OFFICINE'S DARKER HISTORY

[Perspex Tropic]

The World of Haute Couture Watches is Weird!
Maybe that is why The World that Replicates them is Just as Strange. [smilie=icon_clown.gif]
Take A American Ex-porn Junkie Actor Who Pumps up his body with steroids and becomes A Big Star In Hollywood, Acting in Action movies As A war hero (While Dodging Draft During Vietnam Himself) He has got the Body and Body language (Good Since He can only Mumble some words) Convincing large audiences In his Heroic-Marter Ex-Vet roles.
He has got Money to throwaway, And comes across this intersting Italian Brand who used to make Watches for the Mucho Macho Xa MAS (Nothing to do With Christ-mass) Combat Divers.
Having Italian Roots, These watches really suits his Imago. The Old Italian Family Company is really looking for ways to survive, Their best Longtime-Client the Italian Navy (Marina Militare) Cancels the Divers Watches Specially develloped and made for them in the 1980's
Entring the Civillian market is quite A big Leap For the Company whom's Speciallity lies in Secret Millitary equipment.
The Action Hero, Has good conections in the States, Giving these watches to influencial people like His Fellow Steroid Pumped-Up Mumbling, Action Hero Actor, Govenor of California(Ãœber Alles) Married into the Kennedys. This Ex-Mister Universe Ex-Austrian (With A Ex-Nazi Father) Also Sports these Special Watches On the White Screen. Pumping Up the Demand For them. Sly introduces them to the Filthy Rich-Richmont Group, Their Bought, Curtains Fall for the Historic Secretive Speciality Family Firm.
A new Star shines in Hollywood and Above Nêuchatel Switzerland. The Sky is the limit! Diamond clad Croc-Strapped Jewels for Macho Playboys around the world. 8)
When the Glamour starts to settle, They wan't to go back to 'Their' Roots!?
What was the Original Apeal of this Brand?......
The History....Nononsens Design Divers Tools... Beeing A small Familly Business.
Their Succes Story now? Again The Glory Of A long gone Past, Milking on 60-70 Year Old timeless Designs, That the curent owners can't take credit for.
Panerai is Certainly A Historic Brand, that earned their Spurs.
History Is Intersting if it remains History and is ungloryfied!
The Darker side to the Brand is that the Extreme Right in Italy these days Has A Favorite Mascot; The Decima MAS (Xa Tenth Flotillia) Many of These Fought till the bitter end Of the Fall Of The third Reich, With their German SS Counterparts, Of the Secretive Otto Skorzeny Unit.
When one of these SS Kampfschwimmers was shot by Italian Partizans The Rounded Up All of the Villagers and Executed All Male members (Around 80!) in front of their Mothers, Wifes, Girlfriends!
Can You beliefe A Italian to wan't to make the Same mistakes again!?
Sadly Their are still People who don't want to Learn From History.
I came Across A Italian Paneristi site where their was A photo report of A nice Panerai Meeting (P-Day) in Bavaria, After A couple Of Bavarian Beer Mugs During The Final Celebration in A Beer Hal, Two of the members tought it fit to bring A Nazi Salute (Wheter Roman for the Duce or for Hitler I don't Care)
These pictures are on thei website for every one to see, critisim from fellow "Paneristi'?.....
"Thank you for the Report and Photos"! "Great Job"Grazie"......My God [smilie=icon_puke_l.gif]


I love the Vintage Watches,
I love the History Around them,
And Hope they will stay History inorder to teach generations to come!

Regards,

BTW I got nothing Against Arnie Or Sly!

 

[bigbadbrad]

great take

-

Yeah - been pondering this too mate. Sly and Arnie make for a couple of 'interesting' proselytizers to commercialize the OP brand.

Ahhh, aren't free markets wondrous ... whatever works, eh!

That's funny (as in 'peculiar', not 'hah hah' stuff)!

And the wartime historia is MUCH less 'amusing' ... :?

But best - as you do here - to acknowledge the historia, with all its dark and grey shades. And be vigilant to any B/S like you saw with the 'joke' Nazi salute (btw, not anti-German, I married one!)

And, I can still appreciate the watches - but I recognize the point.

 

[Perspex Tropic]

The Funny thing Is,
In Effect The Modern OFFICINE PANERAI/Richmontgroup (Be Suspect of any Group) Is The Biggest Replicator of the Watches of the Original Family Bussines, Ofcourse They Aquired the Rights to Do so By Buying the Bussiness. But In away They suck at Replicating the oldies! I have seen Much Better and Convincing "Tributes" and Vintage Project Watches in This Comunity!
The Best they Did Was the 1997 LE Pam00021,
Genuine Rolex Cal.618 Movement Just like the WWII Radiomir Features!, Beautifull Radiomir Case with Welded Wireloop Strap Attachment, Skeleton Backplate With the 1930's Art Deco Text Ingraving. Like the Dial text And Sandwich Dial True to the Original. Only Down side Exactly what I raved Against It Comes With A tapering Croc Strap, The Case is made from Platinum! (Even Prince Borghese The Aristrocrat Xa MAS Commander Did not Have A watch Like that) And only A handfull Made, Price Tag; The Sky isthe Limit!

I Have studied many, many Veterans Storys, They All agree That War Is Not Glamorous, Sub-Human And Hope their Fallen Comrades (Wich in their Eyes Are the only Heroes) to be the last victims in A To-end All-Wars. Strangly The Very Same Vets Are Surounded By New Generations That Admire them As "War Heroes" A Example they hope to Reach themselfs in the next Conflict!
So they Admire them, Use them As mascots for their own cause but actualy, They Don't really listen to their expirience?

Not Anti-German Or Anti-Anything (Not Even Anti-Pasti!)

 

[pugwash]

At this point, don't buy Hugo Boss suits or VW cars either. Oh, and don't use any bank: They all have dodgy war records.

 

[Perspex Tropic]

Especialy The Swiss Banks!

VW Nah! That Has Been Pacified By the Flowerpower Movement and Walt Disney!

Hugo Boss....? Is It The Last two Rune Symbols, Your Refering to?

To Expenisive for me anyway.


Again, Anti-nothing...
As long as People are Learning

 

[Klink]

Darned if you did not leave out the original actor von Hollyweird

the one who taught ahnohld it all..

Guess????

Phony Baloney Stallone... him with the nudie stachew of himself

in his foe yay.....

 

[pugwash]

Hugo Boss....? Is It The Last two Rune Symbols, Your Refering to?

Ask yourself why the Nazi officer uniforms looked so stylish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_Boss
Hugo Boss established his company in Metzingen, Germany, in 1923, only a few years after the end of World War I, while most of the country was in a state of economic ruin.
Before and during World War II, Mr. Boss' company both designed and manufactured uniforms and attire for the troops and officers of the Wehrmacht as well as for other governmental branches of Nazi Germany, including the SS. It is likely that the factory used forced labour. After the war, Hugo Boss was labelled an "opportunist of the Third Reich" and fined 80,000 marks.

 

[Perspex Tropic]

Hugo Boss....? Is It The Last two Rune Symbols, Your Refering to?

Ask yourself why the Nazi officer uniforms looked so stylish.

After the war, Hugo Boss was labelled an "opportunist of the Third Reich" and fined 80,000 marks.

80,000 marks? I wounder how much He earned Tailoring The Huge Amount of Third Reich 'Ãœbermensch-Offizieren'
Since His Brand Name Is Still A Elite in Suits, I don't think The Business suffered A lot...

I do agree The Third Reich Uniforms Of the Whermacht but even more so the Luftwaffe and Waffen SS, Are probaly the best Tailor Designed Uniforms ever.
They Became A inspiration To Their Biggest Enemy and nemesis The Soviet Army. And Are still A Hot item in the Gay Comunity! :wink:

 

[robertk]

I guess it Depends on your point of view. If your Italian.........

Let's add to that list:

Anything Japanese?
....................

 

[ratchpot]

What film(s) did Arnie wear OP in?