The New Panerai Mare Nostrum Chronograph PAM 716 now comes in 42mm

Over past many decades, styling, elegance, and detailing have been the key ingredients of Panerai watches giving the watchmaker a distinct recognition in the watch-making-industry.

Back in the 90s the company introduced its classic Panerai Mare Nostrum series of watches in 42mm sizing and were even promoted as “Slytech” special edition watches designed for the famous American actor Sylvester Stallone.

Drawing quite a similar look and design styling from its 1993 model, the new  Panerai Mare Nostrum chronograph PAM 716 hosts a similar dial and a 42mm steel casing with some minor additional distinctions that include lettering on its back and the crown.

However, another distinctive change that we can witness over the 1993 model is that while the earlier model used a luminous paint of white tritium, the new PAM 716 model now has the Super-Luminova having the hour marks and the hands in a shade of tan.

The movement and the watch-machine mechanics are quite similar to the earlier one with a hand-wound OP XXXIII which is nothing but an ETA 2801 topped with the Dubois-Depraz chronograph module giving a 42-hour of power reserve.

Note that the Panerai Mare Nostrum PAM 716 Chronograph is a limited edition watch with the 1000 pieces going on sale sometime around September-October this year.  The watch is priced at €9900 or S$14,600.

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Dan Henry 1968 | Watch Review

Dan Henry 1968

Dan Henry Watches are a hot commodity these days. Many, many watch enthusiasts have been grabbing at least one of the 5 different collections Dan Henry offers. There are good reasons for that. One, of course, is the price. They are very affordable with their most expensive model only being $250; that would be the compressor style diver I reviewed here a few months ago, the 1970. The other is the style. Vintage is the way to go these days, at least in fashion, mainly watches and apparel. When you combine that vintage style with a very affordable price, people will pay attention. The model I am reviewing here today, the Dan Henry 1968, has not been talked about much or reviewed in depth, at least not that I could find. That is why I chose to review this over the newest Dan Henry model, I wanted to see why this model was being left out in the cold. Just like the last model I reviewed, the specs are not high end, but the watch is well put together and attractive. It also has unique dial design that I will discuss more in this review.

Dan Henry 1968 Specifications:

• 41mm stainless steel case
• 22mm lugs size
• 47.3mm lug to lug
• 13mm thickness
• Sapphire coated double domed mineral glass with anti-reflective treatment  
• Miyota 6S20 quartz (Japan) movement
• Leather and NATO strap
• Leather/Canvas Watch Roll

Price: $200 USD

https://danhenrywatch.com/products/1968

Lets get right into the most intriguing part of the Dan Henry 1968. This watch is basically a tribute to something that never was, an Omega Speedmaster prototype that never made it past the prototype phase. As it states on the Dan Henry website, imbalance and asymmetry can be attractive, and I agree. It is not your normal setup, that is for sure, but it is clean and since I am someone that almost never uses a chronograph, I appreciate that it only has one sub-dial. That sub-dial though is your running seconds, not a chrono counter. If you are not sure how to use this particular chronograph, this is meant to be a racing timer, so timing 60 second laps is its main function. If you are not on the racing track most days, like the majority of us, then timing quick events or projects is where it is at. Hopefully none of you out there will be using it to time your love making, as that would be some pretty short sessions. ( If I was David Letterman, I would have got a little drum action from the band on that one.) Moving back to the watch, I love the placement of Dan Henry on the dial and of course, the date is in the 6 o’clock position, my favorite spot if the dial is to have a date wheel. In this case, it is white on black date wheel, giving it some cohesiveness with the rest of the dial.

As I stated in my previous Dan Henry review and the accompaning video for this Dan Henry 1968, premium materials and movement is not what you will be getting here. We are also talking about a $200 phone, and what you do get for that price is pretty nice. The brushed finishing is not the best in terms of finishing, but I found no rough edges on the watch, something I can not say about watches twice or three times its price. The movement is a standard Miyota quartz fair, and what you would expect in a watch this price. It does its job though. You still get a sapphire coated mineral crystal; that is the one thing I really hope for with new releases this year or next, an actual sapphire crystal. That is something I really want in all my watches, and it is something I will always pay more for, if need be. The case back, like all the other Dan Henry watches is not just some laser etched deal, it is a 3D stamped back, this time in a maze pattern, which is used on another DH model as well.

Comfort wise, I am very impressed. The case on the Dan Henry 1968 is 41mm, just below my perfect sweet spot these days, but it also has 22mm lugs, which balance it out and it does not seem small. The large dial opening with virtually no bezel also help in this regard. The watch comes with two straps, a NATO style that I will never use, and a vented rally style brown leather that is super soft and surprisingly long, something we normally do not see on a watch that is manufactured in Asia. For some reason, even on much larger watches, we see straps that will just fit my very average 7 1/2 inch wrist. This one, on the other hand, should be able to fit an 8 1/2 inch wrist with ease. I have 5 holes left on the strap, which I wear ever so slightly on the loose side. I could probably go up a hole, but I do not like a watch to be tight on me.

The common theme with all Dan Henry Watches is style, affordability and of course that vintage appeal. All the models, including this Dan Henry 1968 look like they would have in their time period. They are not modern or overly flashy and while I really, I MEAN really want a sapphire crystal, I understand they are trying to keep costs down. Maybe in future models they can offer an upgrade for say $25 or so, for customers that want the sapphire, and for those that don’t, they will still an very nicely built vintage inspired watch, at a very affordable price. You probably wont be blown away by this model or any other of the DH lineup, but I can easily say I have seen watches that cost many times this price and they do not look as nice. They are affordable and fun, and allow you to add a few vintage inspired pieces to your collection without breaking the bank.

As I am writing this review, I wonder what Dan Henry’s long term goal is. I have had a few conversations with the owner and he has stated that they are working on future models with better specs, but that he wanted to release the initial collections with the budget audience in mind. While I would personally like to see models such as these with a better movement and maybe more premium materials, I hope they do not leave the affordable options in the dust. After seeing two DH models in hand, I can say these do not feel like cheap watches at all, and I hope they continue to offer affordable models in the future.

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Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional | Watch Review

Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional

Bucking that trend of smaller watches is the slightly upgraded Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional. At 46mm and 17mm it is quite big and chunky, though not massively over-sized like most Invicta Watches. These days 42mm is really my sweet spot, so wearing this for a week was slightly uncomfortable, though I did so and even though I would not personally wear this watch on the regular, I can see it’s appeal. While I would not call this model one of the best values out there in the market, I feel it is adequate for the price, though, as always, there are some things I would like to see improved.

Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional Specifications:

• Case Width: 46mm
• Length: 55mm
• Thickness: 17.7mm
• Lug Width: 22mm
• Weight: 265 Grams
• Sapphire Glass
• 100 ATM Water Resistant
• Seiko NH35 Automatic Movement

Price: $463 USD

https://www.marc-and-sons.com/en/marc-sons-diver-watch-professional-msd-028-4/our-collection/diver-watches/vintage/a-20766/

One of the things I wanted to do while wearing this watch for awhile was to put it on a rubber strap. Unfortunately I had the wrong size strap laying around. I was going to change the bracelet out to an Isofrane, cutting down on that 265 gram weight, of which the bracelet itself is about 100 grams or more. I assumed before double checking the specs that the lug width was 24mm for such a large watch, but as you see listed above, it is only 22mm. A strange decision to me, but I ended up wearing it on the bracelet as I had no other 22mm strap thick enough to swap it to. A Hirsch Accent would not only look ridiculous on it, but it would make it majorly top heavy.

When it comes to design, the Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional is not unlike many of the competition, with the exception of the size. It is an all stainless steel case and bracelet, all brushed for that ”tool” watch effect, a lumed ceramic dive bezel, sapphire crystal, over-sized dial markers that remind you of a submariner, and way too much dial text. I think everyone knows by now that I prefer a cleaner dial and not a wall of text. One thing that stands out is that it is a dual crown, and most often mistake the second one to operate an inner bezel, that is until they give it a closer look. In actuality it is a manual helium release valve, something that 98% of us will never use. Because the HRV is useless to the majority who will buy this, I would have liked just the 4 o’clock crown and nothing else.

When it comes to overall feel of the watch, it is pretty basic. Yes it has a sapphire crystal and ceramic bezel, but most microbrand dive watches have these as well, some that cost considerably less than this Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional. The bracelet is the biggest culprit of the basic feeling; it uses friction pins in the links, not screws and the flip lock clasp is pretty generic and is also lacking a dive extension. With a watch this big and chunky, the ratcheting extension clasp so many brands use these days would have been right at home, as opposed to on the Borealis Bull Shark I reviewed, where it just felt completely out of place.

There is some confusion, at least on my end, when it comes to movement, dials and pricing. The older version of the Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional, the MSD-027, ( I will get to model numbers in a bit), is about $5 less than this model, but it has a Miyota 9015 movement. As a matter of fact, this model is $50 more than the other black dial variant, with the only difference being the lume paint color, so basically you pay a significant amount more for the old radium lume. Beyond that, the Seiko NH35 is a much cheaper movement than the Miyota 9015, and looking at both previous versions of this model, the only difference is the dial text. ( I actually prefer the older dial). I am not sure why the prices are all over the place, or why the Miyota 9015 version can be had for less, but I would suggest they make their pricing a little more cohesive.

As far as lume goes, it is fantastic. Nothing more to say, check out the photo below:

It is obvious that I am not overly enamored with the Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional. Yes, I am not fond of the size, but putting the size aside, as that is completely subjective, I do not know what market this is meant to compete in. Let’s be honest, yes, all brands are competing with others, especially in this category of microbrands in the $500 range. For a quick comparison, take a look at the Armida A-4, which is about $100 more, has a Miyota 9015 movement, a bracelet with a ratcheting clasp and a rubber strap as well. Or, for less money, the older version of this Marc and Sons Diver Watch Professional, which has a better movement. I guess if old radium lume is worth it to you to have a lesser movement, by all means, go for it.

I know it might seem like I am not giving this model a fair shake, but on the contrary I really tried. I wore it for a straight week, even though I do not wear watches this big anymore, and yes, again, forget the size issue. There is just some questionable decision making going on here when it comes to movement choice and price, and the very standard and slightly sub par bracelet choice. Another thing that is very nit picky, and some others might not notice nor care, is the name and model number designation. Divers Watch Professional is not a real model name, and because they have two different versions of this watch, you have to go by model numbers, which is just confusing. I mean, who wants to have this conversation. Friend: “Hey, what watch is that man?” You: “It’s a Marc & Sons Diver Watch Professional model MSD-082, no wait, is it 82 or 28? You know what, I don’t remember. I’ll send you the link later”. I know, it might not be an issue for most, but it aggravates me. Some knife companies do the same thing, and you easily lose track of what knife is what.

The reality is, this watch is just not for me. I tried, and it is obviously not a horrible watch by any stretch, and if you like big, chunky watches with awesome lume, and this design pulls you, go for it. If I were in that camp though, I would go for the 9015 version personally.

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