IWC Portuguese VS Panerai Luminor
Which one of these watches is better?
These two watchmakers have been around for quite some time. Panerai has been making watches since 1860 and IWC Schaffhausen was around since 1868. Both have manufactured some amazing watches over the years. One may even say that as watchmakers, they are quite evenly matched. But what if we were to take two of their more famous watches and benchmark them, one against the other?
Comparing two watches using a side by side comparison seems to shed more light than just talking about them. Let's take the IWC Portuguese Automatic Chronograph and pin it up against the Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days. The two timepieces that we are comparing are the IWC model# IW371447 and the Panerai model# pam00510. They are very close in price and some say that Panerai watches tend to have a slightly higher resale value than IWC watches. But as with any luxury watch brand, this is not a blanket statement and as a rule, only applies to certain models.
Another thing these two brands have in common is that they both offer an extended warranty period when you register the watch during the International Limited Warranty period. What that means is that IWC and Panerai both offer a 2-year limited warranty and when you make the initial purchase. Then you would need to register your watch during the International Limited Warranty period. IWC has a program called MY IWC and Panerai has a program called PAM.GUARD. When registered with either of these programs, they will extend the initial 2-year warranty by another six years for a total warranty period of up to 8 years.
IWC Portuguese Automatic Chronograph
From a mechanical perspective, the IWC Portuguese Automatic Chronograph may be more convenient for some since it is a self-winding/automatic watch. It also has a nice polished look which looks classy even though it features a chronograph complication which is generally considered to be sporty. The chronograph uses a large central seconds hand counter and a 30 minute counter at the 12 o'clock position. As far as features go, this feature is the IWC's main advantage over the Luminor. The IWC has an alligator leather strap with a folding buckle and solid case back. The water resistance is only 30m/99ft resistance and this watch has a 44-hour power reserve which is considered average, however, the newer IWC Portugisier Automatics have a 7-day power reserve and the IWC Portuguese Hand-Wound Eight Days has an 8-day power reserve which is more comparable to the Panerai Luminor's 8 days.
PROS
- Complications
- There is a chronograph (stopwatch function) built into this watch
- Style Options
- The Portuguese and Portugieser is a large collection with many different style options
- Movement
- Many people prefer an Automatic / Self-winding movement over a manual wind one.
CONS
- Water Resistance
- The Portuguese Automatic Chronograph can only withstand about 10% of the underwater pressure as a Panerai Luminor 8 Days
- VPH
- The IWC Automatic Chronograph uses a high beat movement compared to the Panerai which uses a low beat movement. Although a high beat caliber is required for a chronograph to have higher accuracy with regards to split-second timing, higher beat movements may also require more frequent maintenance.
- Power Reserve
- The IWC Portuguese Automatic Chronograph has a power reserve of only 44 hours whereas the Panerai Luminor Marina 8 days has a power reserve that lasts for 8 Days / 192 hours.
Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days
Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days is a manual wind sports watch and for some, the simple lack of a self-winding caliber in the design could be a make-it-or-break-it point, especially if they expect to wear the watch every day. Aesthetically they are very similar, black dial, steel case while the Luminor has a calfskin black strap with accent stitching and a pin buckle and a see-through case back. Some like the classy look of the IWC while others are looking for a more versatile look that can be either dressy or sporty. The Panerai also has better water resistance than the IWC. This Luminor model has 300m / 984 ft water resistance. As per the series name, the power reserve is an impressive 8 days / 192 hours which makes the 44-hour power reserve on the IWC look like amateur hour. However, IWC does have several watches with 7-day power reserves and even 8-day power reserves as well. Neither model depicted here offers a date function, but the Luminor series does have a few models where the design incorporated a date aperture.
PROS
- Water Resistance
- The Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days can withstand about 10 times the underwater pressure as the IWC.
- Price
- The Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days is more affordable than the IWC by over a thousand dollars.
- Power Reserve
- The Panerai Luminor Marina has a power reserve that lasts for 8 Days / 192 hours whereas the IWC is only 44 hours.
- VPH
- The Panerai in-house Caliber P.5000 uses a low beat movement compared to the IWC which uses a high beat movement meaning less frequent maintenance.
CONS
- Complications
- There isn't a chronograph (stopwatch function) built into this watch like the IWC
- Style Options
- The Panerai is not as large of a collection with as many different style options as the IWC Portuguese or IWC Portugieser
- Movement
- Most people wouldn't prefer a manual wind movement over an automatic/self-winding movement.
Here is a side by side comparison of the IWC Portuguese Automatic Chronograph VS Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days specifications, features, and more.
 |  | |
| Brand | IWC | Panerai |
| Series | Portuguese Automatic Chronograph | Luminor Marina 8 Days |
| Model # | IW371447 | pam00510 |
| Size | Men's | Men's |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel |
| Dial Color | Black | Black |
| Number of Sub Dials | 2 Sub-dials
| 1 Sub-dial
|
| Bracelet/Strap | Black Alligator / Crocodile Leather | This watch comes with two straps
|
| Clasp Type | Folding Buckle | Pin Buckle / Tang Clasp |
| Movement | IWC Calibre 79350 | Panerai in-house Caliber P.5000 |
| Movement Type | Automatic / Self-Winding | Manual Wind |
| VPH | 28,800 | 21,600 |
| Jewels | 31 | 21 |
| Bezel | Fixed | Fixed |
| Crystal | Anti-Reflective, Scratch Resistant Sapphire | Anti-Reflective, Scratch Resistant Sapphire Cambered (Domed) |
| Case Back | Solid | Transparent / See-Through |
| Date Window | none | none |
| Water Resistance | 30m / 98ft | 300m / 984ft |
| Case Diameter | 40.9mm | 44mm x 44mm (excluding crown and lugs) |
| Complications | Chronograph & Small Seconds Sub Dial | Small Seconds Sub Dial |
| Power Reserve | Approximately 44 Hours | Approximately 8 Days / 192 Hours |
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