We have added another unknown watch into our database – yet another piece of the puzzle surfaced. The “Kampfschwimmer” watch with the case number 260739 will be up for auction on june, 11th at auctioneer Bonhams in London (LOT 357).

Aside the flat brass dial and the corresponding flat bezel it is bearing typical features of watches of the Reference 3646 / Type D. The original plexiglas and the winding crown have been replaced. Typical feature of the brass dial is the closed 6 and 9 digit because the numbers and markers are embossed into the brass dial and not engraved into the dial (like the sandwich dials from Panerai are made).

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (painted brass, anonymous)
Case number: 260739
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

Auctioneer Bonhams features the following provenance under this LOT:  Provenance: This watch was given to the current vendor’s father by a German prisoner of war in Italy in 1944, while serving in the Royal Engineers bomb disposal unit.

It underlines our theory that in the future such watches will surface in allied countries which fought against german and italian forces in the 2nd world war. Ownership changed quite often and watches were sought after pieces for allied servicemen. From interviews we took with veterans, this has been confirmed several times (read also “History1”, Chapter III, page 207, which features a simliar Ref. 3646 / Type D watch with brass dial).

Special thanks to Mike Wood for providing additional info on this watch for our database. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

We have added another unknown watch into our database – yet another piece of the puzzle surfaced. The “Radiomir Panerai” watch with the case number 1010119 will be up for auction in june, bearing typical features of watches of the Reference 3646 / Type C.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 1010119
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

This Vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 / Type C watch appears to be one with a “dark red” Panerai dial, which changed the color of the luminous “Radiomir” over decades during its aging process. It comes with an original leather strap and buckle, which is very hard to find in these days.

Further info and photos of the watch can be found on the auctioneer’s website (Auctionata, Berlin/Germany).

Close look at a “Radiomir Panerai” dial of a Vintage Panerai Ref. 6152 watch. The surface of the sandwich dial with the milled letters is showing pure Panerai DNA above the double pencil hands.

This dial version, using the famous “Radiomir” luminous material, can be found across all Vintage Panerai References: 3646, 6152, 6154, 6152/1 and GPF 2/56 and also in the prototype of the “Mare Nostrum” chronograph. The self-iluminating substance “Radiomir” was patented by Guido Panerai already in 1915, which enabled the use of instruments even in complete darkness.

Used in Ref. 3646 watches from Type A to Type G, the Rolex Cal. 618 movement comes without Incabloc shock protection. Typical for the non-incabloc version is the serif font for the letters A-R (French) and F-S (English) engraved on the regulation device (later versions show “+/-” symbols – see also Type 4).

The central bridge shows the “ROLEX 17 RUBIS” engraving on the left side. This engraving is used only in Ref. 3646 watches from Type A to Type D, as the Ref. 3646 watches from Type E to Type G bear “17 RUBIS FAB. SUISSE”.

Detail views of a 16 meter depth gauge. The meter hand on the left ofthe photo is made of transparent Plexiglas, which has a chamber in its tip, holding the luminous material to point out the actual depth. Gauges with Radiomir usually have a white Plexiglas hand.

By taking a close look at the dial of this instrument, one can see that it is made in the same “sandwich method” than the dials of the Vintage Panerai watches (example: “Luminor Panerai” dial of a Ref. 6152/1) can be compared here.

The center of the dial bears “Luminor Panerai” and below “Metri” is engraved. You can find more details of the tool’s dial here. The luminous material on hands, numbers, markers and dots is still reacting very quickly and bright when a light source is beamed onto the numbers and markers.

An overview of seven different aimed depth gauges (Radiomir and Luminor) can be found here.

The 2nd weekend of may will be interesting to follow the auction at Frankfurt’s Hotel Sheraton (saturday, may 11th). German auctioneer Dr. Crott will have their 87th auction with more than 600 lots. Earlier this year it was possible for us to see the Panerai lots in advance for our review. A Ref. 3646 / Type B, a Ref. 3646 / Type D, a GPF lathe and a very rare Ref. 6152 watch will be up for sale. You can find the reviews in this blog by using the tag function for “Dr. Crott”. Detailled information can also be found at the auctioneers website.

We hope that the watches and the lathe find good new homes and that they remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world.

Close look at the “Luminor Panerai” dial of a Ref. 6152/1 watch. The surface of the sandwich dial with the milled letters is showing pure Panerai DNA behind the double pencil hands.

This Vintage Panerai watch is featured in our book “History1″. You can read more about its first owner Mario Arillo in chapter IV, page 227-391.

Put the focus on the onion shaped crown (Type 11) of a Reference 3646 watch to capture the details of the “Brevet +” signature with the swiss cross symbol. The crown has a diameter of 7 mm and can be screwed down onto the tube which is surrounded by the typical “neck” shaped side of the 47 mm cushion shaped case of the Reference 3646.

More information about the different crown types used on Ref. 3646 watches can be found in our new book “History2”, in which two watches are featured using the Type 11 crown (“Brevet +”) aside two watches of which one is using a Type 12 replacement crown (“Rolex Oyster”) and one is using the well known tubular shaped Type 13 crown (“Oyster Patent +”). All three type of Rolex crowns have the same thread, matching the tube.

Tried to catch the fantastic domed shape and the reflecting edges of the huge Plexiglas on a Ref. 6152/1 together with the “Luminor Panerai” engraving on the sandwich dial… pure Panerai DNA!

This Vintage Panerai watch is featured in our book “History1″. You can read more about its first owner Mario Arillo in chapter IV, page 227-391.

During the last visit at auctioneer Dr. Crott in Mannheim, another very rare Vintage Panerai watch was available for a detailed expertise: A yet unknown Ref. 6152 with “Radiomir Panerai” dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 2 movement.

The watch surfaced in Italy and will be auctioned in may during the 87th auction on saturday 11th. The watch comes with original strap and GPF-buckle (without engraving).

Always a special moment when such a rare watch can be seen with own eyes. The extraordinary design elements of the 47 mm case with the “crown pit” and the “edged cushion” are outstanding, just mentioning two of the 6152 features which makes it different to watches of the references 6154 and 6152/1.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 958697
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 2

Most interesting about this watch is the fact, that it is building a second number group together with watch number 958713, which surfaced in 2010.

Aside the Reference 6154, which was produced for the Egyptian Navy, the Reference 6152 can be called as the rarest Vintage Panerai model. Only ten watches are known until today, which are divided into two number groups: 956632 to 956643 and 958697 to 958713.

Hopefully in the future some gaps inside these two small number groups can be closed with other surfacing watches of this reference…!

The combination of 6152 case and 6152/1 caseback isnt an individual issue – until today only two 6152 watches are known with “matching” 6152 casebacks. The 6152/1 caseback which comes with this watch, bears the engraving S.M.Z M.M. 170.

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]