The german watch magazine “Chronos” featured the Vintage Panerai Ref. 6152/1 – “The Arillo Luminor”– with an overview (page 64-69) 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 february-april issue “Chronos Spezial” is entirely about Panerai’s roots and history with a review from the past until today, including tests, movements and milestone models.

“The Arillo Luminor” is fully described in our book “History1″ in Chapter IV on 165 pages with 106 photos and 7 technical illustrations. The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

Get your copy of the “Chronos Spezial” 1/2014 now at the newspaper stores across europe. Find more info at www.watchtime.net [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Returned from the SIHH 2014 in Geneva, took home lots of impressions and input on the new released Panerai models, which represent the future of the brand.

Impressive to enter the Panerai booth first: every visitor comes along the “legends”, walking inside is guided by historic models and instruments which carry the Panerai DNA: left and right, the entrance was equipped with Vintage Panerai models 3646, 6152, 6152/1 Angelus, 6152/1 Lefty, Mare Nostrum, compass and depth gauge as well as the famous PreVendome 5218-202/A . So, before you get know the future, you got to know the past – where the brand has its origins and where all the models got their shape from. Other brands of the Richemont family carry their guests into created worlds, themes and visions while Panerai keeps his roots clearly visible – at their booth and in the displays that presented the new models.

On a side note during the past days it seems that in the Panerai collectors world it has become a “tradition” to criticize whatever announced new and modern, which let me – as a long term “paneristi” (who got in touch with Panerai in 1998) wonder if there are some collectors around which would be ever satisfied with any of the watches Panerai introduces to their customers… How could Panerai exist if they would build only Base or Marina models in steel? Years ago the inhouse movements were a big step into the right direction – to survive in the world of luxury brands, trying to stay attractive in the market and under an endless number of competitors. Panerai is going without doubt its own way, which has been a successful one in past and hopefully becomes an ongoing and successful one in the future.

Inbetween all this, we can obviously take notice of watch collectors which decided to go another way, maybe just recently or maybe already years ago. They seem to enjoy coming back to places they once joined with pleasure sharing the passion for the same brand, but this time – since years when at the SIHH new models are presented – they throw mud over the pond to underline how much they dislike the new models. [Note to myself: if I ever would quit with Panerai for whatever reason – the last thing I would do is come back and express my negative comments.] We all know how easy it is to talk and write something bad, and how much more it takes to even try to understand the way which Panerai decided to go into the future.

This year’s new Radiomir 1940 chronographs are quite special and limited (50 pices each). Yes, they are expensive, they are made of precious metals – platinum (PAM518), pink gold (PAM519) and white gold (PAM520). Not watches for the “average paneristi” in regards of price and availability, but for sure these watches will find a lot of attraction around the world. On the wrist they appear huge and heavy but als comfortable to wear. The 45 mm cased bicompax chronographs in the new released “Radiomir 1940” case are powered with the hand-wound Panerai OPXXV movement. The dial, subdials and hands of the watch remind me on the legedary “Mare Nostrum” chronograph from the 1940s. I wonder if and when I will see one of these three references “in real” on a wrist of a Panerai collector.

New Luminor Base models (PAM560, PAM561 and PAM562) as well as new Luminor Marina models (PAM563, PAM564) in steel with white or black dial and also titanium cases with tobacco dials – all with the new inhouse P.5000 movement, entirely executed by Panerai. History repeating – once more in the Panerai history, 8-day-movements replacing movements with less power reserve, just like it happened with the Angelus movements many decades ago.

Another 44 mm Panerai will come with this P.5000 movement – the PAM590. First exclusively for the north american market, the watch bears the legendary 8 GIORNI BREVETTATO logo on its dial. In the first moment a bit “untypical” because of the missing “3” on the right side of the dial, it looks quite special and could be a quick selling piece.

Another unique edition chrono (300 pieces) is the 1950 Chrono Monopulsante left-handed 8 Days Titanio (long name!) – PAM579. The hand-wound P.2004/9 movement from Panerai is a fast runner (28.000 a/h), fitted into the 47 mm Luminor case. The single-button chronograph’s counters are placed in the center of the dial. Ecru and Tobacco are giving the face of the watch a warm appearance, matching the titanium case and titanium chrono button. A display back let the owner see the power reserve indicator. Another complication combined in a historic case – future meets history left-handed.  Another left-handed legend surfaced in the shape of the PAM557. Regular production PAM372 got a brother in shape of this historic icon, powered with the P.3000 movement in stainless steel. If this isnt a watch which paneristi were waiting for a long time, I don’t know what els to say than “finally a 47 mm Destro in steel!”…

Panerai added two huge and heavy pocket watches into their portfolio in 2014. Unique editions PAM529 (white gold) and PAM447 (pink gold) in 50 mm (50 pieces each) with P.3001/10 inhouse movement. With hinged cover and chain, Panerai offers these traditional timekeepers to their customers.

Last but not least, a Pendulum Clock (PAM500) rounds up the new releases in 2014. Inspired by Galileo’s discovery in the 17th century, the “measure of time” beats again in a creation from Officine Panerai. The pendulum of Galileo Gallilei, device for measuring time which marked a turning point in horology because it opened the doors of the modern era. The law of isochronism of the pendulum says: “The period of each swing of a simple pendulum, that is, one with a weight attached by an inelastic thread to a fixed support, is independent of the amplitude of the swing.” (Galileo Galilei)

The Panerai Pendulum Clock is a faithful reproduction of the instrument designed by the Tuscan genius. The PAM500 is based on the model made by the Florentine clockmaker Eustachio Porcellotti in 1887. It is an almost exact interpretation of Porcellotti’s work which was once published in the very first Panerai brochures in the late 1990s (see the Panerai book, written by Negretti in 1997/1998, page 15). The Art of Timekeeping comes in shape of a key wound mechanical movement, a power reserve of 8 days, with one barrel. It shows hours and minutes on a sandblasted glass with roman numerals. The Pendulum Clock is placed in a aluminium framed glass on a mahagony base, personalised with PANERAI.

May the new models from the SIHH 2014 not pleased every Panerai collector, at least – as an enthusiast of the brand’s history – I was pleased. Why? Because when I left the Panerai booth, I passed the “legends” again – historic watches and instruments, of which I was able to see many details in the new models – even in gold and complications… [Volker Wiegmann]

Still working… a vintage “Luminor Panerai” depht gauge, calibrated for 16 meters, has been tested successfully for its functionality inside a pressure chamber. Due to the limited space, the GPF strap has been removed before the instrument was placed in the center of the pressure chamber.

The membrane on the bottom of the 70 x 90 mm case worked instantly after pressure was added. Interesting to note that the Panerai instrument is working properly since it was used for the last time underwater decades ago.

Click on the link to see the video of the pressure test: Vintage_Panerai_Depth_Gauge.

Click on the link to see the pressure release – “the surfacing” in this video: Vintage_Panerai_depth_gauge_surfacing

The milled numbers and markers of the sandwich dial construction aged different in many ways – some changed their colors in different intensity and got cracks in the luminous substance during the past decades. The reduced design of the dial – only 4 numbers and 8 indexes – represents the Panerai DNA on first sight.

This Ref. 3646 / Type D watch is featured in our book “History2”. Read more about the first owners and the missions in which it was used as an important underwater tool in chapter V.

Close view on the movement of a Ref. 3646 / Type D. 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 a comparing between Type 1 and Type 4 movements).

You can find more information about Rolex movements used in Vintage Panerai watches in our books “History1” and “History2”.

Close look at the “Luminor Panerai” dial of a Ref. 6152/1 watch. The surface of the sandwich dial with the milled and white painted letters is showing pure Panerai DNA above 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.

Opened Ref. 6152/1 with solid caseback and dust lid – the Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement bears the typical markings for this type of Vintage Panerai watches. You can see an overview of the three different inner caseback markings of the “615ers” here.

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.

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

Today’s issue of the newspaper FAZ (“Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung”) featured our book “History1” and “History2” in the column “Technology and Motor” about ideas on books as gifts for christmas. The FAZ is a newspaper with a daily run of more than 330.000 copies, available across Germany.

Journalist Martin Häußermann wrote a suitable overview on our two History books, in which we put the focus of our research on the very rare Vintage Panerai watches with documented history. It was a pleasure for us to read the review of an independent journalist on the core statements of our editorial work. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Close view on an onion shaped “Brevet +” crown (Type 11) of a Ref. 3646 Vintage Panerai. 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.