E's Panerai Straps Blog
Archive - July 2007

The Best Choice for Watch Straps…..Time Connection…

Of course, you have a choice when is comes to buying watch straps for your Panerai and other fine watches.

Here are some very good reasons why Time Connection should be your first and last stop when you accessorize your watch.

  •  Our straps are MADE IN ITALY at the Cuoierie Meccaniche Brelli di Ciampi, the Original OEM Strap Maker for Panerai from 1938 to 1997.
  • TC is Factory Direct.  We make the straps in our factory and do not act as a middleman placing orders every now and again.
  • Our straps are shipped from Austin, Texas and priced in U.S. dollars.  With the Euro at $1.375 why pay the conversion rate and then the shipping in Euro’s for straps that get outsourced by any unknown strap makers.

 We have held the line on pricing…why?

  • We produce so many for Retail and for Manufacturers
  • It helps to be a partner in the factory
  • Because we can

You can only buy brand new  Mario Paci, Giovanni e Figlio, Toscana Straps, Officine Firenze by Mario Paci straps from Time Connection or in the UK, from Watch Obsession.

Get the best…the best Leather, the best Construction, the best Inventory and the best Price.

Thank you

Elliot

The Closest thing to FACTORY DIRECT.....TC Straps......

What are you buying today when you order a strap?

Yes, there are a few Individual strap makers that put out a few straps a day/week and produce some nice straps.

But what about straps for all size wrists and all size watches? Let's look at the facts:

  • How many people can say... Hand Made in Italy?
  • Our Straps are made by the ORIGINAL OEM Strap Maker for Panerai from 1938 to 1997
  • We make the starps we sell and do not act as a "Middle Man/Woman." Factory direct means you can only buy them new from Time Connection or in the UK from Watch Obsession.
  • No need to buy from strap sellers who do not own factories and just place orders once a month
Also, think about it. Buying straps from Europe with the Euro at $1.38, a $200 Euro strap costs you $278 plus shipping, in Euros' and the straps have no Pedigree. The sellers are paying for the Straps in Euros' and drive their costs up.

At Time Connection, we are the factory and our prices have remained the same regardless of where the Euro has climbed to. Why have we held the line?

  1. We produce so many straps for retail and for Manufacturers
  2. I guess it help to have an interest in a factory
  3. Because we can!
The Choice is yours. Straps that have a true background as they are made by Mario Paci and Fabrizio Ciampi. Mr. Paci was Chief Engineer of Panerai from 1983 to 1997. Fabrizio Ciampi has been in the strap business since he was knee hight to his uncle Mr. Brelli.

We are straps. That is all we do. Why settle for the same old thing or overpriced goods due to Dollar fluctuations. Why not buy straps for Panerai that are Contemporary Legends.

Elliot

The Officine Panerai Logo..the True meaning by Eng. Mario Paci<more>

The Logo OP represents the stylised beginning letters O and P of Officine Panerai name, but not only.

Do you know which is the meaning of the two arrows, one towards up and one toward down? It's very simple and intuitive. Officine Panerai, since the origins and up today, has been always specialist in manufacturing underwater products and landing aid systems.

The firsts (wrist watches, compasses, depth-meters, tank level probes, mechanical timers for underwater mines and many others) were used under the sea.

The seconds (Deck landing systems, Helipad lighting systems, Portable landing systems) were used on surface, for those arriving from the sky.

Here is explained the meaning of the two arrows: the one toward down shows the underwater products, the one toward up shows the products for who arrives from the sky.


Click here (Postcard in a .pdf format, 96.4 kb)


The OP Logo was born at the beginning of years 1980, designed by an Architectural Office of Florence and, in the first drafts, had a rounded form; Eng. Zei (CEO of Officine Panerai since 1972 until 1999) did not like this Logo, so as it was designed. Then, Eng. Dino Zei, together with the Officine Panerai Technical Department responsible, had the idea for this definitive version (here described) adding the two stylised arrows.

The OP Logo has been sold to Cartier, at that time Vendome group on 1997, with the watches- torches-compasses and depth-gauges brand, the patents, the original drawings and all the watches store. Since 1997 the old Officine Panerai changed its name into Panerai Sistemi SpA. On 1999 the Panerai Sistemi has been sold to Calzoni of Bologna, that absorbed all its industrial and productive activities. At present (2004) Panerai Sistemi is a brand of Calzoni Srl, utilized for all ex-Panerai products.

Cartier, now Richemont group, has never utilized the OP Logo until the end of the 2003 when it appears on the special edition for collectors of the Luminor Marina 44mm (PAM 195), on the dial and on the case-back and, subsequently, on the crowns of the new Radiomir 45mm 8 Days (PAM 190 and 197) and Black Seal (PAM 183) models, more another limited edition of the Luminor and L. Marina models, alls introduced during the 2004.

By Eng. Mario Paci

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