When Panerais, food, wine, and superb people get together, the result is an epic unforgettable evening. Such is the case of the cocktail and dinner organized by Panerai to celebrate the kick-off of Madison Avenue Watch Week and the release of their novelties at the SIHH 2016. If you consider yourself a true Paneristi, then you are a foodie and a connoisseur of great restaurants.
Daniel in New York City was a perfect setting for this evening. This fabulous night started with a brief cocktail at the New York Panerai boutique on Madison Avenue between 62nd and 63rd Street. At the boutique, the finest Italian Prosecco was flowing like water as collectors perused some of the Panerai novelties presented earlier this year at the SIHH 2016. On our wrists for the evening, are the iconic Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 372 and the Luminor Marina Destro PVD PAM 26K.
While the Panerai boutique in New York City is relatively smaller than other Panerai boutiques around the world, the energy and atmosphere in there is pure 'grandeur'. Without hesitation, we can say that this is one of the most intimate watch boutiques on Madison Avenue and its nautical modern decor, made us feel just at home. Not to mention the perfect assortment of Italian biscotti and torrone.
Almost eleven minutes past seven, we left the boutique to head over to Daniel which is right around the corner from the Panerai boutique —two and a half blocks away on 65th street between Madison and Park. As we entered through the revolving doors at Daniel, hors d'oeuvres, cocktails, and the SIHH 2016 novelties were waiting for us. If you haven't been to Daniel before, all we can say is that it has one of the nicest bars in the city and their signature cocktails are to die for. Pioneers in the art of liquor mixology, the cocktails will typically blow you away, no matter what you order. In our case, a well-made Negroni paired with some exceptional watches was more than enough to put a big smile on our faces.
As we mingled around enjoying our evening with Panerai, little did we know that we would be running into a bunch of awesome watch collectors that follow us on Instagram and that we follow back. Guys, it was great to finally put a face to your Instagram handles. Without a doubt, one thing we love about watch collecting, is the amazing people we've met through this passionate hobby.
After a nice round of cocktails and some decadent hors d'ouevres, we finally headed to the private area next to the bar, where dinner would be served. This intimate setting with a perfectly starched white table cloth and the most beautiful white roses' centerpiece was simply perfect.
The very well thought five-course meal was intended to highlight the five key attributes of a Panerai watch —Luminosity, History, Authenticity, Excellence, and Rarity. As we were getting ready for the first course, the first round of Negronis helped relax the wrists of some of the collectors that were invited by Panerai. Kindly, we asked some of them to hand their watches over for a casual group shot. Dinner was then really served.
To accompany the first two courses, we enjoyed a beautiful Chablis along with a stunning Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Power Reserve Automatic Bronzo PAM 507. As we savored these first two courses and sipped on our wine, our new friends at the table filled our ears with a candid conversation about their favorite Panerais and why they fell in love with the brand. The common denominator, is its history, design, rarity, craftsmanship, and luminosity.
As we got ready to enjoy the third and fourth courses that were simply epic, the red wine started to fill our glasses. This time, we kept an eye on the amazing Radiomir Independent Dead-Beat Seconds PAM 080 to the left of where we were sitting. Such a stunning watch to make this evening even better.
Then, to wrap up the delicious dinner we had been enjoying, two different desserts were served. Both were simply spectacular. In good old Daniel fashion, madeleines and petit fours followed, along with a strong and tasty espresso macchiato.
As the night came to an end and our conversation evolved from all sorts of Panerai references into how well these pair with cars, cigars, Japanese whiskies and other finer things in life, a few wrist shots and pictures of the PAM 662 and PAM 663 —our favorite two novelties from the SIHH 2016— were necessary. As we got ready to leave, we took a last glimpse at the new PAM 662 we reviewed here and kissed it goodbye with a 'see you later' wink. Definitely a watch that's already in our new watch wish list.
Finally, right before we stepped out of Daniel, the light was conducive for one last memorable picture, this time, a wristshot between us and our fellow friend and follower Blau_. On our wrists, two legendary PVD Panerais: on the left, our Luminor Marina Destro PAM 26K, on the right, Blau_'s Luminor Marina PAM 004. Big thanks to Panerai for hosting such a wonderful evening and special regards to all the new friends we made that night, little did we know that we were already so connected and in sync.
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