The 2010 Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina PAM 351 is yet another model offered in a titanium case playing with brushed and polished surfaces and the usual high-quality leather strap with a titanium buckle. The PAM351 was presented at SIHH 2010 trade show in Geneva, Switzerland.
Just like the PAM 338 and PAM 346 models, it may hurt your eyes with a strange combination of titanium and gold.
Although the combination is not particularly unusual (and I admit that it may be my personal preference, so excuse me for this little bias here) the mix of titanium and gold may look a bit strange although it’s partially softened by the introduction of a brown leather strap with contrasting stitching and a darker brown shade for the dial.
Somewhat frantically converting its models from ETA-sourced mass-produced calibers to its own in-house movements in an attempt to become less dependent on the world’s largest maker of blank movements while making their watches more unique and, well, valuable, the Italian watchmaker keeps introducing collections that look almost the same as last year’s models but are different inside featuring their own recently developed self-winding and hand-wound calibers.
This refreshed PAM 351 model, for example, is powered by the P.9000 Calibre automatic movement that, at 31mm in diameter and 7.9 mm thick, is simple and therefore robust and reliable, which makes it a perfect fit for a model that costs around $8000.
Introduced only last year, the new self-winding caliber is equipped with a couple of spring barrels that provide the timepiece with a power reserve of 72 hours.
While not “impressive” (there are self-winding calibers from other Swiss-based brands that can go even longer,) it is at least a lot more practical than the older set of mechanisms that usually featured from 38 to, maybe, 46 hours of maximum power reserve. At least, you won’t have to worry that the mechanism will run out of steam during the weekend.
I mean, in practice this means that you can get the watch off your wrist on Friday night and put it back on Monday morning and, as long as you didn’t forget to wind it before putting it into the box, the movement will still be ticking merrily inside the cushion-shaped titanium case that measures whole 44 millimeters in width.
Or you can leave it on your wrist and go to the nearest beach, since with its water resistance rating of 300 meters it is a full-blown diving tool, although, sans a unidirectional rotating bezel and on an easy-to-ruin natural leather, it probably wasn’t meant for such endeavors.
At least, the watch itself will survive if you forget to take it off in all the excitement of a spontaneous diving adventure.
See also: Corum Admiral’s Cup Chronograph 48 Grand Prix
Photos: Panerai
Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina Titanium PAM 351 specification
Price range: $8,000
Movement: Panerai P.9000 Calibre, automatic, 197 parts, 31 mm in diameter, 7.9 mm thick, 28 jewels, two mainspring barrels, 28,800 vph, in-house
Complications: Date
Power reserve: 72 hours (3 days)
Case: Brushed titanium
Bezel: Polished titanium
Shape: Cushion
Transparent back: Yes, sapphire crystal
Size: 44.00 mm
Dial: Black
Hands: Gold, luminous
Strap: Leather strap
Crystal: Sapphire, corundum, 2.6 mm thick, anti-reflective coating
Water resistance: 300 meters