Panerai watches are dated by a letter that appears before the production number. The watch shown in the example above is an 'I' production year, which is approximately 2006. The following are the approximate years of production that the letter indicates:
No Letter - 1997
A - 1998
B - 1999
C - 2000
D - 2001
E - 2002
F - 2003
G - 2004
H - 2005
I - 2006
J - 2007
K - 2008
L - 2009
M - 2010
N - 2011
O - 2012
P - 2013
Can't remember what year the quick realise came in. Let's say K series onwards. Personally I prefer the older screw style and use spring bars. But it really it's an insignificant aspect of the watch to me. Panerai rep croc straps are generally poor so a gen gator would be a nice option IMHO.
Dom your indecisiveness reminds me of my wife, though my opinion is often asked after it is rarely taken on board. Your buying a rep the versions you're looking at have very slight differences like my wife's shoes. Just pull the trigger and let's move on and post us some pictures of your purchase