Walt's Corner

The Panzera Classivo 43 with stainless steel band, model C4301BM2A has an MSRP of $1350 USD. The sum of the parts do not justify that price at all, but then who buys watches at MSRP? You know these companies jack them prices up so that they can claim a once in a lifetime sale that will offer you 30-60% off. ACT NOW! This deal expires in 7 days. True. But the next deal begins on the 8^th.

TLDR: This is one gorgeous watch. Very unique. Very shiny. Huge! This thing is larger than life. But somehow it works. Maybe it’s the unusually wide band, but when worn it doesn’t seem as big as it looks. Buy this on sale and it’s almost worth its money in parts, but then value is in the eye of the beholder.  And the case – extravagant! This watch gets cased as if it were a Grand Seiko or Ball. If you like their unique style as I do, you’ll gladly pay a little bit more than you would have for a watch carrying a budget Miyota 8215 under the hood.

Panzera has been on my radar since last October. I was looking for a watch that had a face kind of like the Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150m, but didn’t carry the $7,000.00 price tag. Minimalist in design, deep blue dial, and sported the horizontal lines. That’s what I was looking for when I discovered the Panzera Classivo 43. Every day since I discovered it, this watch has been interrupting my facebook feed. Gently reminding me that it exists, and OH LOOK! It’s on sale for a limited time! And of course it has been on sale since October. Must be a quarterly long sale. I’m not much into square-ish watches, but there are a couple that stand out, this being one of them. I finally bit.

Company wise? Some of their watches are hand built in small batches and they tell you this. Buying this watch in February? You ain’t getting it until April. Bought mine in January, received it mid-February. Panzera kept me informed during the build of my watch and again once shipped. I received it within 7 days from Australia. Very fast shipping.

Movement.

Here is my only bone to pick, and it ain’t much. The watch incorporates a budget-friendly Miyota 8215 movement. I can buy an 8215 on Amazon right now for $31. For a watch retailing at over $1000, Panzera can afford to put at least a Seiko NH35 in there. Right now I can buy a NH35 for $74. These are MY prices. For a single customer buying one movement. When you buy these movements from wholesalers in bulk like Panzera does, you can expect to pay around $20 for the 8215 and $40 for the NH35. Both are quality workhorses, tried and true. Miyota is made by Citizen and NH35 is simply Seiko’s 4R35 movement branded for non-Seiko watches. The biggest difference between the two is in the automatic winding feature. The Miyota’s automatic drive is unidirectional while the Seiko’s mechanism will wind the watch in both directions. If they both keep your watch wound, what’s the difference other than preference, right? My particular model loses about 3 seconds in a 24 hour period which is outstanding for these types of automatic watches rated at -20/+40 seconds per day.

Crystal

Panzera utilizes a sapphire crystal with the usual non-reflective coating, so you’re not going to easily scratch the crystal. This material is what normally pushes a watch into the “over $350” territory easily. No need to baby it.

Case

Panzera uses 316L surgical grade stainless steel for the case with a screw down crown. This material will last forever. Their compass logo is prominently displayed on the over-sized crown. The screw down crown adds to the waterproofing, which is minimal at 5ATM. Washing your hands or the dishes should prove to be no problem for this watch. Just don’t go swimming in it. It’s no dive watch. This thing is a monster in size – 43mm. But it doesn’t seem too big when worn. This is probably due to the oversized crown and band that accompanies it. Keeps it all in perspective.

Face

The face is what drew me to this model to begin with. I love the details. The intricate pattern of vertical squiggly lines which impart an optical illusion of horizontal lines. The face is big enough to accommodate the brand name, the model name, the word “automatic,” as well as a date viewing window that encompasses three days – all without crowding it. The deep blue is just gorgeous. Lumination is generously applied and very bright.

Band

I’m torn about the band. It looks great. Uses a butterfly clasp to secure it shut. But the pins holding the band to the case are screws that appear to be on both sides, answering my question as to why Panzera included two jeweler screwdrivers with the watch. The screwdrivers are not for sizing the band itself. That is accomplished by collared pins. The collar is in the center link, and it does not matter which side you push the pins out from.