Panerai Luminor Submersible 1000M PAM 64 "La Bomba" Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Behold "La Bomba"; it's one of only 500 made. Also known as the "Tuna Can" for its chunky profile, the famed Panerai Luminor Submersible 1000M PAM 64 was *the* star of Panerai's Y2K Special Edition lineup. As the first 1000M product from the post-Vendome house of Panerai, the PAM 64 became a cult watch within a cult brand. Devotees of this model grab and hold available examples like a Green Boa that's caught a monkey. And it's easy to see why; this is one serious Sub. The enormous 1000M case doesn't occupy any more wrist real estate than a standard 44mm Panerai Luminor, but its incredible safe-like construction sits higher and stouter than a standard Luminor. It feels like an Abrams tank, and it's got the hardware to justify the comparison. A domed sapphire crystal 5.1mm thick is the star of the show and the key to the nickname ("La Bomba" can mean, among many other translations, "the bubble"). Even a Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller makes do with a 5mm sapphire. The super Sub's curved unidirectional dive bezel recalls the unit fitted to the famed 1950s Panerai 6152 "Egiziano," but the PAM 64 spares its user that old-timer's 60mm girth. A helium release valve at nine o'clock completes the fortress-like build of the PAM 64. On the 1000M dial, a gorgeous tritium patina has formed on the indexes, numerals, and hands of this PAM 64. While most Panerai watches transitioned from tritium lume to lumina during the 1998 model year, Submersibles (including the