Last weekend I went out to a pub to have a few beers with my friends. We had a lot of fun that evening and became close friends with the bartender who served us. The bartender was wearing a Panerai on his wrist, which surprised me a lot. Panerai does not seem to be the right watch for virile, bearded bartenders who love motorcycle racing. But, whatever, everyone has their own tastes, right?
What surprised me the most was the Panerai model that he was wearing. It was a Panerai imitation from the Quaranta series and he told me that he wore the watch not because he was happy with it, but because he had received it as a gift from his wife. He somehow had to honor her gesture and was wearing the watch as a sign of appreciation for her. His attitude towards his wife deserves all the respect. At the same time, his words “that he was not very happy with the watch” made me think. Previously, I had not done a review of this Panerai model. I asked him where he bought the watch and it turned out that his imitation was from the same release as our imitations on AAAReplica.
Being curious about his lack of interest in the watch, I decided to do a more in-depth review to understand what is good and what is bad in this imitation. On to the review!
The first thing to spot with this replica watch
I’ll start with the good side of things. The watch comes in a 40mm size, which is great for those who love modern standards. The surveys we recently conducted with our users showed that 40mm watches are the number 1 option today. So, at first glance, this Panerai looks compact, ergonomic, and just right for daily wear. More than that, I feel it to be more comfortable than the 44mm Submersible version which is a bit too much for me.
I put the Quaranta imitation on my wrist and felt it quite firmly. But that was until I began to move my arm in different positions. At that moment, I felt that something was bothering me, namely during the movement of the arm. It was about the side with the crown protector. This aesthetic element really makes Panerai watches stand out from other watch types. But if we talk about comfort, this design, unfortunately, does not provide me with the necessary comfort at all. I could feel the protector digging into my wrist and causing a bothersome sensation. I thought that if I didn’t take the watch off immediately, it would cause irritation on my wrist.
Actually…
The problem with this crown protector does not consist specifically of an inappropriate design, but rather of inappropriate proportions. For the Quaranta model, the ratio between the case and this protector is absolutely unbalanced, the protector being much too big for the relatively modest case. It is as if the manufacturers took over this guard from the Quarantaquattro models and attached it to the 40mm version, without adapting it to the smaller case size.
I did a Google search to see if the authentic model is as “irrational” from a design point of view as the replica is. Yes, it turns out that it is. Respectively, my claim is not against the replica manufacturers (they only reproduced what the original model represents), but against the brand itself. I think that the company kind of screwed up with the concept of the given model, unfortunately.
If you analyze the outer appearance of the watch, it seems that the “famous” protector (which spoils the whole thing) is out of context. I would have liked much more to see this element more attached to the body of the case. The crown would look much better in context if it didn’t have such a large space in its roll, due to the too “distant” protector. All these elements together also generate a discomfort that could have been solved with only a more pronounced compaction of this “not in place” protector.
With this in mind, I was beginning to understand what the bartender had in mind when he said that he was not impressed by this imitation. But, I want to specify that it is not a question of an error of the imitation itself, but of the original design as well.
Additional replica watch details
That quibble aside, the replica watch case is basically nothing different from what we know about Panerai. Here we see the same round shape of the dial, with slightly angular and rounded edges. Also, we find in this model the same rugged simplicity of the dial as in most Luminor models.
The bezel has a fairly even polish. However, it seems to me that the case lacks that specific shine that we see in most Rolex replicas, for example. In this context, I already have claims to the replica manufacturers directly, who seem to not strive too much for a perfect polish.
Here is a positive thing with this replica. This Luminor miraculously changes its appearance depending on the strap you attach it to. When you pair it with a leather strap, the imitation looks very formal. Thus, it’s very suitable for a special occasion (that’s if the crown protector doesn’t bother you the way it bothers me). At the same time, the watch becomes very good for taking your husky for a walk in the park just by changing the leather to the rubber strap or metal bracelet.
Final thoughts
It seems that my review sounds a bit negative about this Panerai replica watch. But don’t think that the bartender’s opinion somehow influenced my opinion. My conclusion is based exclusively on my own feelings and sensations that this watch gives me. After all, maybe the discomfort I felt due to the lack of proportions is also caused by the “construction” of my wrist. I do not rule out that on another wrist, the watch would fit much better.
All I can recommend is to test this watch before buying it. By the way, its design is really quite interesting and different from the usual cases we are all familiar with. But I’m afraid that if you buy it without making sure that you feel comfortable with it, you could have the same disappointment that I felt.