Here is something you wont see Rolex do...

Over at www.paneristi.com they just celebrated their 5th anniversary on the internet. Pretty impressive.

What is even more impressive is that they are having contests, where you can ask the Panerai CEO a question. The person who asks the best question gets a special gift from Senor Bonati and Panerai. A number of other top questions will get prizes furnished by the Paneristi mods (likely paneristi.com promo items, but they also source little collectables with the Panerai logo on them like daytimers, key chains, etc.).

I would bet my life you would never see Rolex or even Omega do such a thing with various fora on the net. And by the Euro watch site rating, paneristi isnt even the top rated Panny site.

Apparently S. Bonati will attend paneristi events whenever he can, particularly when he travels. No question he is a WIS, a smart businessman and from what I hear, a really down-to-earth guy who loves watches.

[mamas]

if anything the cheap b@stards at rolex are stopping the trinkets that you actually pay for .. like the anchor!

[padi56]

Originally Posted by mamas

if anything the cheap b@stards at rolex are stopping the trinkets that you actually pay for .. like the anchor!

Got to agree with you there Mamas,wonder what will go next,

[JJ Irani]

Originally Posted by padi56

Got to agree with you there Mamas,wonder what will go next,

Hope it's not the hologram. Then we won't know what to talk about!!

[Goodwatch]

Originally Posted by JJ Irani

Hope it's not the hologram. Then we won't know what to talk about!!

No, the whole watch will be next. You get to keep the hologram


Frans.

[mamas]

Originally Posted by Goodwatch

No, the whole watch will be next. You get to keep the hologram


Frans.

good one franSSSS

[dman]

I really think that is such a neat idea!! The questions seem to be quite good as well.

Originally Posted by dman

I really think that is such a neat idea!! The questions seem to be quite good as well.

Did you see mine? I hope the prize from S. Bonati is a nice 2006 limited edition special... and he picks my question as THE winner!

[dman]

Originally Posted by Atomic

Did you see mine? I hope the prize from S. Bonati is a nice 2006 limited edition special... and he picks my question as THE winner!

I did not, but I will go back and search. I am impressed by the whole September thing mate!!

John - other boards that have very close affiliations with watch brands offer prizes as well. However, I think there is a danger in being too closely linked (as a watch forum) to a watch company, and that seems to be what it takes to get the prizes.

I have seen questionable defending of a company's design by those who run forums when something an affiliated watch company does draws negative comments from forum participants. Won't say what forum that was on, but if you go there often you will know it happens.

I'm not saying this is the case at Paneristi at all (I've never been there in fact), just that sometimes these things make me uneasy.

No doubt that Rolex would not do this kind of thing.....I'm okay not having Rolex trinkets.

I hear what you're saying Al, and I know the forum you mean.

It's not so much the trinkets that they give away on paneristi, rather that the CEO is involved with the forum and attends forum get-togethers. That says more about the company than any free trinket ever could. The personal involvement is what amazes me. He and the company are totally hands-off the forum, administration wise, and certainly there's plenty of constructive criticism given there too.