Phillips will feature a rare Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” in their Geneva Watch Auction: SEVEN, which will be held on Sunday, 13 May 2018. The watch was recorded in our database in 2017 being one of three “new surfaced” Ref. 6152/1 watches – all three of them with engraved casebacks. Read more about lot 212 here at Phillips.

The “Luminor Panerai” dial is the most used in all Ref. 6152/1 watches recorded in our database, as well as the Rolex 618 / Type 4 movement is working in more than 80 % of all recorded watches of the Reference 6152/1. The crown-protecting device of this watch is not signed with “BREV. ITAL.” but instead numbered “9” on the upper side (usually such numbers can be found on the underside of crown-protecting devices). The initial “double pencil” shaped hands have been replaced by the current pair of hands, probably during a service in the past.

The caseback of this watch is marked with a very rare matriculation number of the Guardia di Finanza. In addition to the Italian navy, divers of the military Guardia di Finanza (G.F.) and Carabinieri (C.C.), Polizia di Stato (P.S.) and civil divers within the fire service (V.F.) were also equipped with watches from Guido Panerai & Figlio. The present watch is one of only two watches in our records with a matriculation number of the Guardia di Finanza. The second watch belongs to the Archivio Storico Panerai.

Chapter VIII.II of our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s is featuring similar watches like this specimen on auction at Phillips, with Rolex movement and Panerai crown-protecting device, on page 922-1057.

We hope that this Ref. 6152/1 will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Photos with kindly permission / courtesy of www.phillips.com]