Hello Ristis,
During the presentation of the 368 at the SIHH2011, I prophesied that (I like to quote myself, if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself) :
” The 368, another left-handed SL. I have to say that i don’t particularly enjoy left-handed watches, but I assume that this is a must-have for the enthousiasts. A simple look at the features makes you want one for yourself : 47mm, titanium, P.2002, cambered sapphire, flawless finishing, plus the thickness is relatively low.”
I hit the bull’s eye.
Even if Panerai is rather a right-handed brand, this 368 is indeed a holy grail for the left-handed enthousiasts. It is necessary to place oneself in the Paneristic continuity to understand the leftist’s immoderate love for the 368. For a long time, before the SIHH2011, neo-vintage was as rare and precious as honesty in the eye of a senator …
There was just a few ideologically pure 47mm : 021,127, 203, 232, 249, and only one left-handed, the 217. Might as well say that its astronomical price, 15.000€, was considered by the Unitas’ detractors to be an insult as terrible as a condemnation in magistrate’s court for passive corruption.
On the left Panerist side, the 217 was the ultimate fantasy. The superb left-handed 127, without the hideous « 1950-Port-salut » and the nexw version of the Unitas decorated “à la Cortebert 618”.
- There was the red fantasy, sorry, I mean left-wing fantasy : the inverted crown protection. But there was also the right-wing (sorry) fantasy : the brown dial combined with titanium.
The 056 and 118 weren’t very popular with many Panisteros, with this combination even more vintage than vintage, so faded that the metal is no longer grey and the dial no longer black, as if it had been found in Tchernobyl… (similarly, remember the fabulous PAM311).
The only real defect of this PAM368, is to have been presented in the middle of a herd of great performers : it’s a difficult task for the PAM368 to exist between the PAM382 and the PAM372, the ultimate politically correct neo-vintage for first communicants.
- In any other year, there would have been some violent political debates in front of the shops to get this 368. But not this time. Socialism no longer inspires people.
It has however everything of a plebiscite, as Christian G (Paneristic leftist who wished to remain anonymous) has described very well. To properly read this quotation, a soviet accent should be used :
“With its 47mm titanium case, it’s a real watch for men, impossible to make it nationalized by one’s watchdog. The « proletarian hero » effect is further enhanced by its cambered sapphire : qualitative, bestial and saute-au-paf. The eight days of autonomy provide a sufficient power-reserve to devote all one’s weekly energy to following the five year plan without being disturbed. The practical aspect is further strenghtened by the green Luminova figures that provide an optimal legibility to avoid pointlessly consuming the electricity of the people. Furthermore, this shiny green colour, just like radium, pays a resounding tribute to people’s atomic technology. As the 368 is a people’s watch, it is made of titanium, thus it’s light. Therefore, it can hug the slimmest of apparatchiks’ wrists. Likewise, this titanium is of a different quality to that of the 116, lighter coloured. It is suitable as well to the uranium mines as to the ambassador dinner at the capitalist-bourgeois-decadents’. As well, the soberty effect is reinforced by the unique combination titanium/brown dial/goldened hand (but not made of gold!), which is reminiscent of right-handed 47mm tourbillons. Thus, we have the elegance of a tourbillon watch, combined with the rusticity of circumstance of a collectivist calibre. That’s snobbish.”
Understand : it’s Champagne Socialism
Another quotation : « a combination of features that makes it absolutely unique in the Panerist party (I can see a welcome evolution of tastes about it from the militants, even from the orthodox) »
Nevertheless, our comrade forgot to note that the P.2002 calibre is swimming like a political dissident at the bottom of the Baïkal lake.
I guess the 8-day dial is there to overcome the political vacuum between the movement and the edge of the case…
- The conclusion to be drawn from this is that the program of this PAM368 is in full accordance with the politburo line, but it’s been the victim of the wild neo-liberal trickery of the PAM382 and 372. This fantastic left-handed Penerai would have been revolutionary in other circumstances.
Das Vidania.
Tovaritch Pifpaf.
