CHAPTER I – “Heinz Günter Lehmann”
(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.

CHAPTER I.I – “The Lehmann-Radiomir”
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 1010186
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

More info on the first chapter of the book “History1” can be found here.
The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

November will be interesting to follow the auction at Frankfurt’s Hotel Sheraton (saturday, november 10th), where two Ref. 3646 watches will be up for sale. German auctioneer Dr. Crott will have their 86th auction with more than 500 lots, including a Ref. 3646 / Type C watch and a Ref. 3646 / Type D watch. 

We hope they find a good new home and that they remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. The Ref. 3646 / Type C watch and it’s history will be featured in one of the chapters of our new book “History2” (available in 2013).

In the last days our new book in 2013 has crossed the 400 page mark with the editorial work on its 5th chapter. As follow-up of “History1”, it will continue on page 421 and reach beyond 820 pages in total. So, there will be five “brand new old stories” in the next book “History2”. Editorial work is in progress… we’re diving into history.

In the meantime: enjoy reading “History1″ from page 1 to 420…
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Another Ref. 3646 / Type D watch will be on auction in november: A “Kampfschwimmer” – 260563 – will be auctioned at Sotheby’s during their Important Watches auction in Geneva, november 13th.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 260563
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

The watch is listed in our database since february 2010. It is one of more than 50 watches within the Ref. 3646 / Type D number group. You can read and see more about the different versions of Ref. 3646 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References”. In specific, watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D are introduced in chapter I.IV (page 84 to 121)

We hope that also this watch will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world.

[photo courtesy of Sotheby’s / G. Ader]

“Chronos”, one of the biggest german watch magazines, has published a nice report in the column “Sammlerträume” (“Collectors’ dreams”) of their november/december issue 6-2012. Get yourself now a copy at the newspaper stores across europe!

It features the Vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 / Type D  “Kampfschwimmer” watch that has been auctioned in may 2012. Read also our recently posted information about this watch – pre-auction – movement – dial – caseback – post-auction – its nice to see that this watch got some attention in the news now, and also that it found a good new home! [Volker Wiegmann]

To follow up the ceremonies on Emilio Bianchi’s 100th birthday, Piero Lapiana has provided some news from Italy:

Local news from Viareggio 
Official website of the Marina Militare.

We send our birthday greetings to Torre del Lago in Tuscany: Emilio Bianchi turns 100 years (!) on monday, october 22nd 2012. He is the last living member of the “fab six” SLC commandos, who took part at the mission “G.A. 3” in December 1941, soon to be 71 years ago… For being co-pilot of Luigi Durand de La Penne’s SLC221 against the “HMS Valiant” in the harbour of Alexandria / Egypt, Emilio Bianchi was awarded with the italian gold medal for gallantry at war (M.O.V.M.).

You can read about Emilio Bianchi in the book “Panerai Historia” by Giampiero Negretti (page 72-79). Also informations can be found in the book “I Mezzi d’Assalto della Xa Flottiglia MAS” by Marco Spertini / Erminio Bagnasco / Albertelli Editore (page 48-50). Emilio Bianchi is featured in the japanese “Panerai Style Book” by Begin, 2001.

[photo courtesy of Antonio Guccione / Officine Panerai, 1999]

Emilio Bianchi is also featured in the book “The Value of Time” on page 71 wearing a Luminor Marina at 4:25 p.m., being one of the “portraits of positiveness” aside other personalities choosen from arts, sport and professions.

In the past, Emilio took part on several meetings of the Club Panerai in Viareggio. The visit of the former training camp for SLC commandos during the 2nd world war, an old farm house at Bocca di Serchio, will remain unforgettable to Panerai enthusiasts who took part back in may 2005.

[photo: Emilio Bianchi with members of the Club Panerai meeting at Bocca di Serchio, 2005]

Piero Lapiana from Club Panerai in Viareggio informed us that the city of Sondalo, where Emilio was born, has announced a ceremony. Also the Commune di Viareggio, where Emilio resides, will have a ceremony on monday, 22nd.

A rare Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” infront of the camera. Produced by Panerai for the italian state police divers (“Sommozzatori della Polizia di Stato”, founded in 1958). It bears a rare engraving on the backside of the case: “P.S. 02”.

Today other type of engravings on the casebacks of some few Vintage Panerai watches are known from the italian helmet divers (“S.M.Z.”) and combat swimmers of the Marina Militare (“M.M.”), aside italian police institutions as the Guardia di Finanza (“G.F.”) and Carabinieri (“C.C.”). Some examples for the italian fire brigades (“V.F.”) are known too.

It is interesting to see that Panerai has been a trustful supplier for different italian divers – military and also civil units.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 124816
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

In the upcoming 86th auction at Dr. Crott (november 10th, 2012) another Ref. 3646 watch will probably find a new owner. The other Vintage Panerai of the same auction, a Ref. 3646 / Type C watch has been introduced here already in june.

The watch is in our database since 2008. It bears the typical features of a Ref. 3646 / Type D: case number 260641, Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement and the anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” sandwich dial. Case, caseback and plexi are not polished and have a lot patina. The watch comes with the original onion shaped crown. Due to the strong corrosion of the steel hands (visible on the original minute hand), the hour hand must have been replaced with another type of hands (squelette), probably from a cockpit watch or desktop / alarm clock.

The new owner will have the choice to keep the watch as it is now or try to find a NOS steel hand, which is hard to find in these days – but not impossible… Interesting detail is also the old leather strap, which is sewn onto the wired loops: the buckle end is mounted at 6’o’clock – not as usually at 12’o’clock. Reason could be that the user / owner of this watch was a lefty.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 260641
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

A good and careful service is recommended to bring back the power into the watch. The movement shows dust and aged surfaces on bridges and wheels, which is typical for a watch that hasn’t been used for a long time. We know that this watch was on display in a german museum at the baltic sea (Rügen island).

Returned from a fantastic journey to the United Kingdom, where P-DAY#11 was celebrated in London. I’ve published a report in the public forum at www.paneristi.com.

Enjoy reading part 1 / part 2 and part 3.

The UK paneristi crew set up a fantastic weekend with great locations well organized. Congratulations! [Volker Wiegmann]