The perfect fake Panerai Luminor PAM00116 was never an outrageously flirtatious watch. Made between 2002 and 2003 in a series of 300 pieces, this 44mm model was the titanium version of the steel Luminor Base PAM00118. The brown dial was the most exotic feature, if you don’t count the grayish titanium, that is. Still, that lightweight alloy is always more technical and functional than attention-seeking by nature. But a renewed meeting with the Swiss replica Panerai UK sparked something in me. Twenty years after first seeing it, this particular Luminor brought back some memories. I’m sure you’ve also had this same kind of experience with watches from your past. And if you can’t think of any to talk about in the coffee corner this Monday, maybe you can steer the conversation towards new diver watches like the skeletonized Captain Cook High-Tech Ceramic LE or the tropical Cuervo y Sobrinos Buceador Caribe “Pipin Ferreras” Edition.
The absence of a seconds hand can be refreshingly soothing. Take Gerard’s 1:1 replica Panerai Luminor PAM00116 — a watch I’d never seen him wear before — as an example. In every way, this Luminor is all about the essence of a watch. And with its stripped-down look, the titanium PAM00116 from twenty years ago looks forever fresh and relevant. Because of the 44mm case, the watch is hard not to notice on someone’s wrist. But because of its deep brown dial and brushed titanium case, the 300-meter water-resistant dive super clone watch shows some restraint.
Once I managed to get this Swiss movement fake Panerai off of Gerard’s wrist, the watch came alive even more. Everything about this timepiece is large and straightforward. There’s the immense 24mm lug width, which equals a lot of leather hugging the wrist. But that also leads to a snug and comfy situation. My 18.5cm wrist has no problem accommodating the 44mm case, and with the strap neither too loose nor too tight, it creates a kind of wear-and-forget experience. The high quality copy Panerai made me reminisce about the days when Panerai was the talk of the (watch) town. It was with watches like the cheap copy Panerai Luminor PAM00116, a limited series of 300 pieces, that Panerai created a hardcore fan base. And while wearing this Luminor, I could easily feel why once again. On the wrist, the watch’s simplicity becomes its USP.
An endearing Panerai
You could argue that the best 1:1 fake Panerai Luminor PAM00116 is not very special. The hand-wound 21,600vph caliber OP X with a power reserve of 56 hours is not exactly a sublime masterpiece of high horology. The caliber started its life as a 3Hz, 46-hour-power-reserve ETA 6497-1 — a movement that also functioned as a base for other Panerai calibers like the OP I, OP II, OP XI, and OP XXIX — and to spice things up a bit, there is some AAA quality copy Panerai-specific decoration on it. It clearly shows that Panerai was still trying to figure out what it was as a brand, where it wanted to be, and where it wanted to go in the future. It looks endearing in a way.
The dial is, like the movement, a clear-cut deal. Yes, I prefer a sandwich dial when it comes to Luminor models. Having said that, the specific font type and the way it shows on the deep, dark brown background is a very pleasant sight indeed. This high quality replica Panerai Luminor PAM00116 is all about the essentials. It doesn’t need frills to make its point. The titanium makes sense because it lightens things up — the Luminor is massive in every aspect — and brings the benefit of a dark gray color that is subtly distinctive. This top super clone Panerai PAM00116 is not a pretentious watch, and partly because of that, I think it’s a classic. You might want to have a look at Chrono24 to see what prices are like for this classic Luminor with an understated twist.