Rolex VS Panerai

Let's compare Rolex and Panerai to find out which brand suits you best.

Rolex VS Panerai: Which is Best?

LET'S LOOK AT ROLEX

There's no hiding the fact that when comparing the international popularity of Rolex and Panerai, Rolex is the most popular luxury watch company in the world. They have nearly 100% international brand recognition which in terms of their branding and marketing puts them in a different class than most watchmakers.

Innovations: Rolex has numerous to call their own. These innovations span across many areas of watchmaking. Materials such as Parachrom, an anti-magnetic material used in their springs, Cerachrom a highly scratch-resistant ceramic prevents UV rays from discoloring their bezels. Rolex also has proprietary alloys such as Rolesor; a combination of gold and steel which they utilize in their two-tone watches, and Everose which is their own tone of rose gold. Their Oyster cases are designed to be waterproof by screwing down the bezel, case back, and winding crown.

Recognition: Of all Swiss watch brands, Rolex has the highest brand recall so you will probably get more comments and/or compliments from total strangers when you wear one. This is one of the reasons why this is the luxury watch brand of choice for your average layman. Some people like wearing conversation starters and buy a Rolex specifically because they want that type of reaction but then again there are those that prefer to be more discreet and will wear other high-end brands that are less known to avoid this type of interaction.

Resale Value: Rolex has the highest resale value in the industry and in the event that you wished to trade up or sell your Rolex, you can expect more of your original purchase value with this brand compared to any other. This is not a broad brush statement but rather a statistic based on averages. Of course, there are things that can influence the resale value such as condition, model #, the supply and demand for your particular Rolex watch.

Selection: The Rolex manufacturers continue to crank out about 2,000 Rolexes per day. They have many series and collections which suit different activities and lifestyles. Rolex also has produced hundreds of its own calibers over the years. Around the world, you will find a huge amount of pre-owned and vintage models that people often collect, many of which may even appreciate in value.

Iconic Watches: Rolex has created numerous watches over the years that have gained iconic status and their brand history runs pretty deep although not as far back as some other watchmakers.

Popular Series: Submariner, Cosmograph Daytona, Day-Date, Sky-Dweller, Datejust, Deepsea, Yacht-Master, Milgauss.

Warranty: Rolex offers a 5-year warranty on their watches.

This is a company that has been around for a long while but only got noticed on an international level fairly recently. 1995 was the year that changed everything for Panerai. It was the year when Sylvester Stallone was in Rome for the action movie "Daylight" and spotted the (at the time) oversized watch. Rumor is that he approached Panerai and asked that they do a limited edition run which they called Slytech after his nickname. This series of Panerai's timepieces caught the attention of an international watch conglomerate which soon scooped up the business and put it on the international market with its own very exclusive distribution network.

Boldly designed as expected of Italian designs, they tend to have a larger than life look and many come with Panerai's large signature crown guards. Panerai watches are big and there are people that prefer a high-quality watch that also commands a presence on the wrist. Because of the oversized design, the watch has great visibility especially the numerals on the dial. Luckily the new trend in style is larger watches.

• Panerai’s often credited as the catalyst for the trending larger sized watches in the industry
• Once supplied watches to the Egyptian navy.
• Big watches are one of the new signatures of Panerai
• Was the Italian Navy's watch & instrument supplier.
• A cult-like following of superfans which they call their "Paneristi" (Perhaps as in Paparazzi's?)
• Panerai never produces enough to meet the demand.

Popular Watches: The Luminor series which includes the Panerai Luminor Marina and Luminor Marina 8 Days, GMT, Power Reserve, Regatta, LAB-ID, Luminor Submersible Carbotech, and of course the very popular Radiomir series. It’s no surprise that many of these come with an oversized style crown guard and are geared to aquanauts. 

In-House Movements: Panerai also produced in-house calibers and many that are automatic. These include the OP I, and Caliber P.5000, to name a few. It is doubtful though to say that any Panerai movement will outperform a modern Rolex movement which is typically a workhorse and highly accurate to even above COSC specifications (which is already considered to be very accurate). 

Warranty: Panerai offers a 2-year warranty extendible to 8 years when you register the watch online during the initial warranty period with the PAM.GUARD program. This is good because compared to Rolex you have an extra three years over Rolex's warranty period if you register your Panerai watch.

Choosing between these two watch brands isn't always easy since they both make excellent watches and they are both respected brands. It all boils down to the features and aspects of the watch (or the brand) that you value the most. To some, a 5-year warranty would suffice and to others, the extra three years offered by Panerai is something to consider. Most people would advise looking at what you want your watch to do for you first, only then, once you've figured out what specifications you are looking for; start shopping the various brands that have watches that can offer these features. 

For example, if you are a diver, there are many brands that offer tool watches for divers with excellent water resistance and often come with an extra-long rubber strap or extendible metal bracelet to fit around a diving suit. Compare the various brands and models from each brand that offer what you need. Then decide on which one suits your look and fits your target price or budget.

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