Panerai Luminor GMT 44mm pam00531 Review
The Luminor has always been one of those coveted watches found in some of the most serious collections. Let’s take a look at the Panerai Luminor GMT 44mm pam00531 in this detailed review.
One of the most no-nonsense diver’s watches that commands a massive presence on the wrist would be the Luminor. In fact, the whole larger-than-life look that we find in the case sizes of today’s modern luxury watches can be traced back to Panerai. Let’s dive right in, shall we?
Panerai Luminor GMT 44mm pam00531 Review
From the Florentine style dial down to the trademarked crown guards, the Panerai Luminor is one of the single most recognizable Italian-designed yet Swiss-made watches. Now with a GMT function that tells the time in another timezone, the Panerai Luminor GMT44mm PAM00531 is equipped to cater to the needs of the most stylish jet-set globetrotters.
GMT stands for Greenwich Mean Time which was a timekeeping standard established in 1884 leading to standardized time zones across the globe. This horological function is typically used by frequent world travelers and of course, pilots.
DIAL
The Panerai Luminor PAM00531 watch has a Florentine-style sandwich dial which has a recessed layer used for the mint green luminous numeral and index hour markers. A date window can be seen at the 3 o’clock position.
A small-second sub-dial can be found at the 9 o’clock position and has four luminous recessed hour markers for the top, bottom, right, and left positions with two printed indices between each luminous marker.
The GMT function has its own set of numerals and index hour markers that wrap around the extreme edge of the dial in a smaller typeface. The GMT’s 24-hour markers use Arabic-style numerals for every other hour and indices in between.
Skeletonized and luminous sword-shaped steel hands are used for the hour and minutes hands. An arrow-shaped hand indicates the GMT’s secondary time zone that features a luminous “arrowhead”. A small steel luminous leaf-shaped hand is used for the small seconds sub-register.
CASE
The polished cushion-shaped stainless-steel case measures 44mm across and 18mm thick. This measurement is not including the signature crescent-shaped Panerai crown protector protruding from the right side of the case. It is a sizeable case like most Panerai watches and is well suited for a medium to large size wrist. The case has a polished fixed bezel and with its solid construction offers 300m/990ft of water resistance.
LUGS
The lugs have a polished finish on the front side and have a fine brushed finish on the reverse side. On the back of the left lugs, you will find a recessed area with a button that is used to switch or replace the strap. A tool is provided to allow you to switch straps.
CASE BACK
The dodecagonal-shaped case back screws down to seal the case. It has a smooth radial brushed finish and is engraved with the number of the limited-edition watch. It is also engraved with other markings such as the serial number and water resistance rating. The watch has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal on the front of the case and a transparent sapphire crystal on the back of the case that allows you to see the movement in motion.
MOVEMENT
The in-house Panerai Caliber P.9003 is the automatic movement used to power this watch. This 28-jewel self-winding movement contains 288 parts including a Glucydur® balance and beats at an oscillation rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour. The movement offers a praiseworthy 3-day (72-hours) power reserve thanks to its twin barrels. The plates and self-winding rotor are finished with a fine and smooth brushed finish.
POWER RESERVE INDICATOR
The reverse side of the case lets you see the disc-mounted power reserve indicator letting you know how many days of power is left in the mechanical movement. This feature is useful if you haven’t worn the watch in a while and did not keep it on a watch winder to keep it fully wound and will indicate if you need to wind it up manually before wearing it or not. The power reserve is measured in days using three numerals with an index marker measuring the half-day markers.
STRAPS
The PAM00531 comes with two straps, a black soft calfskin leather strap with cream-colored stitching, and a stainless steel tang buckle with a brushed and polished finish. An additional black rubber strap is provided with the same pin-style buckle.
