Day-1
Buying my first Panerai was not a calculated buy. I admit it was more like jumping on the bandwagon more than anything else. It is not that I made an awful choice here buying the PAM 00233. But it was a buy without a proper vetting. I did not make any effort beyond going to a local AD and select what had met the eye for me. No research. Nothing.A complete lack of understanding.
Back in the day I was traveling like crazy so the Panerai Luminor 1950 8 Days GMT PAM 00233 did the trick here. It is a noticeable watch. Today I would not buy it since it is a bit too noisy for my changed taste. I did feel part of the family. The brotherhood. The paneristi. Oh, how much I was wrong. Back then I wanted people to notice that I am wearing a Panerai. Maybe something with my ego to show the world that I have one too. That I can afford one (I had to sell a kidney to buy one. Kidding). A stupid thing because at the end of the day the only person you are competing with is yourself (took me a lot of money and a lot of time to understand this going to therapy).
When money was a little tight a few years later, I have let it go. I could not afford showing them that I have one anymore. Frankly, it was not a hard choice to make. I did not feel connected. I felt alienated.
I do agree with people saying that you should not buy a watch you cannot afford. I had been there. I know how it feels. I know the negativity it brings. After all these are luxury goods, and for those your bank account needs to be in luxury state. Mine wasn’t.
The other thing I was missing was a connection with the watch. This is something that I have later developed by focusing on a certain theme when buying watches. For me it later had been historically accurate Radiomir watches. This also involved research and better understanding of their meaning (if existed), which created some sort of bonding with the watch.
Although I have a nice collection, I never felt an urge to buy a GMT again. Nowadays it is just too busy for me on a 44mm Luminor. If to get a timepiece with a busy dial, I prefer a submersible. More on that later.