When it comes down to talking about the most popular watch brands in the world, Panerai is definitely a watch brand near the top that stands out. The Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight (reference model PAM 250) is one of Panerai’s rarest watches, and I am extremely blessed to own one and review it for you.
So how do I feel about the Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight?
The Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight is one of Panerai’s most impressive and rarest watches. The craftsmanship behind the Luminor Chrono Daylight rivals some of the top luxury watch brands in the world. It’s extremely well-made with its complications, automatic movement, and high-end materials: it’s a jaw-dropping, reliable watch.
| Pros | Cons |
| – Panerai brand recognition – Classy and stylish design – Extremely high-quality leather band – Useful complications (chronograph and day display) – Clean and intricate dial design – Very durable – Easy to wind | – Case diameter and thickness on the larger size (more suitable timepiece for those with larger wrists or those who are fans of larger watches) – Clasp may be difficult to open at times – Loop buckle on the strap is difficult to adjust |
| Overall Score: | 93/100 |
Key Takeaways
- The Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight is one of Panerai’s most intricate and detailed watch models that rival top luxury watch brands
- The crocodile leather strap and stainless steel case are extremely high quality
- Has a beautiful, easy-to-wear white dial with a chronograph funtion and date display that are helpful for everyday use
- Panerai Luminor Chronograph daylight costs around $11,000 in brand new condition, and $7,000-$8,000 in used condition
- Case diameter and thickness runs on the larger side (great timepiece for those with larger wrists)
- May be difficult to open clasp or adjust loop buckle at times
Read on to view my full, in-depth review of the Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight.
Features of The Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight
When making an in-depth review of a luxury watch, it is essential to break down all of the features of the watch to really see how well-crafted it is or if it’s worth it. Let’s look take a look at all of the watch’s most important features through a helpful table.
| Feature Category | Features |
| Case Diameter | – 44 millimeters |
| Case Thickness | – 14.5 millimeters |
| Materials | – Crocodile leather strap – Stainless steel case – White Dial |
| Movement | – Automatic Mechanical |
| Complications | – Day display – Chronograph function |
| Water Resistance | – 10 ATM (100 meters/330 feet) |
| Clasp Type | – Double Fold Clasp |
| Watch Crystal | – Sapphire |
| Other Noteable Features | – Lume Dial – Tachymeter Bezel |
One of the first qualities that stand out to me on the watch was the extremely high-quality materials it’s made out of. The Daylight model that I have is equipped with a brown leather crocodile strap that looks and feels absolutely amazing and its sturdy stainless steel case makes it a very durable watch: it’s smooth, reliable, and comfortable to wear.
I personally noticed this as soon as I put the watch on for the first time. I was surprised with how luxurious the leather strap felt on my wrist and it genuinely put a smile on my face. And when I touched the stainless steel case, I knew immediately that the watch would be reliable. One time, I even hit the stainless steel on the corner of a table by accident and it was completely fine. After looking and holding plenty of watches, little to none compare to its materials.
Another quality about the watch that I really like is the intricate dial design and its complications. I am a big fan of the white dial on this timepiece because it’s so easy to wear with so many outfits, and it’s clean and easy to read.
Also, This timepiece has a chronograph function with 3 sub-dials that track time elapsed for seconds, minutes, and hours. I am personally a fan of the sub-dial design because it adds functionality and also adds complexity and character to the watch.
On this Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight, I am fond of the chronograph function. It’s easy to use as a stopwatch and has unique chronograph pushers that are large rounded buttons instead of the common pushers you see on other chronograph watches. On top of that, I found that the date display on the lower right-hand side of the dial is useful to look at whenever I forget the date (which is surprisingly pretty often).
The water resistance on the Luminor Chronograph Daylight is pretty good as well with its 10 ATM (100-meter) water resistance. This would make the timepiece suitable for swimming, but not suitable for diving. Personally, I wouldn’t even think of bringing this watch into the water because I want it to last as long as possible and I don’t want to run any risk of damaging it substantially since it costs so much.
I am also a big fan of this Panerai’s movement. It has a mechanical automatic movement that provides a pretty smooth sweep through the whole rotation. I am personally more fond of automatic watch movements because they’re well-crafted with precise attention to detail, but quartz watches come at a close second behind them.
Don’t get me wrong, I would be over the moon to own a high-quality quartz watch, but I am even more pleased with automatic watches. I realized this when I first winded this Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight when I first started my watch hobby. When the second hand on this watch started doing its rotation, a big smile appeared on my face and from that point, I knew that I was a big fan of automatic watch movements.
One of the most underrated features about the watch in my opinion is the lume (where parts of the watch are illuminated and glow in the dark) hands and markings on the dial, and also the tachymeter bezel. I find the lume on the watch to be super useful whenever I’m wearing the watch at night or in dark places because it makes the dial easier to read.
Lastly, I am extremely happy with the see-through watch crystal on this Panerai watch. This timepiece is equipped with a sapphire crystal that’s AR coated. I found that the watch crystal makes the dial very legible, and the AR coating gives the crystal that extra clarity and durability.
If you’ve ever wondered how long AR coating lasts on a luxury watch, you can check out my full article where I figured out how long AR coating lasts on a watch by clicking here.
These are all of the features that I think make the watch stand out and make it worth it. My absolute favorite features are the dial design, chronograph function, and the materials like the leather strap and stainless steel case. While there are plenty of benefits that the watch provides, there are some minor issues that I ran into that I found after wearing this watch for several years.
Problems I Ran Into With The Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight
One of the first problems I ran into is that the watch case diameter and case thickness are on the larger end. For someone with larger wrists or who is into larger watches, then this is absolutely no problem at all. But if you’re someone like me who has slightly smaller wrists, this Panerai can look and feel overwhelming on the wrist at times.
I have personally seen this on certain occasions: whenever I wear a polo shirt and put the Panerai watch on my left wrist, I feel like the 44-millimeter case diameter and 14.5-millimeter thickness are too large and it looks so much better whenever I wear a suit or long sleeve. On days when I felt like it was too big on my wrist, I would be very discouraged in wearing it even though it looks and feels amazing.
Another issue that I ran into when using and wearing the Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight is that its double-fold clasp can be difficult to open, and the loop buckle on the strap can be hard to adjust at times.
I experienced this when I first received the watch from my parents. After I wore it for the day, I found that it was kind of hard to press down on the release button on the clasp to open it. Maybe the watch needed some breaking in because it has never been worn by anyone else, but I thought it would be helpful to mention this just in case you find this problem as well.
On top of that, the loop buckle is very hard to adjust on this timepiece. At first, when I tried the watch on, I found that it was a little loose on me and I wanted to adjust the loop buckle on the strap to tighten it. Because of this, I tried to adjust the loop buckle and it felt like a whole workout. I tried really hard, but then I eventually adjusted it to the right hole that worked best for me.
Maybe it’s similar to the double-fold clasp and it needed some breaking in too, but I also thought that telling you this would be helpful. I’ve used many watches at a very small fraction of a price than this timepiece and I found that it was much easier to adjust the loop buckle on the cheaper watches than this specific Panerai.
These are the only problems that I have found after wearing this watch for several years. Everything else about the watch makes it an absolutely stunning timepiece to have that will definitely have others staring down at your wrist.
Pricing Of The Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight
The price for a brand new Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight costs around $11,000, and you can find used versions on the second-hand market that cost around $7,000 to $8,000.
At these prices, you get Panerai’s most complicated and well-respected watch models that will make the most seasoned watch enthusiast’s jaws drop. I’ve personally experienced this before when I wore it to my Auntie Jackie’s wedding recently: I got so many compliments and looks, and it sparked so many conversations just because I was wearing it on my wrist.
Personally, my parents bought this watch from a pawnshop in brand new condition for $11,000. This can look like a pretty hefty price tag, but you get a Panerai, one of the world’s most popular watch brands, and you also get one of the rarest and most intricate watches that they have ever produced that will last you years and years. I would recommend getting this watch if it fits into your budget and if you’re really looking for a quality timepiece in brand new condition.
If this may be too much for you, I would recommend getting it in used condition. You still get an outstanding Panerai watch, and if you really look hard enough, you can probably find a listing for a really good deal for around $7,000. On top of that, it will still last you years and years even though it’s used.
As I look through eBay and Chrono24, I found the same Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight in good, used condition for around $7,000 to $8,000. This is a substantial price cut than a brand new version.
If you want to see how the Panerai brand stacks up against other luxury watch brands, you can check out my full article breaking down the average price of 15 popular luxury watch brands in the world by clicking right here.
My Final Verdict
I think that the Panerai Luminor Chronograph Daylight is one of the best watches you can get at its price point. Even though it asks for a pretty penny, you get the name brand of one of the most popular watch brands in the world, and you get one of the rarest and most impressive watches they’ve made at the same time.
This exact Panerai watch is the timepiece that sparked my massive passion for the watch hobby, and I am so grateful to own it to this day. It’s so versatile and classy for formal events, and it’s always a pleasure to wear. When you do have this luxury watch, be prepared to talk about it because it’s a timepiece that is a conversation starter for sure.