Farewell, Manfred Lau
by Volker on Nov.22, 2021, under Allgemein
Sad news reached us last weekend from Saxony. Manfred Lau, born 1925, who told us about his experiences in the last months of the Second World War, has recently passed away at the age of 96. His personal story became Chapter VI in our book “History2” and will remain as one of the few stories from surviving “Kampfschwimmer” veterans, which we were able to publish ten years ago. We have been in contact with Mr. Lau since 2003 and have always been amazed by the many details of his training on the island of Le Vignole in the Lagoon of Venice, which he shared with us after more than 60 years passed. May he rest in peace!
Ref. 3646 / Type E @ Webb’s
by Volker on Nov.02, 2021, under Allgemein
The Ref. 3646 / Type E will be auctioned on 21 November 2021 at Webb’s Fine Jewels, Watches & Luxury Accessories. You can read more about this watch here or go directly to the auctioneer’s website (Lot 423).
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type E
Dial: “California Dial”
Case number: 2609XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 mod.
[Photo with kind permission / courtesy of www.webbs.co.nz]
Interesting read can be found in our book “History2” on page 628-629, too.
Ref. 3646 / Type D with brass dial @ Dr. Crott
by Volker on Oct.20, 2021, under Allgemein
The brass dialed Ref. 3646 / Type D will be auctioned on 13 November 2021 at Dr. Crott’s 105th auction in Mannheim. You can read more about this watch here or go directly to the auctioneer’s website (Lot 73).
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (painted brass, anonymous)
Case number: 2607XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1
We hope that this Ref. 3646 / Type D with brass dial will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]
A Ref. 3646 / Type E with brass dial
by Volker on Sep.12, 2021, under Allgemein
Introducing another Ref. 3646 / Type E watch which surfaced in Germany – this specimen appeared with painted brass dial.
Noteworthy is the well preserved original strap and “Bottle Opener” buckle, wich most of today’s surfacing watches don’t have anymore.
The “Kampfschwimmer” watch with anonymous painted brass dial has an unpolished case with a matching flat bezel. The onion shaped winding crown (“BREVET +” Type 11) can be screwed down onto the collar of the 47 mm cushion shaped case with soldered lugs.
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type E
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (painted brass, anonymous)
Case number: 2608XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 mod.
Inside the watch is a Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 mod. movement with typical decorations and engravings on the bridges (17 RUBIS / FAB. SUISSE). The blued steel hands appear untouched with original luminous material. The inner caseback is decorated with half polish. An overview of different decorative polish on the inside of the caseback (Type A – Type G) can be found on page 486 in our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s.
Find more info on straps and buckles here. More info on Ref. 3646 watches without Rolex hallmarks can be found here. More info on Ref. 3646 watches with brass dials can be found here.
Here we added another unknown watch into our database – yet another piece of the puzzle surfaced. Thanks to the collector who shared the photos and information with us!
A Ref. 3646 / Type E watch surfaced in New Zealand
by Volker on Sep.07, 2021, under Allgemein
Webb’s auction house from Auckland / New Zealand contacted us recently, providing information and photos of a yet unknown Ref. 3646 / Type E with “California Dial”. The watch appears with the matching flat bezel and both lead seals above and below the 47 mm cushion shaped case. The outer caseback is not engraved and the inner caseback is missing the Rolex hallmark and reference number, which is a typical feature of Ref. 3646 / Type E watches. The onion shaped winding crown (“BREVET +” Type 11) can be screwed down onto the collar of the 47 mm cushion shaped case with soldered lugs.
The “Error-Proof Radium Dial” by Rolex, with its railroad track minute markers and “SWISS MADE” signature at six o’clock, features half arabic and half roman numbers with luminous material applied from above.
Since 2016, five new watches of the number group Ref. 3646 / Type E surfaced, two of them expanded the number group from 260856 – 261097 (as of 1.1.2016) to 260850 – 260111. We have 31 Ref. 3646 / Type E watches recorded as of today, including this specimen from New Zealand.
Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type E
Dial: “California Dial”
Case number: 2609XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 mod.
You can read more about Ref. 3646 watches with dissappeared Rolex hallmarks here.
[Photos with kind permission / courtesy of www.webbs.co.nz]
New entry in our database: a brass dialed 3646 / Type D
by Volker on Aug.26, 2021, under Allgemein
We recently added another yet unknown watch into our records: a “Kampfschwimmer” watch with anonymous, painted brass dial. Today it marks watch #104 which is matching the criteria for our database classification of the Ref. 3646 / Type D.
You can read more about the watch and its details here.
One more 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” surfaced
by Volker on Mar.29, 2021, under Allgemein
Another Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” with anonymous dial has been added into our database: The first specimen of this number group in the year 2021.
The watch will be up for auction at Dr. Crott Auctioneers in their 104th Auction on 22 May, 2021. Further info on this Ref. 3646 / Type D is available in our Watch Point.
The watch is up for auction at Dr. Crott Auctioneers here.
[Photo with kindly permission / courtesy of Dr. Crott Auctioneers]
Missions of the Egypt frogmen
by Volker on Feb.15, 2021, under Allgemein
The Red Sea, the Straits of Tiran, the Gulf of Aqaba, even the shores of Dakar (Senegal) and Abidjan (Ivory Coast) – target zones of the Egypt frogmen during the Suez Crisis, the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War.
Not very much has been ever published before about missions against enemy ports, ships and oil platforms during the conflicts between Egypt and Israel. In the mid-50’s, both Egyptian and Israeli special forces attended separate training courses in Italy to learn the skills for underwater missions from their Italian instructors. After our search for historical documents and with the support of a high decorated Egypt frogmen veteran we were able to put a spotlight on some of the missions carried out decades ago.
Read the historical background on watches and instruments from Guido Panerai & Figlio used by the Egypt frogmen in chapter VII and IX of “The References” 1950’s-1960’s (second volume), accompanied with rare historic photos (page 794-795 shown in the coffee table shot above). The new “The References” books (two volumes with 696 pages each) can be ordered only in our bookstore. Enjoy reading!
#solderedlugsunday
by Volker on Jan.24, 2021, under Allgemein
More than two hundred watches of the Reference 3646 are registered in our database today. Among all different Vintage Panerai models, the 3646 marks the reference with the most known specimen in our records. In 2009, 143 recorded watches were featured in the first (sold out) edition of our book “The References”. Within the entire serial number sequence of the reference 3646, we differentiate between seven different variations (3646 / Type A – Type G). The photo on the left shows a Ref. 3646 / Type D with anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dial, which is featured in chapter II.IV (page 454-467).
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 following an intro on page 40-49. The seven different variations (3646 / Type A – Type G) can be found in our reference quickfinder on page 14-20.
Chapter II.I = Reference 3646 / Type A
(featuring two different watches on page 50-169).
Chapter II.II = Reference 3646 / Type B
(featuring four different watches on page 170-247).
Chapter II.III = Reference 3646 / Type C
(featuring seven different watches on page 248-397).
Chapter II.IV = Reference 3646 / Type D
(featuring nine different watches on page 398-531).
Chapter II.V = Reference 3646 / Type E
(featuring four different watches on page 532-573).
Chapter II.VI = Reference 3646 / Type F
(featuring two different watches on page 574-607).
Chapter II.VII = Reference 3646 / Type G
(featuring two different watches on page 608-645).
Since January 2016, a total of 17 watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D have been added into our database until the beginning of February 2019. Seven of them surfaced with anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dials, ten of these 17 watches surfaced with painted brass dials.
All new additions are inside the number group 260408-260873, representing the watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D. Added to the 79 watches we had in our records in January 2016, the total number of Ref. 3646 / Type D watches in our database is actually counting 103 specimen.
Our “The Reference” books are available in our bookstore. Enjoy reading!
At a glance: The Reference 6152/1
by Volker on Jan.13, 2021, under Allgemein
Watches of the Reference 6152/1 are featured in four of the twelve chapters of our book “The References” and are part of the second volume (1950’s-1960’s). The photo shows a 6152/1 with Rolex movement, “Luminor Panerai” dial and crown-protecting device (chapter VIII.II, page 942-955).
How do we explain four different versions in our new book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s? Watches of the Reference 6152/1 are presented in order of the movement version, the type of winding crown used and sorted chronological by their casing reference number, as follows:
Chapter VIII.I = Reference 6152/1
with Rolex movement and 8 mm Rolex crown
(featuring four different watches on page 878-921).
Chapter VIII.II = Reference 6152/1
with Rolex movement and Panerai crown-protecting device
(featuring ten different watches on page 922-1057).
Chapter X.III = Modified Reference 6152/1
with Angelus movement and 8 mm Rolex crown
(featuring three different watches on page 1212-1259).
Chapter X.IV = Modified Reference 6152/1
with Angelus movement and Panerai crown-protecting device
(featuring four different watches on page 1260-1313).
Each of the four chapters shows the different movement and dial versions recorded in our database with charts, e.g. illustrating the relationship between registered watches with 8 mm Rolex crown and Panerai crown-protecting device of the Reference 6152/1. Additional information on different hands, caseback engravings for different forces which used the watches as well as historical background on two 6152/1 watches first owners can be found, too. Enjoy reading!
Our “The Reference” books are available in our bookstore.
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