The world has finally woken up to Panerai, and their chunky watches have become some of the most sought after pieces on the market. And while we would love to sell hundreds of these a year, the reality is we will be lucky to sell a

The demand for these watches is so high, that Panerai has resorted to "blind shipments" to retailers. This means that the retailer has no control over what is shipped to their store. They may ask for a Luminor Marina or a Radiomir, but what they get is what they get. For the consumer, this can be just as frustrating, especially if you have a specific model you're looking for.

Our advice would be one of two things: Take what you can get. If you see one you like in a store, buy it; it probably won't be there in a few weeks. Dont' bother waiting for it to go on sale; it won't. Or, you can move on to the next hot watch. There are plenty of beauties out there, and those that have had chunky for a few years now, are wearing thinner watches or those with a stark retro look to them.