Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight PAM 251 Luxury Watch Review

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Here's something you don't see everyday: the Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight PAM 251. As a complicated chronograph (!) Panerai Luminor with an exotic white (!) dial and explosive black oxidized hands (!), this PAM 251 breaks the "Officine's" mold. Waldo won't be calling about this one; the Luminor Chrono Daylight PAM 251 stands apart from its Firenze brethren.

As part of the 2006-2008 "Daylight" PAM 250/251tribute pair, the PAM 251 is - by far - the more distinctive and memorable of the two. Its exceptional white dial is the highlight of a package that outshines many of Panerai's vaunted "Special Series" limited editions.

With a gleam and luster that appear almost wet under direct light, the PAM 251's dial is a vibrant centerpiece for this chronograph. Black oxidized subdial, hour, and minute hands explode against the almost luminous backdrop of gloss white, and the subtle notes of the "key lime" glow-in-the-dark hour index markers add a tropical accent of color to an assortment of eye candy that would impress Willy Wonka.

Full "pearl" hour indices, that glistening white dial, and monotone white chronograph sub-dials ensure that this Panerai Luminor Chrono puts more, um, "Daylight" between itself and other Panerai references. And therein lies another key to the PAM 251's appeal: Sly Stallone.

As the original Paneristo, Sylvester Stallone bought the first Panerai Luminor models in bulk while filming 1995's "Daylight" in Rome. The resulting unpaid/unplanned celebrity sightings with Panerai Luminor watches helped to put the small Italian manufacture on the map and on track to its current luxury leaders status.

Given the Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight's theatrical backstory - to say nothing of the dial's "visual theatrics" - Panerai's choice of brushed tachymeter bezel and matching stainless steel case reign in the exuberance to keep the overall aesthetic upscale. Panerai watchmakers artfully preserve the beyond-iconic Luminor case profile by integrating the chronograph pushers into the tapered flanks of the Device Protecting the Crown.

A rich brown alligator leather strap is unusual for Panerai but a welcome companion that compounds the premium sheen of the PAM 251; a full deployant buckle completes the deluxe treatment.

Inside the case, a COSC-certified chronometer caliber OPXII (Valjoux 7753) provides automatic winding, a jump-date, and rugged durability. Its chronograph function is an ideal daily companion for tasks ranging from logging billable hours at the firm to timing eggs on the stove.
Video and content by Tim Mosso