The most obvious feature of the watch is the California dial, something Panerai first produced way back in the 1930s. A California dial is one where the top half of the dial indexes are Roman numerals while the bottom half are Arabic numerals. Usually, ‘3’, ‘6’, and ‘9’ are demarcated by dashes, while ‘12’ takes the form of an inverted triangle (as with most pilot’s watches).
We may be wrong but we think most people who like Panrerai, like it for the distinctive look it affords — cushion case, crown guard (for the Luminor), conical crown (for the Radiomir), wire lugs, sandwich dial and so forth. Put simply, it’s a watch you can recognise from a mile away. And in a good way, not the ostentatious, vulgar, over-blinged kind of way.
So for the aforementioned Panerai fans, the new Luminor California 8 Days DLC 44mm (PAM00779) may be a bit of a head-scratcher. But devoted Paneristis will know it’s actually very much in the brand’s DNA.
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