How many people recognize your Panerai?

[tiresmoke]

I'm not talking watch-nuts here... I just mean everyday average people. I find that most people don't really know anything about brands other than Rolex, Seiko, Citizen, Movado, Bulova, etc, etc... with the occassional Tag or Omega thrown in. If it's a brand other than these, they've never heard of it.

I can't imagine that if you lined up 100 people off the street that 98 would even have heard of Panerai, let alone recognize one by sight. And I think that this number would drop even lower the farther you move away from major urban areas -- at least here in the United States.

Opinions?

 

[supermanx]

I'm in the midwest, and have not had one person recognized it. After people see it and I tell them what it is they usually tell me they have seen them on tv the next time we meet though.

 

[crumpdaddy]

I've had two people notice mine:

One at a March Madness game earlier this year (guy was from North Carolina) (had my Pam 090 on)

Second was the owner of a GolfSmith (had my 1940 MM 47mm on)


Everyone else I come into contact with just rags on me for wearing such a big timepiece with a weird growth on the right side of the case.

 

[Roeod4]

Other than the guy I made cry and a few random others, nobody notices.

I think I would put the number at around 8 or 9. So out of the estimated 2,000 something people I have seen out and about while wearing a Panerai, maybe a handful have ever noticed and said something. This does not take into acount the people that noticed and said nothing or the people in watch shops.

I think most people know about Rolex and think they are the top of the line for some dumb reason. There are a few that have heard of other brands but don't know anything about them. Hell, we probably don't even know ALL the brands out there and we are watch freaks.

 

[JCM1662]

I'd have to say a total of zero people actually knew what a Panerai was...even in my own family.

My wife felt obligated to comment, "what an ugly watch" ha I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Some research on the internet shows that a fairly large number of celebrities/executives/industry leaders wear them.

I like the simple elegance of their style. 5 pam's later...I still like them!

 

[seank]

I've had zero people know what watch I'm wearing. I've had a ton of people notice the 195 but none has known what it was. I have to explain. But thats the beauty of it.



Sean K

 

[Roeod4]

I do think that is one of the things I like the most. Nobody knows what it is and so nobody ever thinks it is fake. With the big R you always have people wondering.

I was wearing a Panerai while car shopping. Nobody thought I should spend more becasue of it.

 

[tiresmoke]

Prior to coming to this forum, I never even heard of Panerai. I was familiar with Rolex, Tag, Omega, Patek, Vacheron, and a few others. But now I know of soooooo many more. Pick up a quality watch magazine and I think that you are right, Roeod... there are many that even we don't know.

PS -- that story about the guy who you made cry was interesting to me and I felt bad for him... my fiancee on the other hand thought that that guy was quite lame. Heartless.

 

[ehtolcad]

one guy one time

'hey is that a panerai'
'yes it is'
'treated yourself pretty nicely, huh?'
'indeed'

and that was it. no one else at all.

and i kind of miss nobody. nobody always gave me a good laugh.

 

[tomtofa]

3 have noticed:
- check out guy at a sporting goods store
- library circulation clerk
- watch repairman at a booth in the mall. I was there getting my wife a cheap strap for one of her $10 watches (she loves to get several of those watches at a time - no interest in reps)

The repairman wanted a closer look, especially at the movement. No idea if he thought it was real, he just looked it over and passed it back with a 'very nice.'
As we left my wife said "I wonder what he thought of a guy who had a Panerai and was getting a $3 strap for his wife?"

 

[Chicken Manny]

I have had about 15 people identify my PAMs. The brand is likely more known in California then some other places and I know a number of people into watches. Even the guy at the local taco shop owns a couple.

Funny story; I actually 'ran into' Arnold the Governator a little while back while eating dinner in Napa. He was wearing a Royal Oak Offshore. I had my 127 on at the time but he didn't notice it at all, or atleast he didn't seem to notice. And don't think I didn't wave it around. He did take some photos with a few people in our group. I thought about asking for a watch shot with him but he seemed a little rushed to get going.

 

[Roeod4]

and i kind of miss nobody. nobody always gave me a good laugh.

As he did all of us.

I miss him too.

A moment of silence please..................for nobody.

 

[ehtolcad]

@roeod4
man that's kind of like our own jetmid - nobody loved nobody like you, c_j, brian and i

i wonder if the legend of nobody will be preserved amongst the *ahem* newer members of rwi???
only time will tell

 

[stangvert]

I'm in the Seattle area and I do outside sales. I can say that no one has commented on my pam's and I have not seen anyone else wearing one. However, I still enjoy wearing them. But, if I wear my Rolex, I get lots of looks and comments. I wore my EL tt Rolex into an authorized dealer at the Bellevue Mall and I never got so much attention. I must have tried on a dozen watches and had the sales rep and her boss giving me tons of attention.

 

[cwai02]

The repairman wanted a closer look, especially at the movement. No idea if he thought it was real, he just looked it over and passed it back with a 'very nice.'

It took my watchsmith 3 seconds to figure out that it's fake.

 

[moggio]

Well..I think I need to find some restaurant to be my habitat

 

[jimmytim]

No one, they don't have any clue whatsoever what panerai is. But they like it :lol:

 

[craytonic]

Couple friends, workers at random stores (particularly jewelry stores).

 

[SportsPg]

I was at O'Hare a few weeks ago waiting for my flight, sitting at the O'Brien's bar in Terminal 3 when the guy next to me looks at my watch (PAM 196) and says in a European accent, "Is that a Panerai"? I looked at him, he had a Rolex on & said, yes it is. Turns out the guy was Italian and waiting on a connection, he had jsut flown in from Rome. We talked watches for 10-15 minutes. He could not believe that an American was wearing Panerai. Was fun to chat with him, he never thought for a moment I had on a replica.

 

[Roeod4]

@roeod4
man that's kind of like our own jetmid - nobody loved nobody like you, c_j, brian and i

i wonder if the legend of nobody will be preserved amongst the *ahem* newer members of rwi???
only time will tell

Well, you're nobody until somebody loves you!

I do hope that people will learn the valuable lessons that nobody never did.