arabics. The 351 is a model I was not even aware of, and in titanium that may be a winner! Thanks for putting that one on my radar.

Cru, that chunkiness of the 1950's is exactly what I was wondering about. Having a 312 and 351 on my wrist will answer that question. I'll post pics when I get around to visiting the boutique.

Thanks again for all the valuable input! Back to Google… (yeah I'm not getting any work done today )

[DCheeta]

Originally Posted by CGarza9655

Not sure what your take on Ceramic cases is guys, but a 441 came into my work the other day and it was a thing of beauty. The 44mm case wore perfectly on my 7" wrist and was extremely light and form fitting. I managed to snap a quick pic of it with my phone alongside the new 45.5mm Big Size Seamaster.

Thanks Cris, that ceramic looks really cool! However, the internet has made me paranoid about cracking a ceramic watch case, maybe irrationally. One of these days I'll end up with a ceramic-cased watch though.

[Ruud Van Driver]

Originally Posted by DCheeta

Wow, thanks again guys, this is all great info. My Google is ablaze with Panerai model numbers today!

A few notes: First, I couldn't agree more about the blue seconds hand. I have seen them in person and I am not a fan. They break the aesthetic, except on the Subs, as a few of you have noted.

Speaking of Submersibles, I would love to try on the new 682 (thanks ap1). That thing looks badass, and 42mm would work for me. That 684 looks fantastic on Paul's wife's wrist. I wonder if they're in the NYC boutique yet. I'll find out…

Paul, I have seen and discounted the 359. For some reason I can't get into the full Arabics. The 351 is a model I was not even aware of, and in titanium that may be a winner! Thanks for putting that one on my radar.

Cru, that chunkiness of the 1950's is exactly what I was wondering about. Having a 312 and 351 on my wrist will answer that question. I'll post pics when I get around to visiting the boutique.

Thanks again for all the valuable input! Back to Google… (yeah I'm not getting any work done today )

Only 250 pieces of the 684 have been made. It's not a LE piece; what my guys have told me is that it's 250 this year but it's not known if Panerai will do another run next year. At S$38,000 here (about US$28,000) it ain't cheap but it's a stunner and wears small. As I said when I posted it previously, it came across a bit on the feminine side. Now whether that's because Mrs Van D said so and she corrupted my mind before I formed my own view, I don't know, but I'd have one 684 over ten RG YMs any day.

One thing I forgot to mention about the 351 is that it sports a tobacco dial. It's been discontinued now and replaced by a 1351. It looks awful with that blue seconds hand so hopefully your boutique has its predecessor sat in the safe. Sounds like it could be just the piece for you.

Good luck

[oldsalt]

Originally Posted by DCheeta

Ooh, great stuff, thanks guys! Now I have some more research to do, which I love (my favorite part of this hobby). By the time the weekend rolls around I'll be ready for a visit to the Panerai Boutique for a try-on fest.

Paul, I partially blame you for my new need for a more "complicated" PAM. I was more than content with my 000 until I started gazing wistfully at your new 737. It just has so much going on and I absolutely love it!

Yep - he's a bad influence ....

[Pattyb69]

I've owned a PAM 112, 233, 127 and currently own a 372. I found these references to be very comfortable thanks to the flat casebacks and manual wind movements. I found the 372 and its cushion case to be the most comfortable Panerai I have ever owned. Great piece if you have the wrist size for it.

I borrowed my friends 312 for 2 weeks and got tired of how chunky/top heavy it was by day 5. 312 was a reference that was high up on my list until I wore it for a few days. I'm really happy I got to borrow my friends before taking the plunge with my own money only to realize how sloppy it wore. I found this to be the case with all automatic 1950 case PAMs.

I still haven't tried the new 1312. I hear the new movement/case thickness makes the watch more comfortable.

[rootbeer7]

I'm brand new to the brand after going back and forth to try them on. Simply, 47 was too big, 44 auto was too top heavy and 44mm perfect. I now have a 44 Luminor manual.

[tobach]

I am one of the guys with an "out of place blue second hand" on my 1312 . I have to admit that it is my first PAM, so my opinion maybe doesn't carry much weight, but I tried the 312 as well, and the difference in feel is huge! I love my latest purchase


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[Magwitch]

I was lucky enough to score a K series 176 taken in trade by my AD. I didn't get box & papers but a good deal nonetheless. I think I have more $ in straps than in the watch! That is a very slippery slope my friend!

[DCheeta]

Alright gentlemen, sorry for leaving this unresolved for so long. It's been a busy time.

I did not make it to the boutique as they are closed on Sundays, which seems to be the only day that I ever have free. However, I did get to a few ADs and was able to try on a variety of 1950's automatic Luminors. Basically, I came to the same conclusion as Mr Rootbeer7:

Originally Posted by rootbeer7

I'm brand new to the brand after going back and forth to try them on. Simply, 47 was too big, 44 auto was too top heavy and 44mm perfect. I now have a 44 Luminor manual.

I tried on a couple of 42mm models (535 and 537), the size felt great but I couldn't help but feel like they were miniature models of real Panerais.



Then, as they did not have a 312 for me to try, I checked out a few proxies - 44mm 1950 Luminors with some additional complications (forgive me if I don't know all the ref numbers, they were coming at me fast and furious). I figured the size and wearability would be the same as that of a 312.







As you can see, the 44mm automatic 1950's cases look a bit bulbous on my thin wrist. They're great models, but I just wasn't comfortable with how they sat on my wrist. They sit quite high, as many of you have noted.

So I've concluded that the best fit for me is the one that I already have and love - the PAM 000. The manual wind 44mm case is perfect for me. It just took some exploring to realize that!

Thank you all for your input and advice, I'm sorry if it turned out to be a waste of time in the end!

[fullcourt]

never a waste of time. the 000 is a classic

[Bushido]

Not a waste at all! You got to have fun trying on a bunch of great watches, came away happy with a watch, and didn't spend a dime in the process. That's a win! We got to enjoy the ride and your pics...no complaints from me.