“VivArt”, a culture and lifestyle magazine for the Wiesbaden region, featured the authors Ralf Ehlers and Volker Wiegmann with a 3 page story about their hobby – collecting Vintage Panerai watches – and the motivation to write a book about those watches with a personal history of their first owners, the italian and german frogmen in service during the 2nd world war. Also their life as members of the “paneristi.com collectors’ community” has been in the spotlight of the interview.

During the interview, Volker was sporting a Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” of which three photos have been published aside the “group picture” with the complete Belloni frogmen gear from 1944.

The interview for the spring edition (available from march 9th onwards) has been taken by chief editor Dr. Dirk M. Becker. The “VivArt” magazine is published four times per year. More info at www.vivart.de

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

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

www.paneristi.com – the unofficial resource for Officine Panerai – is celebrating it’s tenth anniversary in 2010. Today, the moderators of paneristi.com have announced a special edition watch (PAM360), which can be ordered at Panerai via e-mail only. Read more here.

Kudos to all involved persons behind this project, especially Mr. Angelo Bonati, his crew and the owners and moderators of paneristi.com!

photo credits: www.panerai.com / www.paneristi.com

It happens rarely, and probably only in Italy, that you can spot a Vintage Panerai on a wrist “in the wild”. So it was when we visited the Museo Technico Navale (“Arsenale”) in La Spezia during the X Meeting Club Panerai.

Our museum guide was wearing a stunning Ref. 6152/1 with “Marina Militare” dial, Rolex movement, double pencil hands (sharp heads). The caseback bears a rare S.M.Z M.M. matriculation number. Fantastic piece – one more for our database!

Packing my bags today to travel to Viareggio for the long weekend, meeting Panerai collectors from Italy, Europe and Overseas. Radiomirs and Luminors at its best! It will be exciting to see especially one yet surfaced 3646 watch again, which have been auctioned recently and took a long way to his new owner.

Read some travel reports of the last Club Panerai Meetings published at paneristi.com here.

Wishing all attendees safe travels and a great time – a presto! [Volker Wiegmann]

A collection of various Officine Panerai torches.

Top left and and base left: GPF Mod. Dep. 3002, lenght 16 cm. Waterproof 50 meters. Panerai patent 563039 / november 14th 1956.

Top right: “Elux” torch (blue light). GPF Mod. Dep. 3002, lenght 17 cm. Waterproof 50 meters. Panerai patent 563039 / november 14th 1956.

Base right: “VIDOR” torch (made in Britain), equipped with Panerai patented mechanism, signed “Brevet IT 563039”. Lenght 25 cm.

Two rare combat knifes used by italian and german units in the 2nd world war, placed on an original newspaper dated november 1944.

The photo shows a group of german “Kampfschwimmer” units winding their Panerai watches. This type of knife is visible on the right unit’s belt, fixed by a carabiner.

You can read more about combat swimmer’s equipment in our first book “Vintage Panerai – Watches with History”, chapter III.

“Inclinometro Elux Panerai” – Inclinometer for tanks, measuring degrees (+/- 30) by an enclosed black ball infront of an electroluminescent panel (case size 14,5 x 5,5 cm). See small detail images: daylight (zero level), nightview (1 degree left).

A 3 digit matriculation number is placed on the backside of the power unit. Produced in 1971. Brevetto 846567 (october 1968).

A very interesting 3646 / Type C watch will be auctioned soon at Auktionen Dr. H. Crott (LOT 379). It’s matching in all details with our database, where it is listed since august 2009. In this condition, such Panerai watches are quite rare to find in these days. It comes even with an original leather strap, which is absolutely hard to find, as most of the original straps were cut off after long time of use, because the lugs on 3646 watches are welded to the case (which caused the straps to be sewn onto the lugs / not interchangeable like on Ref. 615X watches ).

Our database entry (click above) shows the following detials: Inner caseback signed 1010288. Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement. Dial signed “Radiomir Panerai” with redish aged numbers and markers. Steel hands. Onion shaped “Brevet+” crown.

We hope it will find a good new home!