# Sandwich Dial vs. Painted Dial



## JohnM

I am currently considering various Panerais, including the now discontinued 176 base model and the current 560 base model. Both are titanium, two-handers in 44mm. The 176 has a sandwich dial and Unitas movement while the 560 has a painted dial and an 8-day Panerai movement. 

Though I've been interested in mechanical watches for close to 20 years, this will be my first Panerai. Any thoughts concerning the pros and cons of each are appreciated, especially with regard to sandwich vs. painted dials. The two models I mentioned are base, two-handers but a 177 Luminor Marina with three hands would be great too, as would a titanium, 3-handed 564, though the latter has more writing on the dial than would be ideal (e.g., including the words '8 Days'). 

Thanks.
John


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## arcadelt

When I was looking for my second Panerai, I was sure I wanted a 176 because of the sandwich dial. However, as my research progressed, other things became more important, so I went with a 116, which has a painted dial. There are so many Panerai variants, some with just subtle differences between them, that you really just need to figure out what is important to you.


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## LB Carl

I'm a total newbie to Panerai, and don't even have one yet, but I've been shopping and went to an AD the other day. I can only really comment on the sandwich vs. painted dial. From my point of view, the sandwich dial adds a bit more dimension as it appears recessed with the lume sitting below dial with the cutouts above it. The painted dial, IMO anyway, also has a bit of dimension from what I could see as the painted lume appears to my eyes to sit slightly above the surface of the dial. Just the opposite of recessed. While at the AD, I did get to see a demo of the painted lume on the 560 and the sandwich dial lume of the 392. Both appeared plenty bright. Amazingly bright actually. --- I went into shopping 100% committed to a sandwich dial, and though it's still my preference, it's not as much of an overwhelming preference since I saw the painted dial up close. Either way, I think Panerai does lume incredibly well and it's really just a matter of personal preference. As others said to me, it's a good idea to see these watches if you haven't, try them on etc. Can't speak on the rest of your questions but I hope this helps at least a little.


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## JohnM

I'm not sure how Panerai used to paint its dials but my understanding is that their current dials don't simply have paint applied to a flat surface. The dial surface is indented in the shape of each marker and this indentation is then filled with lume, resulting in very high luminosity -- maybe more so than sandwich.


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## mjk778

I don't think it matters. They both look great!


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## arcadelt

JohnM said:


> I'm not sure how Panerai used to paint its dials but my understanding is that their current dials don't simply have paint applied to a flat surface. The dial surface is indented in the shape of each marker and this indentation is then filled with lume, resulting in very high luminosity -- maybe more so than sandwich.


It looks like that on my 116, so they have been doing it that way for a while now.


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## watchdaddy1

All personal choice John. I myself prefer sandwich but some of these new pieces are outstanding as well.

176 just to enable you in the right direction 



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## bigclive2011

Have both the "Sausage" painted dials and "cut out" layered dials.

The cut out dials are truer to the original Panerai divers of the 30's and 40's which had a Radium (Hence Radiomir) coating on the lower dial, and cut outs in the upper dial to allow the luminance to show through. only trouble was the Raduim based paint killed the workers who used it and bleached the upper dials after prolonged use, a factor replicated by Panerai in one of their new Brevetato 47mm Radiomir released at SIHH this year.

In use the Sausage Lume is savage, and I can use mine as torches in darkened rooms, the cut out dials are less so, but are nicer looking in profile (IMO) as there is an added depth to them.

Whichever you choose you will end up with a Beautiful well made, historically interesting, and "Different" piece, that in my opinion, shows the wearer to be a bit more of an individual than a Submariner or James Bond Omega of the masses.

And as Watchdaddy quite rightly points out pics is what we need! Always.















Base dial sausage and cut out for comparison.









Lume on both after the same exposure to UV.

Good luck with your choice and post pics when you get it.


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## watchdaddy1

Clive yr killing me w/ the 372 vintage lume & love the contrast of the brushed crown against the polished case. Oh yeah Plexi is Sexy

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## bigclive2011

You know you want one!!

Treat it as a 6000 post present!!


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## Tommywine0

Here's a pic from an article about it.
https://www.fratellowatches.com/watches-pencils-8-sandwich-dial-in-depth/

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## JohnM

What if I want a sausage in my sandwich?

Sorry ;-) Thanks for all the input (I asked the original question). Great pics William and bigclive2011. I did just speak with an AD who said that the latest watches have painted dials where the paint is smoother on top than the old 'sausage' dials. He added, though, that the lume is very concentrated and bright on these new dials. Despite this 'savage' lume, to use bigclive's phrase, there is something special about the sandwich to my eyes.


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## Synequano

Late to the picture posting party but here they are:

Sandwich









Painted









Sausage aka puffy









Puffy is essentially painted with thicker lume material added

There are also (flat) painted lume with metal border


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## rockmastermike

I have had/enjoyed both and the right answer is the one you choose.
There are no advantages other than atheistic.

have look around and you'll see both sides represented: the sandwich does give you depth but some decry the shadows it produces in some light 
painted/sausage gives better legibility in all lighting conditions according to some and easier to read the time quicker if you are "a man of a certain age"

yes, it's cliche, but there is no wrong answer and if someone looks down on you or the watch (what ever you choose) then they are not real watch guys, they are posers and need to be ignored.

About the 564: I am biased (my current Pam) but I like the balance of the 2 lines on the top and the two lines on the bottom. Which is crazy because there is no balance due to the running second hand at 9. Hey no one said this was a rational hobby


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## stockae92

176 and 560 has different fonts, which one you prefer? 560 has "fat 6". Also the case and bezel are actually a little slimmer on the newer Luminor with P5000 8-day movement.

see which style you prefer.


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## JohnM

rocketmastermike,

Is your 564 sandwich or painted? Good perspective, by the way. I am 'of a certain age' ;-)

John



rockmastermike said:


> I have had/enjoyed both and the right answer is the one you choose.
> There are no advantages other than atheistic.
> 
> have look around and you'll see both sides represented: the sandwich does give you depth but some decry the shadows it produces in some light
> painted/sausage gives better legibility in all lighting conditions according to some and easier to read the time quicker if you are "a man of a certain age"
> 
> yes, it's cliche, but there is no wrong answer and if someone looks down on you or the watch (what ever you choose) then they are not real watch guys, they are posers and need to be ignored.
> 
> About the 564: I am biased (my current Pam) but I like the balance of the 2 lines on the top and the two lines on the bottom. Which is crazy because there is no balance due to the running second hand at 9. Hey no one said this was a rational hobby


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## jjvd21

Sandwich all the way!

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## rockmastermike

JohnM said:


> rocketmastermike,
> 
> Is your 564 sandwich or painted? Good perspective, by the way. I am 'of a certain age' ;-)
> 
> John


John, my 564 is painted. 
I'll try and get a few pictures posted one day


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## T1meout

Personal preference aside, current Panerai policy is to restrict the use of sandwich dials for their upper echelon models only.


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## Maddog1970

jjvd21 said:


> Sandwich all the way!
> 
> That is one sweet strap!


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## JohnM

rocketmastermike,

I was locked into finding a sandwich dial but am coming around to painted. It sounds like the lume and legibility are outstanding and it's more than paint over a flat surface, from what I understand.

John


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## dadog13

I'd say go what you like more. I for example like more the painted dials, prefer them over the sandwich dials..

For the above reason I went for the 590. An amazing watch in all it's details especially the 8 day mvt..


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## jrsdad

I've found that if you focus on the details vs the overall character of the watch, you'll eventually loose interest. Sausage, painted, sandwich, round markers, baton markers, etc., whatever fits the design as a whole is what will stick.


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## wardser

i by far prefer sandwhich dials. To me thats kinda what makes a watch a Panerai.


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## breitlingman12

I would agree go with what you like and what your heart leads you too,good luck


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## addy616

Love the 564, one of my favorites. Up till Q they were sandwhich. Here's a pic of my 564 with sandwhich.


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## pepcr1

Looked all over for a 510 with the sandwich dial but when I saw the sausage 510 I was hooked


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## JohnM

As the OP on this thread, I wanted to thank everyone for their input. The 510, 564, and 590 are the top contenders for my first Panerai, assuming I buy new. A sandwich dial 177 is a bit of a grail for me, but I can see those don't come up too often. Even the newer 8-day movement watches are tough to find with sandwich dials at this point.

In truth, all of these are nice watches to my eye -- painted or sandwich. Since half the fun of this hobby is the anticipation I may wait a bit longer to see of anything turns up. But a new, painted dial 564, 590, or 510 would be a keeper, I'm sure.

John


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## dmash

I think it's not even a competition and sandwich dial blows the sausage out of the water. It's so beautiful in person, one of the main things that attracted me to a Panerai in the first place.


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## mob1

Both are lovable watches which makes pick very difficult, follow your heart that's the surest way.


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## vsp3c

i prefer the sandwich dial and was debating between the pam 177 and pam 564. ultimately decided i wanted the pam 177, scoured for months, managed to find one, and am super happy to this day. don't settle! go for what you want!


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## frankie

Had both and much prefer the sandwich dial,005, 111, 312,359 are the ones I,ve had and currently back to a 111.


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## Maddog1970

Have both.....000 and 292......lume on my painted 000 is superior, but you just don't get views like this:








So in short, as others have said, get both!


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## MOV

When I think Panerai, the sandwich dail is one of the first things I think of.


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## JohnM

I realize this gets complicated, but didn't most early Panerais have painted dials?


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## Synequano

This 6152 looks like it has sandwich though










3646 too...


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## dantan

I wonder what JohnM ended up with.


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## boxterduke

I've seen both and Sandwich is better. Although I would go with an in house movement. But that is just me. So maybe a sandwich dial one with an in house movement?


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## vsp3c

SANDWICH ALL DAY.


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## JohnM

dantan said:


> I wonder what JohnM ended up with.


Thanks for asking dantan. I ended up with a 564 and then later added a 673. I'd post pics but I was a photobucket user and now have to familiarize myself with the alternatives.

I wasn't sure I could adjust to the 673's lack of a seconds hand. Turns out it's no problem and I'm enjoying the simplicity of not worrying about whether the watch is perfectly 'on time'.

I love the two Panerais I own. The only two I might like even more are the 176 and 587, both pretty hard to find in top condition at this point, though I continue to look. In general, I find Panerais to be a a lot of fun and great change of pace from less whimsical and more 'serious' Swiss and German watches.


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## vintageguy

I traded an 00059 for this 00337. the sandwich is so much better.


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## nrcooled

I have both and love them all. It really comes down to what fits the character the watch better.









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## marba

I have both the sandwich and sausage dialed PAMs and enjoyed them in their own way. For lume shots there’s nothing like sausage dial and for a depth of field sandwich dial is like nothing else this side of skeletonized face. 


PAMs, PAMs, PAMs


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## Southtown57

Both are nice but if I were to only own one Pam it would be a sandwich dial.


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## finnwn

Agree. Sandwich looks special. The 3D effect it produce makes a it look very special. My first Pam was a 177 and I've never regretted it. Except that titanium do scratch easily... but the matt effect it gives looks great on the luminor.


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## Oldman-rocky

Doesn't matter for me, i get what i like.


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## breitlingman12

I agree both are nice but I would prefer a sandwich dial over a sausage dial in most circumstances


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## Dr. Jekyll

I'm a fan of the sandwich dial for sure, I wish they made more base models with it.


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## liewb

Loved the vintage side of Panerai's history when I first came across the brand. In my mind the sandwich dials are very modern looking (even with the Fiddy) with the painted just looking like it came out of the Italian Navy....just my preference!


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## rickdawg

I like both, can give a slight nod to painted. BUT, when you find the right combination of case material, dimension, features, I think sandwich vs painted would not be a deal killer.


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## bigvic

Sandwich dial for me. It’s what makes a Panerai stand out from the crowd, well that and the shape, and the size. 
One of my favourite watches I’ve owned was a Timefactors Precista PRS-30 and I loved the tobacco coloured sandwich dial, so now I’ve decided I’m keeping an eye out for a 564.


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## OpulenTimepieces

like them both!


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## asteve

The sandwich dial looks easy on the eye so that's what i will go with.


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## mitar98

The sandwich dial is quintessentially panerai. Love th way it catches light and the lume effect as well 


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## sauuce

I was a die-hard sandwich fan, but then now i care less.
I'm with rickdawg on this one - the other features kind of matter more as long as the overall aesthetics/design work harmoniously


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## stockae92

What sandwich dial? They only comes in painted dial. haha 










Actually I am a recover sandwich addict as well, but now I don't own one with sandwich dial.


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## Spencer70

Both are cool. When you look closely painted dials can have beautiful raised markings and numerals.


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## mitar98

I much prefer the sandwich dial. Its very Panerai and gives the otherwise typically plain dials a little bit more depth. Its also cool how it catches light at an angle when outside.


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## greo

Just like everyone else I prefer the Sandwich.


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## Uroboros

From pictures, I liked the sandwich dial and small seconds, without the logo. So much so that I thought I would only be satisfied with a model that fit that criteria. I went to an AD a couple of days ago and now i'm on the hunt for a sausage base logo.


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## Temps Perdu

Hey all,

Sorry to re-awaken this old thread, but can anyone confirm that all PAM112s that have the sandwich dial, also have the movement without them "Panerai," text all over the back? I want to eventually get a 112 but without the text on the back and with a sandwich dial.

Also, does anyone know if these were always sandwich or printed or were there also some that were just, "recessed," like the photo at the top of the thread shows? 

So many models and variations with this brand... kind of annoying. 

Anyway, apologies for the necro thread!

Thanks.


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## David76

I prefer the "sausage" painted dial,because it looks more classic.


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## jorgenl

I think they stopped the painted dial and "Panerai text all over the movement" after G series.


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## andycoph

jorgenl said:


> I think they stopped the painted dial and "Panerai text all over the movement" after G series.


Correct they replaced it with OFFICINE PANERAI text only on the bridge starting H series onwards.


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## IH Biker

I like what I have......










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## Ryanonarcher

Tough call indeed...and I am struggling over which to choose between the 631 & 1312. Both amazing vintage-inspired off-white lume. And for me...the pop of blue on any watch is a must!


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## playadeee

@ryanonarcher - 1312 no doubt. I got it for my dad for his bday and its stunning. the brushed steel is an awesome contrast as well.

I like painted, but the sandwich makes the watch look like a piece of art


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## Ryanonarcher

@playadee that's my struggle...the 'piece of art' part. I somehow feel that the painted dials have a more casual look to them than the modern take on the sandwich dials which appear more dressy. At the end of the day...there is no wrong answer here!


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## Pongster

Both have their pros and cons


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## Pongster

Close up pic


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