Jason Statham plays Frank Martin in the first 3 movies of the Transporter franchise that were released between 2002 and 2008.
Here's the trailer for the 1st Transporter movie to jog your memory. You get a fat glimpse of the watch at the 21 second mark too:
Jason's character, Frank, is an ex-military hardman who puts his special forces skills to use as a professional driver for hire. He is willing to transport anything, no questions asked and operates along a strict set of rules:
All hell breaks loose when he breaks rule #3 and opens the package to find a lady gagged and tied up. The rest of the film is spent putting the pieces together around this mystery woman and her link to a large people trafficking syndicate.
Jason wears the same watch throughout the entire film and it also plays a functional role as he is a precise driver that works to a strict, unforgiving time schedule.
The opening few minutes of the movie you see him set the chronograph to assist in his first assignment as a bank robbery getaway driver.
In fact, there's so much exposure of this watch throughout the movie that you can't help but think it's a considered product placement deal.
Does the above image give it away? I suspect it does for some watch enthusiasts as it's, without doubt, one of the most iconic watch designs ever produced. Especially the oversized crown...
Jason wears Panerai watches in all 3 of the Transporter movies he appears in. The Panerai Luminor in the 1st Transporter is a PAM074 series that was in production from 2000 to 2003.
This Luminor features a chronograph, titanium case and a brown strap. At 40mm, it's a good size for Jason's wrist. He wouldn't want to go much bigger.
There is a tachymeter engraved to the inside of the stainless steel bezel. This automatic is powered by the Panerai Caliber OP IV self-winding movement, which is based on the Zenith "El Primero" movement.
What did annoy me a little when watching some of the scenes in detail was how loose the strap was. It's impressive that Jason does his own stunts. But, I can only assume that it would super annoying to be going through so many action scenes with a loose watch.
I can't be 100% because it happens super quick, but I think the Luminor actually flies off Jason's wrist in the scene where he is arrested:
Notice how loose the watch is in the top image. It's at least very loose, and appears to even fly off the wrist in the bottom image. I don't think it's the leather strap used by the bad guy as previous frames clearly show only the watch on the wrist (without the assailant's leather strap).
The model worn by Jason (PAM074) is no longer in production, so if you want that exact model you'll need to find a used one.
Your other options are to buy a new Luminor, or if you can't quite stomach the price-tag, then check out our guide to Panerai Luminor homages.
The PAM560 is the entry-level Luminor that features Panerai in-house movement. There are slightly cheaper Luminors available, but they use outsourced movement.
This is a hand-wound watch and the prominent '8 days' on the face refers to the 8 days power reserve once it's fully wound. This is an improvement from some Luminors that require winding every 2 days.
Featuring prominently is the oversized crown guard that the Luminor is famous for. This crown guard is particularly effective at preventing water from entering. It's a genuine dive watch with 300m water resistance.
At 44mm, it's a big watch and you'd want to be comfortable with the size before purchasing.
The Luminor 560 is best suited to those that are looking to own their first Panerai and prefer a clean face that allows the Luminor's timeless design to remain center-stage.
Jason also wears various Panerai's throughout the Expendables franchise. This is largely thanks to Sylvester Stallone's long-standing relationship with the Panerai brand.
