Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Acciaio PAM 627

During the 26th Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH 2016,) the Italian brand presented several new collections. Among them was this gorgeous (but in a modest way) Panerai Radiomir 1940 3Days GMT Acciaio PAM 627 that features their brand new Caliber P.4001 movement with a micro-rotor design. Although the watchmaker didn’t dare to step too far away from the time-proven exterior of the Radiomir collection, the PAM 627 still looks sort of fresh thanks to the waffle-style dial finish that they only use on a limited number of models.

Overall Impression

When it comes to generating “impressions”, Panerai (perhaps, together with Breitling and also Rolex) is the most predictable one. Like an old bluesman who has finally found The Lick and keeps using it time and again looking condescendingly at a young aspiring guitarist shredding all over the fingerboard, Panerai is content with just two or three of their iconic designs that never fail to generate a hell of a cash flow that most players in the field can only dream about.

This particular example is a nice illustration of their behavior. While this new PAM 627 includes all the usual elements you expect from Panerai, the dial still looks interesting thanks to its unusual texture. And if the front side is not enough to justify the model’s hefty price, there is a lot to look at through the sapphire case back cover: the movement, while Spartan in its finish, is a real treat for an experienced connoisseur.

The Case & Strap

The case… Well, there is not much to say about the case. Crafted from 316L stainless steel alloy, it measures 45 millimeters in diameter: massive even by today’s standards, but not excessively so: just enough to make a statement, you know.

The lug-to-lug dimensions of this thing are another story though. If your wrist measures less than seven inches in girth, you may be in trouble since the timepiece may occupy the whole width of your wrist and then some. Of course, some people like it when their watch has a sort of dominating presence on their hands, so I can’t say that size is the problem here. It is all very personal, you know.

As far as the shape goes, it is the standard “Panerai cushion.” Looking at its elegant curves and impeccably polished surface, you will immediately understand why the Italian brand puts such an impressive price tag on their timepieces: there is simply no way for you to find a cushion-shaped timekeeper that would be able to look as graceful, yet smart as this one.

As for the crown, it is a bit short for my taste, but it still provides a good enough grip to manipulate the hands.

The standard calfskin Monte Carlo strap features contrasting beige stitching. It is perhaps one of the best things you could get in this price range, so this is also a big “plus” if you still contemplate buying this timekeeper.

The Dial

While Panerai is known for the sandwich-style dial consisting of two plates with a thick layer of Superluminova spread generously between them, they sometimes experiment with other styles and textures, including carbon fiber.

This one, for example, features their “Paris hobnail” chocolate bar-style pattern with all luminous elements simply painted on the highly textured face.

As usual, the dial features three luminous Arabic numerals, a small date window, and a 24-hour second time-zone indicator that shares space with a small seconds display at 9 o’clock. If that wasn’t enough, there is another GMT pointer with the familiar arrow-shaped head that displays the current home time on the main chapter ring. To increase the readability, Panerai has covered all five hands with the aforementioned Superluminova luminous compound.

Unfortunately, the sub-dial at 9 hours as well as the plaque at 12 o’clock make the dial look a bit unbalanced as the calendar and smaller “Automatic” inscription at 6 o’clock are simply too small to be adequate “supporting actors”, but, well, I think I can live with that.

The beige-colored mix may not be as strikingly contrasting as white, however, against the black background of the textured dial, it serves its main function almost as perfectly and, when it comes to sheer esthetics, looks ten thousand times better giving the watch an even more expensive appearance.

With so many details, the dial may not look as impressive as that of the last year’s Radiomir Ceramic PAM643 with its clearly seen parallels with tactical timekeepers that are still popular among enthusiasts, but, if you, like me, are a bit tired of their trademark design, it may be a welcome change.

All things considered, I give this high-contrast, easy-to-read dial five points out of a possible five when it comes to legibility in all situations that I can imagine.

The Mechanism

The mechanism that powers this specimen is the new Caliber P.4000-based self-winding Caliber P.4001. The movement features an off-centered micro-rotor design and utilizes a two-barrel design to store enough energy to work for the whole two days.

Compared to the base unit, this one is a bit more complex featuring a second time-zone functionality and a power reserve indicator (the latter is placed on the three-quarter plate of the mechanism and is visible only through the sapphire back, some people may find the design not very convenient.) The extra functions increased the total parts count to 278 although the number of jewels remains the same.

From the point of view of design, the mechanism somehow reminds me of micro-rotor calibers made by Glashutte Original, but, of course, features a more Spartan finish, which is limited to fine machine-brushing on the plate and balance bridge, and a nicer, but still engraved by a skilled hand of a robot, oscillating weight that carries nothing more, but the brand’s logo. Although the finish is a lot more modest than most luxury watchmakers try to impress you with, I would say that it still matches the timekeeper’s laconic styling in the best way possible.

As is often the case in this class of mechanisms, the Caliber P.4001 features a so-called “hacking seconds” function, which means that the small-second hand will jump to the “zero” position as soon as you pull the crown to set the correct time. Another useful feature is the ability to adjust the local time in one-hour increments without affecting the minute hand.

The Pricing & Availability

There is still no official info regarding the international availability of the new collection. As for the price, the MSRP is $11,700. While a bit steep, it is not unusual for Panerai which has a reputation for being an expensive brand. Also, given the easily recognizable styling that is almost impossible to compare to any similarly priced models from other brands that are currently available on the market, the tag on this thing seems to be completely justified.

Photos: Panerai

WWR verdict

Originality 4.5/5
Build quality: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Legibility: 5/5
Value for money: 4.5/5