NEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Luminor GMT PAM 1441

Brian H. September 5, 2019

For many years I have wanted a black Panerai in my collection, but somehow every time a new Panerai joined the family it was always in stainless steel. In my defense, the options with a black ceramic case are limited (as much as I love the look of PVD, I am too scared of scratches to own one). I admired the Radiomir PAM 292 for many years, but never took the plunge. Then I drooled over the PAM 317 but could not get over the high price point… but after 12 years of watch collecting, I finally added a black ceramic PAM to my collection – the PAM 1441.

NEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM 968

Brian H. July 28, 2019

O-M-G!!! This new arrival is one of my grails!!! When the first Panerai Bronzo was released in 2011, it was love at first sight. The love eventually turned into frustration as it was impossible to purchase one unless you knew someone or were a VIP customer. The years passed, new versions were released, but the Bronzo remained a myth… unobtainable at retail. What made things more infuriating was seeing many Brozos in the secondary market with a $10K premium or seeing one owner with multiple versions of the Bronzo (in many cases with all versions)... and there I was still dreaming about owning one someday.

NEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 911 - "Last One for Paneristi"

Brian H. March 27, 2018

After over one year of not purchasing a watch (new personal record), I am very excited about this latest new arrival. Not only is it from the brand that started it all for me, it is also a Limited Edition piece of only 500 pieces... and we all know how impossible it is to get Limited Edition pieces from Panerai! This PAM 911, also known as the "Last One for Paneristi", was designed by Mr. Angelo Bonati himself. Though unlikely that this will be the last one for Paneristi ever, it will be the last one under Mr. Angelo Bonati's reign. Jean-Marc Pontroué, Roger Dubuis CEO, is scheduled to become the next Officine Panerai CEO in April 2018. I have always been a fan and a harsh critic of Panerai (see my The Fall of a Giant? article), so it will be interesting to see what happens to the brand under the new direction of Jean-Marc.

STRAP REVIEW: Horus Snow Camouflage Rubber Strap for Panerai

Brian H. August 5, 2016

This Horus strap was reviewed on 5 different criteria. The review is for this specific strap, other straps may perform differently. Evaluation is based on my wrist size, personal opinions, experiences, and preferences. If you would like to submit your product for a review, please contact me.

FULL REPORT: Exclusive Panerai Dive Into Time VIP Event

Brian H. July 28, 2016

Earlier this month I had the honor to attend the very exclusive Officine Panerai Dive Into Time VIP event in Beverly Hills. I had the pleasure to talk and dine with Giovanni Carestia (President of Panerai North America), Alessandro Ficarelli (Product Development Director), and several others from the Panerai team. And as if that was not awesome enough, we also had the chance to view and play with some newly released Panerai models. Needless to say, it was one heck of a night and one worth sharing with the rest of the watch community.

NEW ARRIVAL: Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 563

Brian H. June 25, 2016

My latest arrival is from the brand that started this entire watch craze for me, Officine Panerai. But before we get into more details, I would like to thank my awesome wife (Instagram @wifeofawis) for this incredibly thoughtful gift. For many years, I have wanted to add a white dial Panerai to my collection and this new PAM 563 is just perfect.

FULL REPORT: RPM Exotic Car Gathering 7/18/15

Brian H. July 24, 2015

This past Saturday I attended the RPM Exotic Car Gathering at the Hing Wa Lee Plaza in Walnut for the third time... easily the best one I have attended so far (sans a Bugatti)! The parking lot was completely packed! So packed that they actually had to turn away several Ferraris and Lambos since there was no more space. As always, there was complimentary Dim Sum breakfast and plenty of watches to enjoy inside the Hing Wa Lee watch store.

My Favorite Complication: The Power Reserve

Brian H. November 13, 2014

Any function on your watch other than to display time is considered a complication. It could be as simple as a date function or as complicated as a sonnerie.

Boo at the Zoo (Santa Ana)

Brian H. October 27, 2014

This past Saturday we went to The Santa Ana Zoo's "Boo at the Zoo" trick-or-treat event. It was @babyofawis' first time trick-or-treating so we figured that this event was perfect for her... get to see a few animals, walk around in a safe environment, and hopefully go home with a bag of goodies.

The Fall of a Giant (Officine Panerai)?

Brian H. October 6, 2014

Panerai, the brand that made me a WIS. Yes it is true. In case you have not read the About section on my website yet, my passion for watches started in the summer of 2007 after I purchased my first Panerai, a PAM 164.