Panerai Luminor Chronograph PAM 121 Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Two icons in one 40mm brushed titanium case; that's the Panerai Luminor Chronograph PAM 121. By combining the military heritage and cult-classic appeal of the Panerai Luminor with the high-horology landmark Zenith El Primero Chronograph, the watchmaker from Firenze offers a double-feature of marquee stars. Since the launch of civilian market Panerai watches in 1993, only six of the 350+ known references have featured the revered Zenith El Primero chronograph caliber - and none have been produced for over a decade. The Zenith El Primero ranks among the most celebrated mechanical watch movements of all time. Launched in 1969 as the first automatic, integrated (all components designed together), and high beat (36,000 VpH!) chronograph, the El Primero ("first") was born beautiful. When the absentee ownership ordered the movement's tooling to be sold for scrap at the height of the 1970s downturn in the mechanical watch market, an enterprising Zenith employee hid the dies... ...they were recovered during the 1980s, the El Primero was chosen as the power plant to the 1988 Rolex Daytona, and the rest is Swiss folklore. With its 50-hour power reserve, crisp column wheel function selector, robust construction, and distinctive high-beat "voice," the El Primero is the highlight of any luxury watch fortunate enough to bear Zenith's vaunted 5hz rock star. The PAM 121 stands apart from other Panerai Luminors on that basis alone, but there's more to this dyn