Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 44 mm Titanium Blue Dial (ref. PAM00326)

Earlier this year, the Italian watchmaking brand, which is wholly owned by the Swiss-based Richemont S.A. financial group, has revealed its new Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight Titanium Blue Dial (PAM 326) automatic watch. And look what a stunner it is!

While I am definitely far from being PAM’s greatest fan, their relatively new Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 44mm Titanium Blue Dial chronograph watch somehow touched my heart.

Living in jeans, it is easy for me to visualize the PAM00326 model curled tightly over my left wrist.

My main problem with PAMs is that they, to my taste, a little bit over do it exploiting the military theme. I mean, for watches with MSRP hovering around $8000, they are too damn “professional”-looking.

The fact that Officine Panerai prefers to use mass-produced ETA calibers –although they are adjusted to meet strict COSC standards– doesn’t add them too much value in my eyes.

However, this particular model produces completely different impression.

Maybe, it is because its blue dial and alligator leather strap of matching color look especially great when combined with grayish color of brushed high-grade titanium.

Even Panerai’s trademark lever bridge that protects the winding crown doesn’t look too bulky on this model. And surrounding it inevitable chronograph push-pieces don’t smart the eye thanks to their relatively small size.

Powered by the same Valjoux 7753-based COSC-certified Panerai OP XII Calibre that also makes ticking the Officine Panerai Ferrari Chronograph DLC (Ref. FER00038) model, the Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 44 mm Titanium Blue Dial watch sports quite an ordinary tri-compax dial layout with a small date window located between 4 and 5 o’clock.

Although the hour and minute hand look a trifle too short for me, they provide enough contrast for daylight legibility and there seems to be just enough SuperLuminova coating on just about everything to make sure that you will always be able to tell the right time at night.

Well, hour indices could have been a bit larger, though.

Photos: Panerai

Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 44 mm Titanium Blue Dial (PAM 326) watch specification:

Price range: N/A, around $10,000 I suppose
Movement: Panerai OP XII Calibre, automatic, Valjoux 7753-based, COSC-certified
Complications: Chronograph, date
Power reserve: 46 hours
Case material: Brushed titanium
Case size: 44 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Blue
Water resistance: 100 meters
Strap: Alligator leather
Crystal: Sapphire