Frohe Weihnachten! Buon natale! Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! ¡Feliz Navidad! Ĝojan Kristnaskon! ’N geseënde kersfees! З Рiздвом Христовым! Gëzuar Krishtlindjen! Eguberri on! Nedeleg laouen! Весела Коледа! Chúc mừng Giáng Sinh! Glædelig jul! Häid jõule! メリークリスマス Gleðilig jól! Hyvää joulua! Καλά Χριστούγεννα! Mele kalikimaka! חג מולד שמח Selamat Hari Natal! Nollaig shona! Gleðileg jól! Bon Nadal! 메리 크리스마스 Schéin Krëschtdag! 圣诞节快乐Zalig kerstfeest! Wesołych świąt! Feliz Natal! Crăciun fericit! Счастливого Рождества! Христос се роди! Veselé Vianoce! Maligayang pasko! Veselé vánoce! God Jul! Noeliniz kutlu olsun! Noeliniz kutlu olsun! Kellemes karácsonyi ünnepeket! Са святам Божага Нараджэння!

Seasons greetings from Germany!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

We use DHL service for shipping our books worldwide. You can follow your book shipment online with the “DHL Track & Trace” function or with the free DHL app (apple iOS or android) for mobile devices. The DHL shipment notification will be sent to the e-mail you provided in your order from DHL. This notification includes the tracking number of your shipment and a link to the DHL website, where you can switch language e.g to English or French.

Each book will be delivered in a fit-to-size cardboard box for best protection during shipping. Please note that one parcel can weight more than 5 kg / 11 lbs because of the heavy weight of the books.

You can save shipping costs. If you order more than one book, shipping will be charged only for one book, all further books will be shipped free of charge (but with the same DHL service and protection as described above).

Vintage Panerai books can be ordered only in our bookstore. Use the order form to provide your complete shipping details with name, address, phone number and e-mail. You can choose from our four different Vintage Panerai books.

Please note that we can’t send to a P.O. box because of the size of the parcel. DHL will handover the parcel by their local delivery service requesting a signature of a resident person to complete the “Track & Trace” service process.

You can choose between two payment methods: pre-payment (bank transfer with IBAN) or PayPal payment. Once you completed the order form you will receive an order confirmation by e-mail with our bank details for completing the order by bank transfer. Please note: it is not possible to pay with credit card.

If you choose PayPal for payment you will be automatically transferred to the PayPal website to complete your book order instantly. If you choose pre-payment by bank transfer, please check with your bank for additional fees and make sure that the total amount of your payment will be wired in Euro balance as provided in the confirmation e-mail. As soon as the payment has reached our bank account or PayPal account, we will ship your order to the provided address immediately with DHL.

Our new book “The References” will be available again in 2016. After the first edition from 2009 was sold out in January 2013, we have updated this book in extended version with the latest excerpt of more than 380 Vintage Panerai watches recorded in our database: Vintage Panerai “The References” 2nd edition (2016), published in two volumes, 696 pages each, with a total of 1392 pages:

Vintage Panerai “The References” 1930’s-1940’s
2nd edition (2016), volume 1

26 x 26 cm, 696 pages, charts and more than 380 illustrations,
trilingual (German, Italian and English language in one book),
hardback jacket, slipcase.

Watches and compasses from Guido Panerai & Figlio (chapter I – IV plus chapter V on buckles and straps) produced in the 1930’s – 1940’s.

Vintage Panerai “The References” 1950’s-1960’s
2nd edition (2016), volume 2

26 x 26 cm, 696 pages, charts and more than 350 illustrations,
trilingual (German, Italian and English language in one book),
hardback jacket, slipcase.

Watches, compasses and depth gauges from Guido Panerai & Figlio (chapter VI – XI plus chapter XII on buckles and straps) produced in the 1950’s – 1960’s.

Both new Vintage Panerai “The References” books can be ordered only via our online bookstore as soon as they are in stock and ready for shipping.
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

It was early 2007 when I was contacted by my friend Fabio Castellani from Italy. He was looking to find a new home for the 6152/1 watch, which he got years ago from Mario Arillo, high decorated veteran of the Xa MAS and commander of the submarine “Ambra”. It was one of these moments in life, which rarely happen and which will remain as something very special and unforgettable. The agreement was found in a few e-mails and soon later I became the third owner of this incredible watch.

Soon later, still thrilled everytime I was looking at it, the idea of writing a book about this watch was born. It came not just with it’s original box – it came with a long history. I remembered the story of it’s first owner Mario Arillo, which I read many times in books before. It was the perfect match to some vintage Panerai watches owned by my friend Ralf, who also had the idea in mind about writing down the rich history that came along with his watches. The first book project “Vintage Panerai – Watches with History” was born – let’s do it!

In june 2007 I came across a black-and-white copy of a photo showing Mario Arillo, receiving the gold medal for bravery – the “Medaglia d’Oro al Valore Militare” (M.O.V.M.) by Italian king Vittorio Emanuele III, june 10th, 1943. Fabio Castellani gave me this copy with the note that the original photo is in property of Arillo’s family… “now that would be a photo to have in the book!” was my initial thought. I emailed Fabio, telling him about my book idea and that I would need the original photo to publish it in good quality – a black-white copy would not be enough to use… Soon later he provided the address of the family. I wrote a little letter, introducing myself, my book project and that I am the owner of their father’s Panerai watch. Honestly, I expected nothing but received more than I could hope. How would you react if a strange person would tell you such a story? To my surprise and excitement, a few weeks later a padded envelope arrived in my mailbox. From Italy – from Arillo’s family! After opening carefully – still get goose skin when thinking back to this moment – I found the original photo from 1943. I was speechless!

Happy like a kid on christmas eve, I put the photo into my scanner and digitalized it to use in my growing book project. Jackpot! A few days later I returned the original photo as promised, well protected and extra safety, together with some sweets and a letter which expressed my happiness and thanks that the Arillo family trusted me – a yet unknown person from Germany – in sending me a family treasure, which this photo surely was…

I went ahead in writing the book and soon later I got again an envelope from Arillo’s family…? I was one more time surprised. The original photo came to me again, but now with a hand written dedication on the backside – from Arillo’s daughter: “to my friend Volker, in memory of my father Mario Arillo M.O.V.M.”. I was speechless again!

After the book was finished in october 2007, it was my pleasure to send her a copy of the book which holds the photo of her father. We continued to exchange letters and in summer 2008 during the VIII Club Panerai Meeting we met in person for the first time. Very exciting moments to remember, which are beyond collecting watches for me. When I got the watch more than one year before, I never thought that one day I would have the chance to meet the children and grand children of Mario Arillo.

The typical description for a collectors’ watch “comes with box and papers” has a very special meaning for me. The photo on the left shows the 6152/1 watch in it’s original cardboard box from Panerai, a letter from Rolex dating these type of watches to the year 1955 and the original photo of the first owner, Mario Arillo.

Read more about this watch and its first owner in Chapter IV of the book “History1”.  
[Volker Wiegmann]

…from Germany! [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

CHAPTER I
(75 pages, 38 photos, 4 technical illustrations)

The story of the German elite swimmer Heinz Günter Lehmann is told with numerous photos (including maps and documents of the allied secret intelligence), covering the period from his training in Venice to his countless sporting successes on the international stage after the 2nd World War.

Preview of page 30 – 31:
Historical map of the Venice area from allied secret intelligence (dated 1944), showing the location of the training camp of the german “Kampfschwimmer” units.

Preview of page 50 – 51:
“Kampfschwimmer” Heinz Günter Lehmann (wearing the Ref. 3646 Panerai watch on his left wrist) and some of his comrads, photo from 1944 taken at San Giorgio / Venice.

Preview of page 66 – 67 (part of chapter I.I):
Photo of Heinz Günter Lehmann’s Ref. 3646 / Type C watch with a current excerpt from our historical Panerai database.

Our book “History1″ is in stock can be ordered in our bookstore.

CHAPTER II
(91 pages, 44 photos, 3 technical illustrations)

For the most part the chapter about Heinz Pape is taken from his surviving diary and presented as a firstperson narrative, with comprehensive supplementation. Thanks to extremely rare aerial photographs of the assignment targets described by him and the examination of several maps it was possible to analyse his diary entries precisely and thus present them to the reader in such an impressive manner – an unique story.

Preview of page 80 – 81:
Introduction of Heinz Pape and his surviving diary from 1945.

Preview of page 88 – 89:
Historical map of the assignment targets corresponding with the personal diary of Heinz Pape.

Preview of page 156 – 157 (part of chapter II.I):
Photo of Heinz Pape’s Ref. 3646 / Type D watch with a current excerpt from our historical Panerai database.

Our book “History1″ is in stock can be ordered in our bookstore.

CHAPTER III
(55 pages, 39 photos, 3 technical illustrations)

The story of Karl-Heinz Kiefer, who received fast-track training in the last months of the 2nd world war, already provided proof in the first edition of this book (2007) about period of use of the rare watch-face version of his Panerai watch, which for a long time had been ascribed to an earlier date. Now, his winter training in a toughening-up camp at the Baltic Sea is described in more detail.

Preview of page 172 – 173:
Introducing Karl-Heinz Kiefer and his career in the german Kriegsmarine from his recruit training in 1943 to the fast-track training in the last months of the 2nd world war.

Preview of page 203 – 204:
Quarters of the special marine units of the Kriegsmarine (historical map and technical illustrations of midged submarines and their bases in northern Germany and Denmark, together with the locations of the training camps in northern Italy).

Preview of page 214 – 215 (part of chapter III.I):
Photo of Karl-Heinz Kiefer’s Ref. 3646 / Type D watch with a current excerpt from our historical Panerai database.

Our book “History1″ is in stock can be ordered in our bookstore.