Watches that Look like a Panerai

Panerai is a well-respected name among serious watch collectors.  The "Charger" rectangular shape of their military watches gives their watches a unique look.  Panerai was founded in 1860 and became the official watch supplier for the Italian Navy around 1900.  They supplied watches to elite Italian frogman units during World War 2.  By 1970, the Italian Navy moved on to other watch suppliers and the firm began its shift into the civilian market.  According to Watch Magazine - Montre24, Panerai's popularity was boosted when actor and director Sylvester Stallone took a liking to the brand.

Panerai Marina Militare

The two main models of Panerai are the Luminor (above) and the Radiomir (below).

Panerai Radiomir

The Quest for a Poor Man's Panerai

Unfortunately, this is another brand that can be quite expensive for mere mortals.  But, there are several brands that provide more affordable alternatives to the Panerai.  Instead of funding criminals and buying counterfeit merchandise, there are plenty of watches that pay homage to Panerai and successfully evoke the shape and the look.

A Nixon Watch that Looks Panerai

We can start our quest for a poor man's Panerai with the Nixon brand of watches.  The Nixon "Charger" watch comes it at a far more affordable $200 price point.
 



If the $200 price of the Nixon watch remains daunting, there are other less expensive alternatives that are still well known and respected brands.

A Bulova Watch that Looks like Panerai 

Bulova also makes a chronograph watch that has a similar shape to the venerable Panerai.

Cheap Watches that Look like Panerai

Finally, there are extremely low cost watches that evoke the Panerai look.  Over the years, I've found several watches from Mossimo or Merona at Target department stores that have the Panerai shape.

A Watch from Target evokes Panerai

Unfortunately, when I bought one of these Target watches, it was a total fail.  The crown came off in my hand.  Still, a quick look out on Amazon shows these inexpensive Techvilla Men's watches at an almost irresistible price.



In this era of the internet, people of all economic and social standing can see the watches of people with wealth and taste. Sometimes this can be a curse.  But, there is no need to succumb to envy.  While we might not be able to afford watches as a status symbol, we can emulate the watches we like as a style symbol. It's simply a matter of persistence and creativity.