Hammer’s Ref. 3646 / Type B is up for auction
by Volker on Nov.25, 2023, under General
Sotheby’s New York will auction a Ref. 3646 / Type B with riveted plastic dial in their Important Watches sale on 7 December 2023.
This 3646 is well known in the paneristi community and has been consigned by our dear friend Hammer along with other watches from his personal collection. You can read more on this rare Ref. 3646 / Type B “Radiomir Panerai” from 1941 here in our watch point.
[Photo courtesy of Martin Wilmsen]
Special Offers in our Bookstore!
by Volker on Nov.09, 2023, under Allgemein
We offer bundles of both, “The References” (1930’s-1940’s and 1950’s-1960’s), “History” (volume 1 and 2) and also the Complete Library 4 Volumes with special prices where you can save up to 171 Euros!
You can purchase the special offers in our bookstore now!
Visintini’s 3646 / Type C “Radiomir Panerai”
by Volker on Oct.20, 2023, under Allgemein
A watch of the Reference 3646 / Type C which belonged to the SLC pilot Licio Visintini is featured in chapter II.III. Visintini took part in several missions against the allied fleet in Gibraltar.
After surviving from mission B.G.3 and B.G.4 in 1941, Visintini returned undercover to Gibraltar in June 1942 where he built the core of the “Orsa Maggiore” on board the tanker Olterra – the hidden base for the SLC units of the “Decima” in the bay of Gibraltar. Mission B.G.5 turned into a “mission with no return” for Licio Visintini in December 1942…
The documentation of the watch (engraved caseback and view into the movement shown above) and the history of Licio Visintini can be read from page 350 to 397 in chapter II.III.
Information on “The References” 1930’s-1940’s (first volume) can be found here.
Admiral Gigantesco’s Ref. 6152/1 is up for auction
by Volker on Jun.06, 2023, under Allgemein
Aguttes will auction a Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” with unique caseback engraving dedicated in the year 1983 to Admiral Cataldo Gigantesco.
We know this watch since June 2007 during a Panerai collectors meeting in Tuscany, where it submerged soon after for years and now surfaced for sale online at Aguttes (France). It is part of our database since Marco, son of the Admiral, showed us the watch 16 years ago (see photo on the left).
You can find more info on this rare Ref. 6152/1 with Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement and the unique engraving on its caseback at our Watch Point.
Training scene in the summer of 1944
by Volker on May.26, 2023, under Allgemein
A few days ago we received an interesting photo from the grandson of a German “Kampfschwimmer”. With his support we were able to add the Ref. 3646 / Type B “Radiomir Panerai” into our database last year – read more here.
Actually, the photo is not new to us. It has been published many years ago in Cajus Bekker’s book “Einzelkämpfer auf See” in 1968 and again in 1978. However, there were never published names of the frogmen in the captions of these two books. Until now: The backside of the original paper photo showed pencil written names of the men which were captured in the photo, which helped us now to identify and link them to other photos in our archives. We have published a photo, taken from a slightly different perspective, showing the same training scene, in chapter V of our book “History2” on page 460.
The photos were taken in the summer of 1944 on the island of San Giorgio (south-west of Venice harbour), showing the training in hand-to-hand combat, which was a fixed part of their training along with other different sporting disciplines. One of the frogmen in the photo is the first owner of the Ref. 3646 / Type B watch on the left.
Read more on the activities on the island of San Giorgio in chapter I of our book “History1” including rare historic documents and aerial photographs from the Allied Forces intelligence.
Our special thanks to the frogman’s grandson who provided the photo above (including the additional informations on ist backside in shape of handwritten names), on which he placed the Ref. 3646 / Type B “Radiomir Panerai” of his grandfather. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]
Inventors, pilots and a royal visitor…
by Volker on May.14, 2023, under Allgemein
The first watches for the pilots of the “new weapon” SLC were delivered in the middle of the 1930’s by Guido Panerai & Figlio to the Commando del 1° Gruppo Sommergibili of the Royal Italian Navy. According to the timeline of the development of the top secret slow running torpedos (siluro a lenta corsa, short: SLC) by the inventors Teseo Tesei and Elios Toschi, waterproof and luminous instruments for the pilots were necessary to carry out proper exercises and to control the SLC in depth and darkness.
The chapters I and II, dedicated to the first watches for underwater use (Ref. 2533 and 3646) take the readers of our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s into these early years. Teseo Tesei and Elios Toschi’s ideas became real. But strategic decisions after the Italo-Ethiopian War stopped the secret SLC project. The tests with these small weapons were archived and the Royal Italian Navy focused their interest in huge battleships, cruisers and destroyers.
The SLC project was re-started by the 1st Flottiglia MAS in 1939 at the advent of the Second World War. With the first missions of the Mezzi d’Assalto carried out from August 1940 onwards, the demand for skilled operators as well as new equipment – and more instruments for the operators – grew fast. An early Ref. 3646 / Type A, dated to April 1940, is featured in chapter II.I followed by the timeline of the missions carried out by the operators of the Decima Flottiglia MAS, the special commandos of the Royal Italian Navy.
The photo shows page 96 of “The References” with a historic photo from June 1940: The two inventors of the SLC, Teseo Tesei and Elios Toschi, Alberto Franzini and Gino Birindelli above their co-pilots stand together with a royal visitor: Principe Aimone di Savoia Aosta, Duca di Spoleto – just a few weeks before the first missions of the new weapon SLC were about to write naval history.
Read more about “The birth of a legend – the first Panerai watches (1935-1939)” in chapter I, followed by the timeline of the missions during the Second World War in chapter II.I – more information on the historic content in our “The References” book set with a total of 1392 pages can be found here. Read about the featured watches from Guido Panerai & Figlio in the first and second volume here.
Our database – an interim status on 1 January 2023
by Volker on Jan.25, 2023, under Allgemein
What happened after 1 January 2016 when we “paused” counting new entries in our database for a moment to complete our book set “The References”? We continued to count and still do that – since 2003 (…20 years ago). January 2023 was a good time to pause again and see how our records have changed in numbers of known watches in our database. The total number of all historic Panerai watches in our database from the 1930’s to the 1960’s has grown to 449 known watches.
Back in 2016 we had 211 entries of the Reference 3646 in our database (seven different number groups, from 3646 / Type A to 3646 / Type G). Since then, 53 watches of the References 3646 have been added into our records, making a total of 264 watches of the reference 3646 today. Find an interim status on 1 January 2023 below:
Reference 2533: 3 examples known (2016: 3)
Reference 3646 / Type A: 18 classified (2016: 18)
Reference 3646 / Type B: 21 classified (2016: 16)
Reference 3646 / Type C: 65 classified (2016: 52)
Reference 3646 / Type D: 107 classified (2016: 79)
Reference 3646 / Type E: 32 classified (2016: 26)
Reference 3646 / Type F: 11 classified (2016: 11)
Reference 3646 / Type G: 10 classified (2016: 9)
Mare Nostrum Chronograph: 1 example known (2016: 1)
The watches made by Guido Panerai & Figlio after the Second World War, those with solid lugs, references 6152, 6154, 6152/1 and GPF 2/56 as well as the transitional references and those with Angelus movements increased from 162 to 181. Most additions are watches of the reference 6152/1 – all four versions (Rolex and Angelus movements, Rolex crown and Panerai crown guard) increased from 103 (2016) to 117 specimen classified in our database on 1 January 2023.
Reference 6152 / Type A: 7 classified (2016: 7)
Reference 6152 / Type B: 2 classified (2016: 2)
Reference 6154: 18 classified (2016: 15)
Reference 6152/1 Rolex with Rolex crown: 24 classified (2016: 23)
Reference 6152/1 Rolex with Panerai crown guard: 73 classified (2016: 64)
GPF 2/56 Angelus: 27 classified (2016: 25)
Reference 3646 Angelus: 5 classified (2016: 5)
Reference 3646 Transitional: 5 classified (2016: 5)
Reference 6152/1 Angelus with Rolex crown: 8 classified (2016: 6)
Reference 6152/1 Angelus with Panerai crown guard: 12 classified (2016: 10)
At this point, again, we want to thank those who shared information on the watches lined up above with us. Auctioneers, collectors, veterans or their family members and friends.
Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann
Artcurial to auction a Ref. 3646 / Type C with riveted plastic dial
by Volker on Dec.31, 2022, under General
Artcurial will auction a Ref. 3646 / Type C with riveted plastic dial in their upcoming auction on 16 January 2023 (Lot 232) in Monte-Carlo (Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, Square Beaumarchais).
The watch is one of 65 watches we have recorded since 2003 in the number group 3646 / Type C. In 2016, we had 52 watches recorded and featured in our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s. Until today – including this specimen – the total number for watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type C increased from 52 to 65.
Watches with the riveted plastic dials are rare, and inbetween case numbers from 1010091 to 1010374 (3646 / Type C) we know today only five. In 2016 we had already just four and this specimen introduced here is the 5th. The five watches with this type of dial are spread all over the known case numbers, so its not like they were put into watches with a similar / consecutive case number close together.
We mention just two examples of 3646 / Type C with such dials: One belongs to Panerai’s own Museum collection (its one of the lowest case numbers of 3646 / Type C we have recorded), and another similiar watch has been published in the book “Military Wristwatches” (Michele Galizia, 2008) with one of the highest case numbers in 3646 / Type C known today.
The watch comes with a typical onion crown (“BREVET +” / Type 11). It is notable that this watch shows a solder point on the back of the casing near the crown. The high version of the bezel of this watch is another characteristic of watches with a sandwich dial.
Another Ref. 3646 / Type C watch with a similar case can be found in chapter II.III on page 312-313 in our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s. Same features of this watch are the long strap loops soldered to the case, which point slightly downwards, as can be seen in the photo.
Read more on watches of the Ref. 3646 with riveted plastic dials also here. Ref. 3646 watches with this dial version can be found in our book on page 154-159, 176-193 and 226-228 (chapter II).
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, riveted plastic dial)
Case number: 1010XXX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1
[Photos with kindly permission / courtesy of www.artcurial.com]
We hope that this Ref. 3646 / Type C with riveted plastic dial will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]
New entry in our database: an engraved 3646 / Type D
by Volker on Jul.17, 2022, under Allgemein
We added another previously unknown watch into our database – yet another piece of the puzzle surfaced, which marks the first entry of a Ref. 3646 / Type D in 2022 and in total the Type D #107 in our records.
The “Kampfschwimmer” watch with anonymous sandwich dial appears with a rare engraving on its caseback, bearing the initials of the first owner and the name of the unit he belonged to (Marine Kampfschwimmer 1945).
The inner caseback of the watch (full polished, read more in “The References” 1930’s-1940’s on page 486-487) bears the Rolex SA hallmark, reference and case number known for 3646 / Type D watches. Inside the watch is a Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement with typical decorations and engravings on the bridges (ROLEX 17 RUBIS / FAB. SUISSE).
Still sewn onto the soldered lugs is the original leather strap (!) including the large and very rare nickel-plated brass pin buckle. The watch has its original onion shaped winding crown and the typical blued steel hands with original luminous material.
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 2605XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1
The first owner of the watch took part in a frogmen mission against Russian pontoon bridges across the river Oder at Aurith, near Fürstenberg, in March 1945. You can read about these frogmen missions in our book “History1” in chapter II on page 83-123. The first owner was born in 1924 and passed away in 2000.
The watch is accompanied with an interesting documentation of his service during the Second World War and further information about his life, after he was released from British imprisonment in 1945.
If you are interested to buy this watch, please contact the owner directly via e-mail: albert59er@t-online.de
Ref. 3646 / Type C “Radiomir Panerai” @ Dr. Crott
by Volker on Apr.15, 2022, under Allgemein
We recently added another unknown watch into our database – yet another piece of the puzzle surfaced: a Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial, being watch #63 in our records of watches matching the criteria of the 3646 / Type C.
The Ref. 3646 / Type C “Radiomir Panerai” will be auctioned on 21 May 2022 at Dr. Crott’s 106th auction in Mannheim/Germany. It has been consigned by the family of the German “Kampfschwimmer” veteran Heinz Greten. Further info on auction lot 156 can be found here.
The watch appears with an unpolished case with a matching high bezel, typical for watches with “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial. The watch comes with a tubular shaped Rolex Oyster crown (Type 13). Inside the watch is a Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement with typical decorations and engravings on the bridges (ROLEX 17 RUBIS / FAB. SUISSE). The inner caseback bears the typical Rolex SA hallmark, reference and case number known for 3646 / Type C watches, with “Half Polish” decoration. Both hands appear black painted and re-lumed. The inner caseback bear also watchmakers’ service marks.
Noteworthy:
The outer caseback of the watch bear engravings of the first owner, German “Kampfschwimmer” Petty Officer Hans Greten with the additional info Antwerpen, referring to a mission he took part in September 1944.
The mission (“Operation Bruno” – the attack of the Kruisschans floodgates in Antwerp) is documented in the book “Sabotage unter Wasser” written by Michael Jung (2004) on page 120-121, as well as a photo of Hans Greten on page 107. Further info on this frogmen mission is also found in the book “Das Kommando der Kleinkampfverbände der Kriegsmarine” written by Helmut Blocksdorf (2003), on page 181. The earliest documentation of the mission is dating back to 1956 in the book “…denn sie liebten doch das Leben” written by Cajus Bekker (chapter six, page 148-160), in which Greten is mentioned several times (all books are written in German language).
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich)
Case number: 10102XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1
In our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s the watches of the entire reference 3646 are featured in chapter II with more than six hundred pages in the chapters II.I-II.VII. The seven different variations (including the number group 3646 / Type C – page 248-397 – to which this watch belongs) can be found in our reference quickfinder on page 14-20.
Please note that the very rare campaign insignia 3rd degree (visible in the background of the second photo) is the (separate) lot 155 and is not included in the lot of the watch. Information on different probation and campaign insignia of the German “Kampfschwimmer” units can be found in our book “History2” in chapter IX.
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]
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