If you're landing on Paneristi.com, you'll soon notice the following sentence: "The most comprehensive single-brand resource on the web." With 31504 subscribers, as of today, Paneristi.com is the largest single-branded community. Being a luxury brand whose production volumes are not comparable to the likes of Rolex or Omega, for example, this community's total subscribers' number is nothing short of extraordinary. Since Jean–Marc Pontrouè joined Panerai as CEO, the brand has intensified its relationship with the "Paneristi" (i.e., Panerai fans) across the globe, and Paneristi.com sits in the first place.
The community is celebrating its twentieth anniversary this year and hails this achievement by conceiving a collaborative Limited Edition Panerai. Brand and community opted for a Radiomir, whose full model name is Panerai Radiomir Venti PAM 2020. It is as simple and easy to remember as it gets, and the watch itself is quite distinctive from its siblings, apart from the co-branding patch on the dial and the case back. First and foremost, let me underline that Panerai keeps offering classic products alongside those destined to push the boundaries of the so-called "Laboratorio di Idee" (i.e., new materials, technologies, and innovative after-sales services) to keep the brand's die-hard fans on fire.
In the year of Luminor's seventieth anniversary, I'm quite surprised the brand and the community opted for a Radiomir instead. However, I admit the PAM 2020 is by far one of the most attractive Radiomir watches in a generation, in my opinion. The dial is the hot piece, regardless if you appreciate the Paneristi.com logo or not, at all. The sunray brownish finish to it follows the likes of what Panerai did when it revealed the Luminor Firenze PAM 605 a few years ago. That Luminor is highly coveted and sought after.
Sporting a 45mm large steel case, featuring a vintage "patina steel" treatment introduced with the Radiomir PAM 992, the dial is a marvel and perfectly contrasts with the Arabic numerals and the beige Super–LumiNova™ sandwich layer, at least by judging through the press photos. Paired with a light brown suede strap, the Panerai Radiomir Venti PAM 2020 is vintage looking, and I'm sure it's sunray dial will give owners plenty of joy while standing under the sunlight. I do appreciate the timepiece is not restricted to the community's members.
I am rather surprised the brand adopted the Panerai P6000 caliber instead of a P5000. Some Radiomir watches like the PAM 992, featuring similar specs, are offering the eight-day power reserve caliber (it has two barrels instead of a single one) inside the same case size. I believe this strategy aims at making the PAM 2020 accessible to an audience as broad as possible. Retailing for 6,500 Euros and available exclusively at the brand's boutiques, the Panerai Radiomir Venti PAM 2020 is by far the most affordable limited edition currently available. If Panerai is looking for connecting potential buyers and their boutiques further, the new Panerai Radiomir Venti PAM 2020 is the right trigger.
(Photo credit: courtesy of Panerai)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
