how much did these things cost when military watches?

[2sammyman]

just for giggles i was looking at what gen panerai cost on the world market. i guess for 5 grand i could buy certain model new ones or i could get a collector for maybe 30 large.... yeh... right...

but supposedly these were the watchs for italian military. geez, what kinda rank did ya have to be in the italian military to be able to buy a panerai? or did they just issue folks panerai watches costing 4 or 6 grand for free? how did that work? did you get your government issued watch either before or after you got you government issued ferrarri?

i know the gens aren't worth anywhere that kinda money as a watch. is it just because they have status power to movie stars with a ton of disposable cash that makes them rare? i'm just not used to military issue stuff that cost's like this. we ain't talkin issuing people there own tanks here. it's a frickin watch...

who's subsidizing the italian military so they can have multi thousand wrist watches?

 

[pete2528ca]

the mafia...

and only i can say that because i am italian.

we can make fun of our own, but don't you dare make fun of us...lol

 

[brtelec]

My Italian friends say the Mafia is just a myth. I can say that because I'm not Italian!

 

[savage_here]

You have to remember that at the time that Panerai was supplying these to the military, they were primarily an instrument manufacturer. They presumably got some sort of contract with the military to supply a watch that was easy to read underwater and reliable. I doubt very seriously if the watches that they supplied at the time cost the military very much. It's only since the Panerai watch brand has been established over the last several years that the pricing, especially on the vintage pieces, but also on the regular retail pieces as well, has gotten high.

 

[pete2528ca]

Now for the real answer...

First off, when Panerai were making watches for the Regia Marina (Italian Navy), they weren't making thousands of watches for them. Generally the brass got watches, and so did the gama groups, which comprised of the specialty forces like the Decima Flottiglia Mas. Generally Giusseppe (Joe) Shmuck was lucky to have a pair of socks, never mind a watch.

Cost, of the watches, who really knows. What I can tell you is that government purchases can go two ways. The first way, would be that they get a quantity discount. The other is that they get to drop their pants and take it without any lube. We have all heard of the $5K hammer that the pentagon bought.

My cousin served with the Regia Marina (Italian Navy) about ten years ago. He was with a regular outfit. He would have held a rank similar to Sargent. I am not sure what that is in navy terms. Anyway he recieved a watch that was built by Brietling. It looked like a very base model quartz watch. It had a PVD case, black dial, white numbers. Nothing special. He said it was worth about $600.

 

[2sammyman]

does anyone know what the word mafia really means.... ????

hint...

morte al francese, italia alterna... death to the french, italy forever...

that's supposedly where the phrase started. freedom fighters. in later years though it's changed a bit hasn't it

la cosa nostra
la fratello

on the otherhand, the famous italian opera composer giuseppe verdi's (aka joe green...:--) name was also a cry to freedon.

viva emmanuel, re di italia .... live emmanuel, king of italy

and i'm expert with all things gastronomic italiana and see the benifits of ferrarri and lamboghini. but how does a coporal in the italian army who cooks parmigianna score his panerai?

:roll:

i guess i'm too old to enlist. dang... no panerai for me

just call me don fannucci

 

[hooligan]

As recently as the mid-90s (i.e. Pre-Vendome) these watches were mid-tier luxury watches. Imagine buying a couple of 201/As in 1993 for ~$2K apiece. Wear one and put the other in the safe -- 15 years later, sell that $2K watch for $30K+ :shock:

So, the truth is, when they were supplying these watches to the military, they weren't nearly so expensive. I can only imagine what the street value of a 40s era 3646 would have been at the time. Not much, I'm sure. Certainly less than the Rolexes, Pateks and VCs of the era.

 

[Maxlove]

I paid $40 once in Naples for a Beretta pistol and ended up with a rock.

Navy Sergeant? 2nd class petty officer E5 perhaps

 

[2sammyman]

i can't find any info on the search for the fella davidson who supposedly sells nice panerai and cases. anybody supply his website or contact info?

 

[hooligan]

It's Davidsen, not Davidson.

Scroll down the main index and you'll find his section...

 

[hooligan]

...but how does a coporal in the italian army who cooks parmigianna score his panerai?...

These were given to member of the Italian Navy, so I'm guessing the corporal in the Italian Army would have scored his from a Sailor. :wink: