In the last past few years, the replica Panerai has grown so far beyond the very first offerings that it had when it was first acquired by the Richemont Group, as to defy description. The company has made everything from some of the most underappreciated tourbillons in the business, to perpetual calendars, astronomical clocks, and pretty much everything else you can think of. The fake Panerai watches have become not only the functional instrument and dive watches that originally made the brand’s reputation among enthusiasts, but exercises in pure design as well and there are now so many different variations on the original theme that it’s possible to find anything you might want in the catalogue – from serious functional dive replica watches to the best complications.
And yet, fundamentally, there are and have been, and probably only ever will be, two Panerai watches: Radiomir, with its wire lugs and echo of the very early days of professional and military dive watches (lest we forget, watches like the Submariner and Blancpain 50 Fathoms are follow-on to the saboteur’s and combat diver’s watches of World War II) and of course, Luminor, with its distinctive and irresistible lever crown locking system. Both have such strong identities that over the years the variations on these themes have proven inexhaustible, but the basic designs and attributes of the original models still have a powerful appeal.
Panerai replica has just announced that it has launched a limited edition – the Luminor Submersible Automatic Acciaio – which will be provided, in an interesting twist, not at authorized dealers or Panerai boutiques, but typically through the fake Panerai’s online e-boutique. Much of Panerai’s core collection is available to purchase online too, but this is the first time they’ve offered an e-boutique-only limited edition.
The two most distinctive features of this model are the distinctive locking lever for the crown – which, if you’ve never had a chance to play with one, is one of the most fun ways to secure a crown that’s ever come down the pike – and the dial. The latter is a very deep blue which depending on how the light hits it can seem anything from a sky-at-dawn azure, to almost black.