…we started our first book project in summer 2007 – “Vintage Panerai – Watches with History”. Research on watches and the hunt for historic documents, photos and information begun. For the documentation of Mario Arillo’s Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” we got several copies of historic photos from its second owner, of which one b&w copy of a photo (far left in the photo below) caught our special attention.

The caption under the photo told “Festa di Marina, 10 giugno 1943. Il comandante Mario Arillo, qui con i gradi del capitano di corvetta, riceve dal Re d’Italia, Vittorio Emanuele III, la Medaglia d’Oro al Valore Militare. Decorazione concessa dopo il forzamento del Porto di Algeri della notte del 12 dicembre 1942 da parte di mezzi d’assalto, che erano stati trasportati in prossimà dell’obiettivo dal sommergibile Ambra.”

With the support of Fabio Castellani, the second owner of the watch, we were able to send a letter directly to the family of Mario Arillo (1912-2000), asking for the original photo to make a scan of it for using it in the book and to return it back immedately. A few weeks later, a letter from the family arrived in the author’s mailbox …including the original photo from 1943! After the scan was done with great care, the photo returned to the family, as promised. But to the surprise of the authors, the photo hit their mailbox once again only a few days after it was sent back to La Spezia. This time with a dedication on the backside, handwritten by the commander’s daughter, and with the wish to keep it with us. Memories from ten years ago – this happened in June 2007.

A few months later, in October 2007, our first book was published, the photo found a prominent place on page 130. This sold out book with 228 pages “Vintage Panerai – Watches with History” was replaced five years later, in 2012, by the book “History1” in which we published extended information on 420 pages. With the support of Arillo’s family we were able to document his story in chapter IV on a total of 165 pages and with more than 100 historical photos and illustrations, some of them never published before. The photo found its place on page 344 once again. In 2016, Arillo’s Ref. 6152/1 has been featured in chapter VIII.II of our book “The References” (page 942-955). A short intro about its first owner is opening with the very photo on page 950. It was taken on 10 June 1943, exactly 74 years ago today…

Introducing another piece of the puzzle – and one more surfaced in the United Kingdom: a Ref. 3646 / Type D with black painted brass dial and rare “Kampfschwimmer” engraving with initials of the first owner on its outer caseback. After more than 70 years the watch changed ownership once again and recently found a good new home at a Panerai collector from Germany, who provided the photo shown on the left.

The watch has been added into our database in March 2016 and comes with flat bezel (a typical feature of the watches with flat dials), onion shaped “Brevet +” crown (Type 11) and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement. The watch has never been polished and has still its original plexi, showing the typical traces of aging. The inner caseback is signed with the Rolex SA hallmark, reference and case number. A similar 3646 / Type D watch with flat bezel and black painted brass dial will be auctioned in Glasgow on September 23rd, 2016 at Great Western Auctions.

A Ref. 3646 / Type D watch with black painted brass dial is featured in our book “History1” in chapter III together with the history of its first owner, a German “Kampfschwimmer” who provided us very interesting information about his service, training and how some of these Panerai watches “changed ownership” during the time when he was a POW (prisoner of war) in the summer of 1945 (page 206-207).

Watches of the Reference 3646 / Type D are also featured in our new book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s in chapter II.IV (page 398-531) including a historic photo of a German “Kampfschwimmer” wearing a 3646 with brass dial on page 475.

Our first book, published in 2007 and entitled “Watches with History” opened with the words “In this book we would like to give the reader an overview of historic Panerai watches and their documented history.” Years passed since then, during which we have embarked on many interesting trips into the past while researching this subject.

The personal stories of the first owners of these watches were mostly forgotten in the last years, reaching back more than 70 years since their use in war times. Only a few Vintage Panerai watches can tell their story, and the story of many others will never be told. In 2012 we were able to take an even deeper and more comprehensive look at the wearers and the uses of these watches in the book “History1”.

The stories in this book take the reader back to the time of the Second World War. Rare pictures from this period bear silent and impressive witness to the conditions and living circumstances, which we have also been able to supplement with rare map and image materials from various international archives. A small number of Vintage Panerai watches reveal their secrets to the collector and answer the ever-recurring question: Who used the watch? When did the operations take place, and to what purpose? And further: where and under what conditions did the comprehensive training of the special maritime unit take place? How and by what means were the deployments of the combat swimmers carried out? What do the veterans think of those missions today? We pursued the answers to these questions and, thanks to the help of some surviving veterans, their descendants, or by means of analyzing previously unknown documents such as diaries, interview records or recordings by opposing spies, we managed to compile some very impressive and authentic chapters.

The four chapters of our book “History1″ (420 pages) are introduced below:
Chapter I / Chapter II / Chapter III / Chapter IV

In the book “History2” (2013) we once again took our readers on a journey through time with five more stories: five exciting and moving fates of frogmen, for whom their Panerai watch was not an item of jewellery, but rather an important piece of equipment during the Second World War.

„History2“ outlines the personal experiences of the combat swimmers and describes in the smallest detail their fate, which has, during conversations or in written correspondence, evoked at times painful memories and great emotions after many decades.

The watches presented in this book were in action under “real” battle conditions in the Second World War. They accompanied their original owners since combat swimmer training and indeed for many years after the war.

The five chapters of our book “History2″ (480 pages) are introduced below:
Chapter V / Chapter VI / Chapter VII / Chapter VIII / Chapter IX

Our books “History1” and “History2″ can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

Auction House Eppli (Stuttgart/Germany) features a Ref. 3646 / Type D with anonymous, painted brass dial in their auction on April 2nd.

The 3646 / Type D is recorded in our database since February 2016. The watch features a typical Rolex 618 / Type 1 movement (Type 1 = 17 Rubis without Incabloc shock protection).

Watches of the Reference 3646 / Type D are featured in our new “The References” 1930’s-1940’s in chapter II.IV (page 398-531) including a historic photo of a German “Kampfschwimmer” wearing a 3646 with brass dial on page 475.

A similar watch with painted brass dial is featured in our book “History1” in chapter III together with information about the first owner, a German “Kampfschwimmer”.

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 courtesy of Auktionshaus Eppli e.K.]

Sad news arrived us in January. German veteran Karl-Heinz Kiefer, one of the last remaining WW2 frogmen, died on 23 December 2015 at the age of 90. We send our condolences to his family.

Mr. Kiefer’s personal story as a frogmen was featured in chapter III of our 2011 book “History1” with information he provided us during several meetings and interviews until 2011. Mr. Kiefer received a Ref. 3646 / Type D with brass dial after he was successfully instructed to become a “Kampfschwimmer” in the last weeks of the Second World War. Karl-Heinz Kiefer was taken prisoner of war by the British at the island of Sylt, which was the final headquarter of the German frogmen units (codename “Weisskoppel”) before the end of the Second World War. Mr. Kiefer’s Panerai watch is one of the very few watches in our records which can be tracked from present day back to its use in early 1945.

Karl-Heinz Kiefer started his navy career in the Kriegsmarine in October 1943. He completed his recruit training in Stralsund (Baltic Sea) as member of the “Crew 10/43”. After his recruit training he went on board the destroyer Z 25 in Gotenhafen in January 1944, where he completed his second part of his officer training, the so-called “on-board recruit period” until July 1944.

From this part of his career, Karl-Heinz Kiefer found a photo of himself in 2012 at his home, which he provided us for adding in our history records. As it was too late to feature it in the already published book “History1”, we want to share this photo to remember him. The backside of the photo bears a date stamp (18 March 1944) and the photographer’s stamp, based in Danzig (Baltic Sea).

After his officer training he posted to the special marine unit (“Kampfschwimmer”) in December 1944, as he was an excellent swimmer who participated several swimming competitions, such as the German youth championships in 1942. Released from the POW camp after only eight weeks, he left the island of Sylt in June 1945. Mr. Kiefer became a school teacher in 1946 until his retirement as principal.

Related to his Ref. 3646 / Type D Panerai watch, we remember his many detailed memories during the 2011 interview at the age of 85: “Whoever had his own diving watch, and no longer needed to return it to the store after exercises along with the other pieces of equipment, was a fully-trained combat swimmer, ready for action. Whoever wore the Panerai on his arm really belonged.” 

We are glad, that we had the chance to meet Mr. Kiefer in person, listened to his very personal experiences of his time when he became a frogmen. We asked him questions, on which we received helpful, interesting but also moving answers. Questions, which sadly one day non of those veterans will be able to answer anymore…

“Auf Wiedersehen!” – farewell, Mr. Kiefer – rest in peace!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann] 

Our book “History1” is in stock. It can be ordered directly at our bookstore. “History1” comes in a solid slipcase (on the right in the photo) which has been constructed to protect the hardcover book and keep it in perfect shape when stored in a bookshelf upright.

Both together, the hardcover book and the slipcase, are weighing more than 3 kilos. The size of the book is 26 x 26 cm, 420 pages, trilingual (German, Italian and English language in one book). Further photos can be found in our bookstore’s gallery.

The four chapters of our book “History1″ are introduced below:
Chapter I / Chapter II / Chapter III / Chapter IV

The four watches featured in the book “History1″ can be found here:
The Lehmann Radiomir / The Pape Radiomir / The Kiefer Radiomir / The Arillo Luminor

Enjoy reading!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

CHAPTER IV – “Mario Arillo”
(165 pages, 106 photos, 7 technical illustrations)

The chapter on Mario Arillo begins with an interview conducted with him in 1989. Numerous as yet unpublished pictures and documents from the family possessions of the famous submarine commander from La Spezia augment the personal descriptions of his missions as a means of transport for Italian Gamma swimmers and the SLC units of the Decima MAS.

Vintage Panerai “History1”
26 x 26 cm, 420 pages,
trilingual (= german, italian and english language in one book),
hardback jacket, slipcase.

“History1″ is in stock and can be ordered directly at our bookstore.

Enjoy reading!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

CHAPTER III – “Karl-Heinz Kiefer”
(55 pages, 39 photos, 3 technical illustrations)

The story of Karl-Heinz Kiefer, who received fast-track training in the last months of the war, already provided proof in the first edition of this book about period of use of the rare watch-face version of his Panerai watch (Ref. 3646 / Type D with brass dial), which for a long time had been ascribed to an earlier date. Now, his winter training in a toughening-up camp at the Baltic Sea in early 1945 is described in detail.

Vintage Panerai “History1”
26 x 26 cm, 420 pages,
trilingual (= german, italian and english language in one book),
hardback jacket, slipcase.

“History1″ is in stock and can be ordered directly at our bookstore.

Enjoy reading!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

CHAPTER II – “Heinz Pape”
(91 pages, 44 photos, 3 technical illustrations)

For the most part the chapter about Heinz Pape is taken from his surviving diary and presented as a first-person narrative, with comprehensive supplementation. Thanks to extremely rare aerial photographs of the assignment targets described by him and the examination of maps it was possible to analyse his diary entries from WW2 precisely and thus present them to the reader in such an impressive manner – an unique story of a  “Kampfschwimmer” unit and his Panerai watch, a Ref. 3646 / Type D with its well known and typical anonymous dial…

Vintage Panerai “History1”
26 x 26 cm, 420 pages,
trilingual (= german, italian and english language in one book),
hardback jacket, slipcase.

“History1″ is in stock and can be ordered directly at our bookstore.

Enjoy reading!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

CHAPTER I – “Heinz Günter Lehmann”
(75 pages, 38 photos, 4 technical illustrations)

The story of the German elite swimmer Heinz Günter Lehmann and his “Radiomir Panerai” watch (Ref. 3646 / Type C) is told with numerous photos, covering the period from his training in the lagoon of Venice in the summer of 1944 to his countless sporting successes on the international stage after the Second World War. Rare photos and documents, from national and international archives, allied intelligence documents as well as photos provided by his family were added together, followed by the technical details of his watch in chapter I.I with a current excerpt from our historical Panerai database.

Vintage Panerai “History1”
26 x 26 cm, 420 pages,
trilingual (= german, italian and english language in one book),
hardback jacket, slipcase.

“History1″ is in stock and can be ordered directly at our bookstore.

Enjoy reading!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]