Hot Take: Panerai Goes Back To Its Roots With The New Luminor Tre Giorni PAM01628

If you follow my writing, you may have noticed I have a complicated relationship with Panerai. On one hand, I adore the brand and its design language. On the other hand, I often fail to see the logic in modern Panerai releases, including the brand’s design choices. I have often lamented the odd designs of modern Panerai watches using exotic materials, flashy colors, and mechanical complications. I keep calling for more classical Panerai releases. Well, today is the day! Have a look at this lovely archetypal retro Panerai Luminor Tre Giorni PAM01628. Could this be what the doctor ordered? Or do we perhaps have more odd decisions lurking under the surface? Let’s dive in and find out!

The new Panerai Luminor Tre Giorni PAM01628

At first glance, this is your classic Panerai Luminor. The PAM01628 measures a whopping 47mm across, and it has all the Luminor styling elements. You get a lovely sandwich dial, a 26mm-wide strap, minimal (though oversized) dial text, and that characteristic beast of a crown guard.

The case features Panerai’s patina steel, which gives it a lightly scratched and dull surface. Panerai claims a craftsperson manually applies the finish, emulating a few years of wear. Conceptually, I have never liked faux-aged products. However, sometimes you have to be willing to revise your opinions as you gain experience. Having recently dabbled in guitars with a relic finish, I found myself loving them. A voice in the back of my head keeps nagging that it is fake, but I love the look regardless. Equally important, I find that I handle such guitars with less reverence, leading to a more enjoyable experience than a meticulously finished alternative. If this Luminor has the same effect, I have to eat my words and tip my hat to Panerai.

Inside ticks caliber P.3000. This hand-winding movement operates at 21,600 beats per hour and offers a three-day autonomy on a full wind. Naturally, this provides the Tre Giorni with its name. Panerai does not specify this caliber’s accuracy. You do, however, get a neat view of the movement through the sapphire window in the case back. Contrasting the patina steel of the case, the caliber features a brushed finish.

A closer look at the dial

The Panerai PAM01628 comes with a classical sandwich dial — well, not entirely! The original Panerai sandwich dials consisted of three layers. The bottom layer was fully lumed, and the top layer featured characteristic cutout numerals and indexes. However, an acrylic plastic layer in between provided some spacing and additional depth. This middle layer is no longer part of the recipe.

But there is another deviation from the classics here — a vignette dial. The seemingly black dial fades into a lighter gray at its center. Apparently, we haven’t left the vignette trend in 2024! Still, it looks quite natural in this guise on a Panerai. It probably feels at home because we are so used to vintage Panerai with such faded radium burns on their dials. Paired with the beige lume and patina steel, you might even go so far as to consider it part of the patina theme of the PAM01628.

Initial impressions of the PAM01628

So far, so good! When I opened my mailbox after a little Christmas break, the sight of this new PAM01628 made me let out a sigh of relief. Ah, finally, we are back to simple designs, paying homage to the brand’s heritage. Here we have a new Panerai that I would happily wear!

But hold on… I would be remiss not to include the price in this evaluation. The new PAM01628 costs €10,700.  This makes it €3,500 more than a 44mm PAM00914 Otto Giorni (eight-day power reserve) version without the patina case. You would sacrifice the display case back, but you would get 300m water resistance over the PAM01628’s 100m rating. Argh, Panerai! Why do you make it so hard to love you? I really want to, you know?

What do you think of the new Panerai Luminor Tre Giorni PAM01628? Let us know in the comments below!