The Panerai Source Forums

This is an open thread - please post your ideas an opinions as I personally cannot claim to fully understand the reasons why one model is more or less popular than another.

As a relative Panerai 'newbie' I find it very hard to understand the popularity of certain models, and after trying to assess this by reading and searching across the different fora, I've not really come up with a definitive answer. One thing that has really become apparent is the facilty with which a few so called 'experts' seem to be able to convince people of the merits or otherwise of the different models. A case in point is the ceramic 292.

The 292 was announced at the SIHH in 2007 and immediately developed a sort of cult status due to the fact that it has a ceramic case (which had already been done by Cartier et al). People saw a few of the pre-production models and went bezerk - "oh's" and "ah's" about the black beauty resounding over the net. Sadly, but paradoxically heightening the rarity value, Panerai had production problems with this model and to date, almost 18 months later, only about (an estimated) half of the 1000 initially destined for the series 'J' (2007) have actually been delivered. Add to this the desire for certain 'paneristi' to wax lyrical about this particular model and BOOM - it's popular. The watch, in itself, is nice enough, but (and this is personal) nothing particularly radical in terms of design; it uses a OP Xl movement that has been around since 2002, nothing new there and isn't even a Special Edition.

Then there are the manifaturra models - a popular discussion is the merit of a manual versus automatic movement, and I've seen some incredible attempts at trying to justify one over the other. The fact that people like me are lazy and can't frankly be bothered to wind a watch of that price doesn't even get factored in.

Oh no, it's obviously far more important to argue why there's a '9' on one and not on the other, that the case of the automatic is thicker (obviously - there's a rotor!) etc. etc. Why can't people just accept that other peoples ideas regarding design can possibly be different? It takes an obviously wealthy 'paneristi' to proclaim that such and such a model is 'it' and BOOM - it's popular (Sarting to get the gist?)

When I first began buying 'decent' watches I was attracted to the Breitling Source forum and never once felt be-littled or frowned upon for asking stooopid questions before and after buying a particular model. I never had the impression that people were following a herd instinct and buying a particular model just because Admin said it was 'nice'. Sadly, this herd instinct seems rife as the value of the object increases - very odd.

Right, well I know everything and I say that the 288 is possibly the finest example of mechanical watch making since the invention of Nylon - now go out and buy one...........................

_________________
Own: 219, 253, 270, 308
On order: 28 Selling: 164 OOR
Past loves: 000,176,199,240,250,251,252,288

The herd phenomenon is very promiment in online forums, and I first noticed it in the knife forums that I frequented. Usually it involves a brand that has limited production, and large appeal (relative to its supply). The limited production allows a small number of people to essentially purchase a large number of the available stock and control market prices and use hype to increase the value of their investment, though I am not as familiar with the subculture of some of the other Panerai Forums.

This is VERY common with Busse Combat knives. They are limited in production, and relatively overpriced for what they are. There are probably a handful of players that buy just about every single one that can be bought, and hype up their coolness factor and consequently, the prices. Then they sell these limited models on the internet for significantly more than they costed.

They are like the debeers of the internet.