Funny to see this topic come up again. I guess brand comparison is inevitable. I like to live in the realm of both/and vs either/or. As mentioned this is a Rolex forum. With that comes a fair amount if brand loyalty. Rolex makes a fine watch and has a fierce following. I am quite pleased with my Rolex collection. Prior to Rolex I had gone mostly the Panerai route. 4-5 years ago I obtained my first Rolex and within a few years my Panerai collection was mostly gone. But I started again getting back to Panerai and now enjoy a blended collection. With the exception of a 911 I have been piechasing preowned. While the retail price can be quite steep the somewhat softer market has made it much easier to obtain really nice pieces. Combined with a solid Rolex collection and the supply situation it is an ideal time to look at other brands. Why pay thru the nose for a Sub that while is a great watch, is common place when i can pick up a preowned 233 for a fraction of the retail price. Not that I am flipping for profit but the Panerai preowned values are mostly leveled off if you buy smart in the event an adjustment to the collection needs to happen. Both/and is working for me right now. So my very modest Panerai collection feels pretty good.
