Small Panerai compass (WW2 aera)

by on May.31, 2010, under General

Recently Ralf discovered a rare Panerai compass, produced in the WW2 aera. It is smaller (case diameter 54 mm / height 28 mm, on the right of the photo) than the later produced compasses (case diameter 70 mm, on the left of the photo), together with a 3646 / Type D watch (produced in 1943-1944).

The small Panerai compass has flexible lugs (26 mm width) and a plexiglas dome with one screw on the side, which can be removed to fill up the fluid). The top of the plexiglas dome has a bearing line and is screwed to the case with six screws. The screws reaching deep into the side part of the plexiglas dome, which is a remarkable difference between the WW2 aera and post WW2 aera versions.

It’s also interesting to see that the compass dial of this early production is divided into (only) 45° sections, not like the “younger” compasses which are divided into 22.5° sections.

We know another compass of the same production batch, which is engraved “Officine Panerai Brevettato” on the caseback, while this piece has a plain caseback without a Panerai signature. For some reasons some of the post WW2 instruments (e.g. depth gauges) are “anonymous” (not engraved on the caseback), while most of them bear the “Officine Panerai Brevettato” signature.

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