Opening a Panerai Caseback

Opening a Panerai Caseback is a bit easier (cheaper!) to do without damaging your watch. There are caseback dies just like the Breitling ones, but with 12 sides as Panerai casebacks have 12 sides. Panerai Casebacks also come in 3 different sizes, for which you can use any of the above mentioned methods of opening just as the Breitling cases can be opened, but there are aluminum hand held openers for panera casebacks that work very well. Opening a Breitling Caseback.

These caseback openers are made from Aluminum, which is softer than the Steel used in your case so it is less likely to scratch it. Also they offer very good grip and cost from about $50-100, depending on where you purchase them from. Strap-works sell thems for $85 IIRC.

Panerai Watches in Movies

Panerai gets to be one of the most seen brands in the movie industry. Panerai has four major lines of watches: Historic, Contemporary, Manifattura and Special Editions. Most of the watches are produced in a limited run (normally of 500, 1000, 2000 or 4000 units) and carry an issue number on the case back. Some of the most famous movies in which Panerai Watches appear are:

After producing near 300 watches for the Marina Militare (Italian Navy, one of the four branches of military forces of Italy) between 1938 and 1993, the company stopped producing them because they were no longer cost-effective or did not featured the naval specifications.

When launching its products to the civilian market, Sylvester Stallone got to buy a Panerai Luminor in a jewelry store in Rome in 1995 to wear during shooting of the film "Daylight". He then ordered a batch of them with his signature on the case back. The model was called Slytech. He offered them as a gift to friends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Newly elected Governor Schwarzenegger, after receiving his Panerai as a gift from Sylvester Stallone, wore the timepice while shooting “Eraser”, a movie in which Panerai Luminor Marina actually had a scene before Schwarzenegger (main actor). The movie was released in 1996.

It then came the appearance of a Panerai Logo in Daylight. This time, worn by Sylvester Stallone. The movie was released at the end of 1996.

Jason Stratham, United Kindom actor, gets to be a very big Panerai fan as well.

Both movies, Transporter and Transporter 2, start with a similar opening scene in which the camera enters a parking garage with only one car.

Inside, Jason Statham hears an alarm and looks at his watch: a Panerai in both movies.

The transporter I

Jason Stratham wearing a 40mm Panerai Luminor Automatic Chrono (PAM 74) on OEM Brown Alligator Strap with white stiching.

The transporter II

Jason Statham wearing a Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 196

Another well known Panerai fan is Hugh Grant, who has been seen wearing his Panerai in magazines and also on TV interviews. He didn't leave the Panerai at home for "Bridget Jones' Diary" or "Two Weeks Notice".

Hugh Grant wears a Panerai watch at Bridget Jones' Diary

Hugh Grant wears a Panerai Watch at Two Weeks Notice

Panerai Luminor GMT 3 Days Automatic PAM 00320

Panerai has launched several watches with its new P. 9000 calibre movement. We have taken a look at the PAM 305 and PAM 312 which have the new in-house movement. The new P. 9000 calibre is a self-winding movement which produces 28,800 vibrations per hour, has a three day power reserve and features a date display.

A varaint of this movement is the P. 9001 calibre, which adds additional functions: (1) a second time zone; and, (2) a power reserve indicator.

The PAM 320 is a dual time watch with a power reserve indicator. Despite all this the dial is kept clean. This is because the GMT hand rotates every 12 hours (so you will have to figure out whether it is day or night at your second time zone on your own), so there are no 24 hour markings on the dial. The power reserve indicator is viewed from the back of the case, keeping it off the dial. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, depends on you.

The Panerai watch is housed in a steel 44mm "1950" style case. A 2.6mm sapphire crystal glass protects the hand and dial, and the movement can be viewed through a sapphire crystal caseback. The case and crytals are sufficient to provide the watch with a 300 meter water resistance rating.

The short arrowhead hand provides the second time zone. What is not too clear to us is whether this hand rotates once every 24 hours (which is common for most dual time watches, and some Panerai's) or once every 12 hours (like some Panerai's). The watch does not have a day/night indicator which leads me to believe that the second time zone displays 24-hour time. The are no 24 hours markers to read against the second time zone hand, but it should be easy enough to use the 12 hour markers for this purpose. Small price to pay for the nice clean dial.