China editions

[leeye]

Originally Posted by ocwatching

Lee, you sure? I had thought the 412/413/420 were all hand wound...

anyhow..thanks for the info...

Yes I confirmed that with the sales person at the boutique .

Hopefully on the opening day tomorrow we can see Panerai CEO Mr. Bonati. Maybe snap a few pics with him .

[rolexcd]

Hi all,

I have finally received the invitation to their grand opening of tomorrow night. For those of you in Shanghai and available, I hope that we can meet together there and start off our little society of the TRF in Shanghai via this event.

Anthony

[leeye]

Great Anthony, I'll see you there around 6pm. I want to beat the traffic jam going into Lujiazui.

[ocwatching]

Originally Posted by leeye

Yes I confirmed that with the sales person at the boutique .

Hopefully on the opening day tomorrow we can see Panerai CEO Mr. Bonati. Maybe snap a few pics with him .

Originally Posted by rolexcd

Hi all,

I have finally received the invitation to their grand opening of tomorrow night. For those of you in Shanghai and available, I hope that we can meet together there and start off our little society of the TRF in Shanghai via this event.

Anthony

Please tell Mr. Bonati that Phil would love a 339 and 360 but would settle for a 413.

LOL...

enjoy and post the grand opening photos!

[Fearsome Puppy]

If anyone going to the shanghai ifc boutique opening tomorrow fancies a swift cocktail up at Flair in the RC@5.30 pm me....

[leeye]

Originally Posted by Fearsome Puppy

If anyone going to the shanghai ifc boutique opening tomorrow fancies a swift cocktail up at Flair in the RC@5.30 pm me....

Anthony, myself and another friend will be there before 6pm. Bring along you camera in case Mr. Bonati shows up. Otherwise the Asia Pacific CEO will be there.

Oh another 10 units of PAM 366 just arrived today.

[multimedia]

Hey guys.

Where do you think it would be best to meet up? I was planing to send an SMS to Anthony and you Kevin tomorrow to sort out the plans, but perhaps we can do it hear just as well.

(sorry Kevin, don't think I can make it to the Flair at 5.30)

Cheers,
Joe

[rolexcd]

Originally Posted by leeye

Anthony, myself and another friend will be there before 6pm. Bring along you camera in case Mr. Bonati shows up. Otherwise the Asia Pacific CEO will be there.

Oh another 10 units of PAM 366 just arrived today.

Lee,

Thanks for the great news. Will definitely buy one of them tomorrow.

Are you interested in having one as well?

Anthony

[rolexcd]

Originally Posted by multimedia

Hey guys.

Where do you think it would be best to meet up? I was planing to send an SMS to Anthony and you Kevin tomorrow to sort out the plans, but perhaps we can do it hear just as well.

(sorry Kevin, don't think I can make it to the Flair at 5.30)

Cheers,
Joe

Guys,

How about we meet at IFC at 6pm sharp somewhere near the watch shops where Panerai is located. Would like to join for the drink at the Flair but unlikely be able to escape the office well before 5:30.

Once again, please SMS me once you guys are around.

Anthony

[multimedia]

Sounds perfect Anthony! Looking forward to meeting up with you guys tomorrow.

Cheers,
Joe

[Fearsome Puppy]

Good for me as well. Looking forward to catching up tomorrow...

[ocwatching]

you know you are a paneristi..

when you get excited for fellow risti's GTG for a new boutique...

I got no life...

should be a great event...looking forword to photos..
maybe the 339 will make a showing...

[leeye]

I doubt the 339 will make an appearance. anyhow i am ready with questions to the expert about the 8 day PR indicator

would have preferred the 410/420 to at least make the 1st public showing in Asia .

[leeye]

some pics from these evening show. it was the first Risti gathering session for us Jerry will post better pictures of the event.

[ocwatching]

I was looking forward to this...thanks...
more? more?
Also, where are your new purchases?!!?

[leeye]

Sorry Phil, they were not prepared to sell any watches today . All of us were left disappointed as the 366 was not even available for display.

[ocwatching]

Originally Posted by leeye

Sorry Phil, they were not prepared to sell any watches today . All of us were left disappointed as the 366 was not even available for display.

wow...sounds like they were not really READY...guess it was all about the free goodies and putting up a good face...
well..at least it was a good time?

[multimedia]

Yeah, what can one say. This was indeed one of the worst PR-events I have ever attend... What where they thinking? No new models, not even the SE-Asia models that we have covered so much in this thread.

It felt like once we got to the shop, we went in for a while to have a look around - and since there was nothing special to look at, we ended up standing and talking for an hour outside the shop instead.

I mean come on! And once we got the chance to go "upstairs" - when I think all of us was expecting to see at least a few of the SE-models, it was nothing there either, except from some sort of corridor showing the history of Panerai... Don't know what to say really about all this, except that it was really REALLY nice to meet up with the other guys! We had a fantastic time, even if the event was terrible, and I'm really looking forward to the next GTG.

Here are a few pics. Sorry about the bad quality...

First Shanghai GTG = first picture taken.
From left; Kevin, Cliff, Lee, Anthony and Joe


Asia Pacific CEO


Inside shots






Entrance to the "history corridor"


Lee getting ready to fire of a few pics...


The so called "history corridor"...


Maybe if Sly would have turned up, I could have given them a D+. But that's a big maybe.


Only interesting watch this evening (at least for me) and sorry, the front shot turned out really bad, so no point in showing it here I'm afraid.


Unfortunately, we lost Kevin on this one...




Cheers,
Joe

[ocwatching]

Joe..thanks for the post..and looks like a great time..funny how a watch can lead to this hum? too bad China blocks paneristi.com...you all would find a home there...

Well...no offense to Kevin..but his replacement is pretty sweet!

wow..sorry to hear it...the "wall of history" looks like something out of a museum

so..they didn't bring ANYTHING in hum?..dang...

[Fearsome Puppy]

Just got back from the event. Sat next to the new GM for Panerai in China who will move to Shanghai shortly and is a very nice chap. I had a good discussion with him where I politely indicated that there were a few paneristis who probably should have been invited to the dinner tonight.

Dinner was good and they had a famous Chinese piano player as well as playing videos of the restoration of the boat Ellen during the intervals. They didn't bring out the new models which was a bit of a disappointment and when I asked they said that they would be available for viewing early next week at the boutique.

Great meeting everyone Joe, Lee, Anthony, Cliff and look forward to the next meeting. Didn't take many pics as I was too busy focusing on the wine but will try and dig out what I have and upload later.

[leeye]

well at least we persisted till the end and were rewarded with the door gift (the classic panerai deep blue wool sweater). extremely useful for future winter gatherings

[Fearsome Puppy]

Originally Posted by leeye

well at least we persisted till the end and were rewarded with the door gift (the classic panerai deep blue wool sweater). extremely useful for future winter gatherings

Good job in getting the door gift. You guys didn't miss out, I got the same one. Think it would have been good if they had added at least the latest catelogue with the goody bag...

[leeye]

Good morning Kevin, you are early. The catalogue may be printed in Chinese coz the ones we saw in the showroom are printed in chinese wording.

I guess we have lower our expectations of what they can deliver so far. Hopefully your comments to the new GM will raise their service levels in future.

As for the 366, it should be officially on sale next week. Guess all the watches have been used for magazines and photoshoots.

[rolexcd]

Originally Posted by Fearsome Puppy

Just got back from the event. Sat next to the new GM for Panerai in China who will move to Shanghai shortly and is a very nice chap. I had a good discussion with him where I politely indicated that there were a few paneristis who probably should have been invited to the dinner tonight.

Dinner was good and they had a famous Chinese piano player as well as playing videos of the restoration of the boat Ellen during the intervals. They didn't bring out the new models which was a bit of a disappointment and when I asked they said that they would be available for viewing early next week at the boutique.

Great meeting everyone Joe, Lee, Anthony, Cliff and look forward to the next meeting. Didn't take many pics as I was too busy focusing on the wine but will try and dig out what I have and upload later.

Kevin, did you get the email address of this chap as I would really like to send him an email on the event.

In short, the event was probably the worst PR event of a watch company that I would experience for the rest of my life. I really thought that Panerai would like to take this opportunity to "promote" the brand to the Chinese market therefore there would be "aggressive" sales persons to approach those who were not wearing PAMs during the event (at least 90% of the people there), introduce the brand, etc etc.

My observation was that the so-called Asia-Pacific boss was only interested to entertain the media and a few beauties for photos. At the end, they got a singer from Hong Kong whom I am sure that he is not a PAM friend until last night to give a speech on something which no-one with 5 metres from him would be able to hear.

The Group (4 of us except Kevin) felt that we are so lucky to be offered the opportunity to go upstairs and look at the boring models and pictures. At that point, I felt like I was given a ticket to meet with the President of the United States!!!

To me, Panerai is a brand that you can buy if you wish but they don't really care!!!

I should probably stop here or I will spend my next 2 hours complaining on the event.

However, this event really gives us the opportunity to kick start our first Shanghai GTG which I am looking forward to another event shortly with increasing number of members to share among our watch stories!!!

Originally Posted by leeye

well at least we persisted till the end and were rewarded with the door gift (the classic panerai deep blue wool sweater). extremely useful for future winter gatherings

At one point, one of us was given a small size one. When we ask for a bigger size, the lady stated "sorry, we give out the "gift" randomly" and cannot change to a bigger size one. I went back home and look at the item with a view to find out if it has serial number saying MXXXX/2000 or something. Disappointed that it is not there.

[leeye]

Anthony, guess you were disappointed at not being able to see the 366 or buy any other watches. No worries you should be able to buy it next week. But getting to know the right salesperson is very important .

At least you got to feel the PAM335 which turned out to be a dummy model also.

[ocwatching]

wow..the event just sounds worse and worse...
at least the GTG was good..and that's what matters...

looking forward to some wristshot guys!

[rolexcd]

Originally Posted by leeye

Anthony, guess you were disappointed at not being able to see the 366 or buy any other watches. No worries you should be able to buy it next week. But getting to know the right salesperson is very important .

At least you got to feel the PAM335 which turned out to be a dummy model also.

Can't believe that they only got one dummy model which they use all over the world. It is definitely the same one used in HK shop as well as my friend told me of the scratches on the watch. Amazed by the sales lady that ceramic materials doesn't mean no scratches!!! I thought there will not be any scratches!!!


The worst thing is the crown on the dummy model fell off when I released the lever!!! Great quality watch at that price and amazed that they don;t fix it before using it again for demonstration.

I sort of agree with one of the members of last night that they have limited funding internally which affect the quality of the event last night. May be, they don't have the funds to pay for the customs duty deposit for their demo watches, which we were expecting, with the Chinese Customs.

By the way, they should pay Jet Li to wear one of the PAMs (or a couple) in The Expendables and get him there last night. I assure that PAMs will become hot cakes in China immediately!!!

Hope that they can improve their sales and profits here thereby having enough funds for better events in the future. Alternatively, just some thoughts from TRF members would give them a much much better results last night.

May be, "they just don't care" which is their marketing approach!!!

[leeye]

Anthony, you are right about the 366. It is using a hand wound OPII calibre and not the automatic OPIII calibre as I mentioned earlier.

[ocwatching]

to the Shanghai Gang:
I have relatives in Shanghai as well as family in Taiwan...what is the general opinion...

Is Panerai still a niche brand? Seems like my friends with disposable incomes in Shanghai knows about PAM..however, most don't.

I guess PAMs are super popular in Singapore...

thoughts?

[leeye]

Phil, I would say that Panerai is still a relatively unknown watch brand in China.

In Singapore, unless the particular person is into watches (higher proportion as compared to China) otherwise Panerai is also less well known.

If you were to mention Rolex in both countries then everyone can relate to Rolex being excellent and expensive watches. In fact in China it would be a status symbol wearing a Rolex (pretty much everywhere else also).