Page 924-925 – the patented, L-shaped lever with crown-protecting device of a Ref. 6152/1.

Page 1148-1149 – patent 545668 (dated 30 November 1955) presents the O-ring used in the GPF 2/56.

Page 1332-1333 – the casebacks on the compasses, which are screwed in at six points, ar signed in the center with „OFFICINE PANERAI – FIRENZE“ and below with the patented trademark „BREVETTATO“. The Radiomir compass on the right also features the „MOD. G.PF. 4/55“.

“The References” 1950’s-1960’s at a glance:
37 Vintage Panerai watches from the 1950’s to 1960’s. Featured References: 6152, 6154, 6152/1, GPF 2/56 and modified References, compasses and depth gauges followed by an overview of the straps and buckles used in this era.

26 x 26 cm, 696 pages, trilingual (German, Italian and English language in one book), 27 database charts, 353 illustrations, including rare historic photos from Italian and Egyptian frogmen, hardback jacket, slipcase.

Visit our bookstore and enjoy reading soon!

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. 

Aguttes (Paris/France) will auction a Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” with Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement and engraved caseback from 14 to 28 June online here (Lot 5).

This Ref. 6152/1 is in our database since June 2007, when we took the photos in this posting, during the annual Club Panerai collectors meeting in Viareggio/Italy. Back then, Marco, son of Admiral Cataldo Gigantesco, showed us the watch of his father. Aguttes has published detailled information on Admiral Gigantesco’s career at the Marina Militare / G.O.I. which led to the unique engraving on the caseback of the watch in 1983 here.

The Rolex movement of the watch with “Luminor Panerai” dial is a typical Cal. 618 / Type 4 version with incabloc shock protection and 17 jewels. The watch is equipped with so-called “Double Pencil” hands. The crown-protecting device of this watch is signed “BREV. ITAL.” and additionally numbered “5” on the underside.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai”
Case number: 124591
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

Chapter VIII.II of our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s is featuring similar watches like this specimen on auction at Aguttes, with Rolex movement and Panerai crown-protecting device, on page 922-1057. The unique caseback engraving has been illustrated and explained in our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s on page 916-917. An overview about the “BREV. ITAL.” signatures on watches with crown-protecting device can be found on page 975.

Currently this Ref. 6152/1 is one of the 73 watches in our database with Rolex movement and Panerai crown guard. Read more on the known watches in our records here as of 1 Januar 2023.

We hope that this Ref. 6152/1 will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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.

Phillips will feature a rare Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” in their Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI, which will be held on Sunday, 29 November 2020. Read more about lot 999 here.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai”
Case number: 124833
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

The Rolex movement of the watch with “Luminor Panerai” dial is a typical Cal. 618 / Type 4 version with incabloc shock protection and 17 jewels. The watch is equipped with so-called “double pencil” hands with sharp pins. This particular variation of the brass hands is known among collectors as the “Double Pencil – Sharp Pin” style.

Similar watches of the Reference 6152/1 with Rolex movement and crown-protecting device can be found in chapter VIII.II (page 922-1057) of our book  “The References” 1950’s-1960’s .

We hope that this Ref. 6152/1 with Angelus movement and “Fourliner” dial will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Photo courtesy of www.phillips.com]

Phillips will feature a rare Ref. 6152/1 “Fourliner” in their Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI, which will be held on Sunday, 29 November 2020. Read more about lot 998 here.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Fourliner”
Case number: 124964
Matriculation number: 31
Movement: Angelus Cal. 240 SF (8 days)

Typical for watches with this case and dial configuration (however only very few are known compared to the Ref. 6152/1 watches with Rolex movements) is the display caseback, featuring the matriculation number 31, with a view onto the Angelus movement, signed MAI.61.

Similar watches of the Reference 6152/1 with Angelus movement and Rolex crown (with matriculation number 35, 45 and 52) can be found in chapter X.III (page 1212-1259) of our book  “The References” 1950’s-1960’s .

We hope that this Ref. 6152/1 with Angelus movement and “Fourliner” dial will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Photo courtesy of www.phillips.com]

Phillips will feature a very rare Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” in their Hong Kong Watch Auction: XI, which will be held on Sunday, 29 November 2020. Read more about lot 997 here.

Until today we have just a few 6152/1 watches in our records that still feature such an additional rotating bezel – and one of them is the watch up for auction here at Phillips. However, seven other watches registered in our database with a Plexiglas crystal that has been adapted for affixing a rotating bezel show that the known examples (including this specimen) are not one-offs or “prototypes” as they have been often labelled to underline the extreme rarity.

The Rolex movement of the watch with “Luminor Panerai” dial is a typical Cal. 618 / Type 4 version with incabloc shock protection and 17 jewels.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai”
Case number: 124614
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

Watches of the Reference 6152/1 with Rolex movement and crown-protecting device can be found in chapter VIII.II (page 922-1057) of our book  “The References” 1950’s-1960’s .

We hope that this Ref. 6152/1 will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Photo courtesy of www.phillips.com]

Attractive to the eyes of many Vintage Panerai collectors, brown faded dials are featured in our book “The References” in chapter II.I (3646 / Type A) on page 58-91. Read more on this famous watch here.

The photo on the left shows a Ref. 6154 with brown faded “Radiomir Panerai” dial which is featured in chapter VII (one of five different watches of this reference introduced in this chapter on page 784-867). Read more about this reference here.

Chapter VIII.I features a Ref. 6152/1 (with Rolex movement) with brown aged “Radiomir Panerai” dial on page 902-909, followed by two Ref. 6152/1 watches with Angelus movement in chapter X.III on page 1236-1259 (both with “Luminor Panerai” dials). Read more about the Ref. 6152/1 watches with Angelus movements here.

Last but not least, a Guido Panerai & Figlio depth gauge, calibrated to 30 metres, with brown aged “Radiomir Panerai” dial is featured in chapter XI.II on page 1336-1337. Find more about the chapter XI.I and XI.II featuring different instruments here.

Our new “The References” books are in stock and ready for shipping – just visit our bookstore and enjoy reading soon!  [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Sotheby’s will auction a Ref. 6152/1 with “Radiomir Panerai” dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement in their upcoming auction Important Watches in Hong Kong on 8 October, 2019 (lot 2311). The watch is recorded in our database since November 2007, when it was auctioned at Sotheby’s Geneva (lot 60).

Until today, we know 23 watches of the Ref. 6152/1 with 8 mm Rolex crown and Rolex movement. This specimen is one of ten registered watches with a “Radiomir Panerai” dial. The original hands of this watch appear to be replaced after the watch was no longer in military duty.

The watch is accompanied by a Marina Militare divers logbook and letter, stating the purchase of the watch by Giuseppe Rasenti from the Centro Subacqueo ed Incursori “Teseo Tesei” in La Spezia (photos shown in the lot description at Sotheby’s / link above).

Watches of the Reference 6152/1 with 8 mm Rolex crown are featured in our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s in chapter VIII.I (page 878-921).

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai”
Case number: 1245XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

We hope that also this watch will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Photo of the Ref. 6152/1 watch courtesy of www.sothebys.com]