About a century after developing its first instruments for the Italian Navy, Panerai still finds its own reference universe in the world of the sea : in every new creation it instils that remarkable blend of history, technical skill and design which makes Panerai watches unique.

Thus, with the new Luminor Submersible 1950 2500m 3 Days Automatic Titanio, Officine Panerai continues this long tradition, closely linked to its own history, enriching it with new technical content (the automatic in-house P.9000 calibre) to offer underwater watch enthusiasts a professional instrument of exceptional performance. The distinctive case of this special edition is made of brushed titanium, a material which combines non-allergenic properties and lightness with the structural robustness required to resist high pressures, external stresses and corrosion. The water-resistance, also ensured by the classic Panerai device protecting the winding crown, is guaranteed to a depth of 2,500 meters, and the little valve engraved with the He symbol on the caseband at eight o’clock enables helium to escape when ascending from deep dives, thus preventing the gas exercising potentially dangerous pressure on the case. The unidirectional rotating bezel, which moves precisely in one-minute clicks thanks to a special system patented by Officine Panerai, has small markers in relief, the design of which has been inspired by the model created in 1956 for the Egyptian Navy, and a graduated scale which enables the length of the dive to be read.

From the union of Officine Panerai and the world of classic sailing the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio was born. This automatic chronograph is fitted with a prodigious regatta countdown function, specifically created for yacht racing starts. The remarkable simplicity of using the regatta countdown function is evidence of the excellence of the technical innovation achieved by the new P.9100/R automatic chronograph caliber, visible from the open back. An orange push-button at four o’clock moves the central orange chronograph minute hand back one minute at a time, until it is at the correct position in relation to the length of the countdown. On starting the chronograph, by pushing the chronograph stop/start button at ten o’clock, the relative hands begin to move, indicating first the minutes and seconds which remain until the start, and then, when the countdown has finished, the time elapsed since the start of the race. The push-button at eight o’clock ends the time measurement, returning all the chronograph hands to zero. Alternatively, if it is operated while the hands are still moving, it activates the return-to-zero (flyback) function of these hands, thus enabling a new time interval to be measured immediately without having to operate the stop and reset buttons. The flange carries not only the scale of up to 5mn for the countdown to the start, with the five final minutes picked out in orange, but also the tachymeter scale expressed in knots which enable the speed of the yacht to be measured over a defined distance.

The universe of the sea is also reflected in the shape of the chain links of the Pocket Watch Tourbillon GMT Ceramica, inspired by a nautical chain. Although it is the first pocket watch from Officine Panerai, there are precedents for it in the history of the brand. The inscription “Pocket watches by the main Swiss makers” appeared on the window of Orologeria Panerai in Florence since the start of its activities. Here the comprehensive work of skeletonizing reveals the sophisticated technical details which distinguish the P.2005/S calibre, produced entirely in the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel : the three spring barrels which create a power reserve of six days, readable by means of an indicator mounted on the back of the watch ; the various finishes of the components, a large proportion of which are blackened by galvanic treatment ; and above all the characteristic Panerai tourbillon cage which, to compensate better for running errors due to gravity, makes two rotations per minute on an axis perpendicular to that of the balance. A small ecru disc mirrors the rotation of the tourbillon, making two turns per minute in the small seconds dial placed at nine o’clock. Also made of black ceramic, the chain attached to the case by a skeleton device is easily removable by pressing on a small button. Once it has been removed, the watch can then be transformed into a table clock by using the special support, also inspired by the shape of the bridge, which holds the case and can also contain the chain, removed from the watch, inside it.

 

 

SIZE MATTERS

In the Radiomir 1940 3 Days the essential forms of the Panerai design have been integrated with haute horlogerie technical solutions in the choice of materials and in the construction of every detail of the watch. The enthralling Radiomir 1940 case is making its debut in the Historic Collection of Officine Panerai with the new Radiomir 1940 3 Days, available in two sizes (42 and 47mm) and in steel or red gold, both fitted with the P.3000 caliber, a hand-wound mechanical movement with a power reserve of three days entirely executed by Panerai.

The Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic is the first watch from Officine Panerai to introduce the original combination of the Luminor 1950 case 42 mm in diameter and a white dial. Visible through the sapphire crystal back,the movement was completely developed and made in the Officine Panerai manufacture at Neuchâtel. The time is adjusted by a special system by which the hour hand is moved in jumps of exactly one hour, without interfering with the running of the minute hand. Its case and bezel have a polished finish, in contrast with that of the bridge protecting the winding crown.