the pan event
efnstefn said:
panman8888.........do tell about the Panerai cocktail party. I actually know someone in marketing at Panerai (Richemont), and wonder if this is the type of thing that she promotes.
sure. it was sponsored by shreve jewelers in san francisco, where i've made some gen purchases. they invited select customers apparently (and let rif raf like me attend, too). LOL.
it was held at a bar in the city, and the president of panerai usa was there (wearing a fiddy). lots of paneristi were there as well, along with ex mayor willie brown and other vip's making rich people banter all night. most people had 2 pannies on their wrist! even the wives (one of which had a 212 on one wrist and a 024 on the other--both her husband's--though she said she sometimes wears the 212)!
i got to hold a gen 195, fiddy (2 of them actually), 187, 212, some preV t dials, and a bunch of others i hadn't really seen up close too often or at all. this was pretty cool.
they had a representative (was going to say rep, but that may have been confusing here
) showing off their new models, including the 233, a white face chrono, 232, 243. the latter two were my favorites. the rest didn't really grab me. the 232...my god, very very nice. even after a fellow let me try on his genuine fiddy, the 232 sang to me a lot more. seemed like most of the die hards agreed. that watch will sell out before it hits the stores, i'm sure. the 243 is also a bad ass sub. would love to own one.
anyway, lots of drinks, watch comparing, etc. at the end, they showed a little movie on a projector screen that was focused on their new in-house movements. i think someone sent a link to the same movie a while ago in a post here. very cool movements, but imo (see enzo's post, too), terrible execution on the dials.
again, the 233 mini fiddy was just too busy for me. so except for the case, it didn't do anything for me. except, i kept thinking it's crazy how little of the mini fiddy we see offered both from the company, and from rep makers. i've seen many threads here and on paneristi where people are begging for it. i think a lot of folks, like me, seem to eventually realize that as beautiful as the 47mm fiddy (and own a rep) is, it often looks a bit silly on wrists. i had one person in a meeting ask if it was a watch made for blind grandma's! and that night of the pan event, i was noticed it looked way too big on everyone who had one versus 44mm preV's, for example.
except maybe one guy who's arm's were bigger than the governator's. but even then, 47mm--again, this is just a personal thing, no offense to anyone--begins looking more like a small clock is strapped to one's wrist, rather than a watch. (bonati, the chairman of panerai has also commented in some interviews on the web that he believes 44mm to be the "right" size for a man's wrist, though i don't really care what he thinks), 40mm being too small, and 47mm being too big.
but i digress! the event was pretty cool. i guess. but i don't enjoy rich-people small talk. i got a nice goodie bag with t-shirt, some amazing catalogues, etc. and again, saw and got to try on watches i don't see everyday.
as much as i love watches, and in particular, panerai, i don't understand the cult-like "your with us or against us" mentality at such events though, as well as at other forums we all know about. very nice watch. yes. not a way of life!!! (though i should say i met a few very very cool people who loved the watches, but obviously had a life and a sense of humor).
anway, enough philosophy from me.
hope this helps.
