And the nicknames? Don’t even get me started. “Smoke ash”? What the heck is that supposed to mean? I saw that on the Pam 1662, and I was like, “Okay, marketing team, you need a vacation.”
The whole point is, these aren’t *real* Panerais. Obvi. They’re trying to be, desperately trying to be, but they ain’t. Think of it like this: you got your Rolex, your Omega, your Audemars Piguet – all the big dogs. And then you’ve got… well, let’s be honest, even *real* Ulysse Nardin or Corum get faked. It’s not *just* the big names. But these Panerai clones are like… aiming for that luxury status without actually putting in the work, ya know?
I saw one site peddling a Radiomir PAM718 California Swiss – supposedly a 1:1 superclone – for, like, $726. Okay, look, I’m no watch expert, but even I know a real Panerai ain’t going for that price. A *real* one, anyway. And “Swiss” this and “Swiss” that… it’s all marketing.
Now, I’m not judging anyone who wants a good-looking watch without dropping a year’s salary. Honestly, sometimes, you just want the *look*, right? But just be aware of what you’re getting. Don’t go thinking you’re scoring some amazing deal on a genuine Panerai for the price of a used car. It’s a replica. It’s a clone. It’s probably made in a factory that’s far, far away from Switzerland.
And that “ETA movement” thing? It’s probably a clone of the ETA movement, which is a whole other level of… well, let’s just call it “shady.”
