This weeks release of the new Panerai Luminor Submersible Automatic Acciaio ‘E-Commerce Micro-Edition’ is certainly one to raise a few eyebrows within the watch industry. For the first time in Panerai’s history, the watch will only be sold exclusively online, with the watch not available through Panerai boutiques or Authorised Dealers. The move represents a slow change in the way the watch industry conducts itself and a willingness to adapt to change. The Panerai Luminor Submersible Automatic Acciaio ‘E-Commerce Micro-Edition’ PAM731, with its limited edition blue dial, is certainly a handsome watch, and a very capable divers watch.
Panerai continue to sell watches online, but the PAM731 ‘E-Commerce Micro-Edition’, limited to 100 pieces, cannot be bought in stores – and this represents a very first for the Italian company. The move symbolises a sudden shift in relation to sales and distribution. This also represents a change in attitudes towards online e-commerce, but also the changing views of the use of media and advertising as opposed to third-party retailers.