I have this timepiece, love it. Panerais are very stylish yet retain the appreciation of aficionados because of the history and also because Panerai is one of the few companies that makes their own movements. The resale on this watch is very high relative to other brands and the most amazing thing, well for me, is that for a 44mm gold watch it is remarkably light on your wrist, despite being much bigger and heavier than my Breitling it feels smaller and lighter when I wear it.
The crocodile strap wears well and a cottage industry of specialty shops are available that offer replacement straps (expect to pay $300 for a strap).
This model comes in a left handed version, the stem in on the opposite side... I am left handed and wish I had ordered that one but I didn't want to wait :(
I bought mine from an authorized dealer in Florida who shipped it to me in California, and before buying one (here or anywhere else) you should verify that you are working with an authorized dealer because in the event you need it repaired a warranty repair will be denied if you did not purchase from an authorized dealer.