Please help us to raise some funds for the victims of the typhoon Haijan! We announced a raffle draw at the paneristi.com public forum. After you donated a Minimum of 600 PHP directly at the Website of the Philippine Red Cross, you get a ticket for the raffle draw.

One of the raffle prices is a copy of our book “History1” with signatures of two of the veterans: Heinz Pape and Karl-Heinz Kiefer, also the widow of Heinz Günter Lehmann and the daughter of Mario Arillo.

Find more info how to get one or more tickets for the raffle here. Donations have to be sent until sunday afternoon (european time). Please reply your proof on the posting at paneristi.com.

Thanks for helping with us!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Additional photos reached us “just in time” before the auction at Christie’s Geneva is about to start (November 11th).

As we published info and an excerpt of our database earlier, we can provide here a couple of interesting photos, showing the condition of this Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” with two engraved initials on its caseback.

The watch comes with original strap and buckle, both case and plexi appear to be unpolished with heaps of patina “built” over the past decades. The movement shows the typical features of a Rolex Cal.618 / Type 1 movement. A tubular crown (“Oyster Patent” inscription / Type 13) is screwed down on the neck of the 47 mm cushion shaped case.

We hope the watch will find a good new home and that it remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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

We recently received a few more photos of the Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” watch, which will be auctioned next week in Geneva.

In Addition to the previously published info on this watch, we can see on these photos interesting details: the “volcano dome” plexi (top left), the non-engraved caseback (top right), the typical 3646 / Type D cushion shaped case with short looped lugs (low left) and a close look at the sewn-in buckle (low right).

For further info on the different shape of soldered lugs on Ref. 3646 watches, you can see comparing photos on page 769 in chapter VIII.I of our book “History2”.

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

Our books “History1” and “History2” have been reviewed in issue 164 (november/december) of IMM – International Military Magazine. The recension, written by one of the permanent IMM editors, introduces our both books to the readers of this magazine, which is about military decorations, military collectibles and contemporary history with a main focus on research and documentation of the 2nd world war.

The IMM magazine is available in Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. Enjoy reading!

Sotheby’s has a Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” watch in their upcoming Important Watches auction in Geneva, november 12th (LOT 293).

This watch is one of the lowest case numbers known today in the number group of Ref. 3646 / Type D. It is accompanied with a compass and comes with its original domed plexiglass. The tongue part of the leather strap is missing, while the buckle part is still present.

The inner caseback engravings, in combination with the Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement, are matching our database criteria (see photo below).

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 260429
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

We hope the watch will find a good new home and that it remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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

Christie’s has a Ref. 3646 / Type E “California Dial” in their next auction (LOT 219) in Geneva, november 11th. Great to see another surfaced watch matching the criteria of our database work.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type E
Dial: “California Dial”
Case number: 261078
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 mod.

Typical features of Ref. 3646 / Type E watches are the removed / not existing Rolex stamp in the inner caseback and the Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 mod. movement. You can compare the different inner caseback engravings in Ref. 3646 watches here. Also the “California Dial” is corresponding with the flat bezel of the watch – a typical combination of dial version and bezel. A Panerai dial with its sandwich construction would need a higher bezel due to its height. You can read more about 3646 / Type E watches in our book “Vintage Panerai – The References”.

We hope the watch will find a good new home and that it remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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

The german watch portal www.watchtime.net featured the Vintage Panerai Ref. 6152/1 – “The Arillo Luminor”– with an overview about the details of the watch and the history behind its first owner, italian commander of the submarine “Ambra”, Mario Arillo (M.O.V.M.).

“The Arillo Luminor” is fully described in our book “History1″ in Chapter IV on 165 pages with 106 photos and 7 technical illustrations. Thanks to www.watchtime.net for putting a spotlight onto Panerai’s DNA. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Christie’s has a Ref. 6152/1 “Marina Militare” in their next auction (LOT 290) in Geneva, november 11th. With ist case number 124516 it is one of the low case numbers in our records of todays existing 89 watches of this reference, reaching from 124495 to 124986.

The watch comes with 8 mm Rolex crown / without crown protecting device and typical “double pencil” shaped hands with “dull pins”. Inside the watch is working a Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 3 movement (15 Rubis + Incabloc shock protection). The inner caseback of the watch bears the typical Rolex marking of the refence 6152/1, on the outside of the caseback is the letter “D” engraved / stamped in the center.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Marina Militare”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 124516
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 3

We hope the watch will find a good new home and that it remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world.
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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

Christie’s has a Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” in their next auction (LOT 337) in Geneva, november 11th. The watch was auctioned in 2011 at Christie’s and was introduced back then in our blog with an excerpt of our database.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 260628
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

We hope the watch will find a good new home and that it remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world.
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

In October 2013 I joined the paneristi.com Singapore GTG 2013. Fantastic days in Asia, meeting many old and new passionated Panerai collectors.

The four parts of my personal report can be found in the public forum at www.paneristi.com: part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4.

Yeu Huan from Singapore captured the moment when I surprised Hammer on the arriving thursday: The Biff Is Back. Jimmy captured that priceless moment as well. Enjoy reading! [Volker Wiegmann]