the most homaged/copied/replicated watch of all time
To some people, homages can be good tributes that removes the name, but to me, its just like the blues music. Where artistes will do covers of each other songs. Perhaps making it abit different to suit their musical direction. For instance, my favourite band of all time is Led Zeppelin who are gods of rock and roll. But they do plenty of covers and rip offs too. But I couldn't give a rat's ass about it, no doubt travelling riverside blues is a great song by Robert Johnson, but when Zep did it, my god! (which is them), it sounded so much different, the song gets you to move and tap your feet.
Moving back to time, watches that we have come to love are one of the most inaccessible watches to the commoners like myself. To name a few of the watches I really like:
- 6152/1 Marina Militare Luminor - This thing is like heritage grade article to be worn on the wrist, so is its price
- Rolex Military Submariner (milsub) - about close to half a million
- Rolex Daytona 6263 - Record breaking $1.1 million dollars price hammered at auction
- Blancpain Fifty-fathoms - old onces are hard to find, new ones costs $11,000.
- Omega Speedmaster vintage - actually the most affordable of the lot, but I do not predict much wrist time to want it that much, just like it for being so god damn beautiful
Amongst these watches, apart from being unable to afford it even if I work for 100 years, the other issues being my small wrist size for the luminor's 47mm.
Also these watches are really old and made with available technology at that time, which quite honestly, is dubious at best. They still do not allow 30m WR watches to touch water now, I do not believe they can do it back then.
this is my one piece
Notice I didn't mentioned Panerai earlier when I'm saying "6152/1 Marina Militare Luminor"?
It is just a homage afterall. To the non-WIS, myself including, many may think that only the original Officine Panerai is the de facto maker of Marina Militare. They are so wrong. Looking at the dial above, you see that the words Panerai was not on the dial. Because long story of 80 years short, Panerai makes Marina Militare homage watches from back in the days.
I do not know the details but just know this, Rolex made or contributed greatly to this watch. Which is why the RXW MM20 by Ken Trading is so coveted. Many consider this watch to be closer to the real MM (its a chore to type out the full name) 6152/1 than Panerai itself.
Not only that, MM20 predates fan favourite Pam 127.
Before y'all Paneristis start to swear at the blasphemy they seem to be reading, I want to let it be known that Panerai is my favourite watch brand to date. They are just good at what they do except for their pricing and intentional limited supply to jack the pricing even further. Of all the watches I have come to learn about, Panerai still remains at the top of the list of my grails.
My point is, after learning this piece of history, it seems to me that 1950 case or Fiddy case watches is a free-for-all market to get, be it MM20 or Pam 127, 372.
If I really want something that speaks Panerai through and through, I would get either a Radiomir or the Pam 000.
Pam 000
As for the Marina Militare, either I get a windfall (but people born in year of the Snake, do not typically do well in year of the horse, Chinese will get the reference), I can only afford a MM20 and I hope that I can overlook the fact that my hands are so bloody tiny.
