The one big downside to owning a Panerai is that it most probably would not be able to fit into the cuff of a shirt easily. My shirts are all done to accommodate my Omega Speedmaster. With a calf strap of around 4mm thickness and one of those large PAM buckles, it is not possible to wear the PAM nicely.

I got a shirt done just for this purpose... I opted for a slightly smaller diameter, but with the cutting of the cuff more pronounced so as to show the side of the strap and watch. At least it is a different style from my other shirts.

My tailor suggested that I bring back the other shirts and they will redo the cuff if they still have stock for the material. Perhaps I will take up their offer for some of the shirts... especially my favourite Thomas Mason fabric ones.

Some wrist shots here.

The Panerai Radiomir Black Seal, PAM183G. Only 1500 pieces of G series produced, with the "Black Seal" wordings just above 6 o'clock, making it a little more collectible that the other later series.

More pics here.

i've long admired panerais for their large and simple clock face. these are big watches. i'm also a fan of IWC chronographs, with a liking for the portuguese automatic.

i finally settled for a historic series, the PAM 177H. it's complete gibberish to the uninitiated. i too, feel that panerai is not easy for the casual buyer to get into.

the subtle differences in model, dial colour, lug sizes, movements, sapphire case backs, manual/auto wind, steel, pvd, titanium, etc... are just too much. then comes the straps, deployant buckles, tang buckles, and the multitude of OEM strap makers. and the straps don't come cheap. the alligator strap that came with mine is around SGD420. and then the authorized distributor has no stock of any pams on hand.

the above is a poor pic taken of the pam and the speedmaster. i knew that such shots are difficult to take, but i never knew it was <span style="font-style:italic;">so</span> difficult. will take more in daylight when i have the chance.

the pam 177h is a 44mm diameter titanium case, with sapphire case back to display the movement. it is a sandwich dial, meaning that it has a layer of luminous material at the bottom, followed by another layer on top, that is already cutout with the numerals. it has a second hand and is manual wind... meaning i have to wind it everyday or when i want to wear it (may have to set the time). the winding is suprisingly smooth and has a spring back feel. much easier to wind than the speedmaster. perhaps due to the larger diameter of the winder. you can actually see it moving two other gears via the case back. cute... there's actually a FAQ on panerais on the web. paneristi is another site that has lots of information on panerai.

for now, this is the start of my path to get more straps. 2 are already on the way. ;)

some pics here.