I love this watch for what it means to me. This was a graduation gift from my father. The Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 050 was the new hotness at the time and when he gave me the watch he told me that it is a special watch and I shouldn’t wear it everyday and risk damaging it. It was my first mechanical watch.

Well I put the Panerai Luminor Marina on and didn’t take it off for almost 10 years. I’ve hit this watch with high impact on almost every surface imaginable. I dropped it while crossing the street, and in an attempt to soften the fall I tried to slide my foot under it as it fell. Well I’m not that fast so I just ended up punting it across the street. I crossed the street after it, picked it up and put it on like nothing happened. I even dented the famous Panerai crown guard. It was dented so bad I had to unscrew one end to pull the crown out. But I only had to do that when I traveled to change the time because it never stopped working!

In the 9th year of wearing the watch I took a bad fall and the full impact of the fall was taken by my Panerai Luminor Marina. The bracelet broke in 4 pieces and I took the pile of metal and the watch head to the AD for a service. They changed the bracelet, the crown guard and they polished it! I didn’t realize what I did when I agreed to that. It’s all polished up now like a museum piece.

I wear the Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 050 from time to time. On a canvas strap or a NATO and on the bracelet. My PAM 050 no longer looks like the warrior watch that I know it is but it’s still my Panerai. For anyone who wanted a Panerai but doesn’t want the full effect of 44mm diameter and 53mm lug to lug this is the watch for you. 40mm diameter, 47mm lug to lug, and a manageable 15mm thickness. It’s a military watch and I can confirm it can take a kicking and keep on ticking.