The german watch portal www.watchtime.net featured the Vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 / Type D – “The Pape Radiomir”– with an overview about the details of the watch and the history behind its first owner, german frogman Heinz Pape.

“The Pape Radiomir” is fully described in our book “History1″ in Chapter II on 91 pages with 44 photos and 3 technical illustrations. Thanks to www.watchtime.net for putting a spotlight onto Panerai’s DNA. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Today we send our birthday greetings to the german frogmen veteran Karl-Heinz Kiefer, who can celebrate his 88th birthday in good health. Karl-Heinz Kiefer, born 1925, is featured in our book“History1” in Chapter III. A few weeks ago Volker visited Mr. Kiefer to handover the new book “History2” where he is featured in the preface.

Stay in good shape, Mr. Kiefer – alles Gute zum Geburtstag!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

We are glad to announce that our book “History1” has been recorded in the Library of the Federal Archives of Germany. Visitors of the library in Koblenz can see and read our book (with the signature B I 318 -1-) there.

Aside further international archives (The National Archives of the United Kingdom, The Imperial War Museum in London, The Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare), the Federal Archives have been a helpful source for us during the research, in particular on Chapter II. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Almost one year after I visited Karl-Heinz Kiefer for a personal delivery of our book “History1”, it was time to deliver him a copy of our new book“History2″. For me it was all about keeping a promise – again. Both, Karl-Heinz Kiefer and his kind wife Irma, welcomed me at their home in good health. I was able to forwarded greetings from my co-author Ralf Ehlers to both of them.

Veteran Karl-Heinz Kiefer, born in 1925, is featured in chapter III of our book “History1″. A preview of “his” chapter can be found here. The photo of the “handover moment” from last year is published in the preface of our new book “History2” on page 428.

Be well and stay in good shape, Mr. Kiefer!  [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

The german watch portal www.watchtime.net featured the Vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 / Type C – “The Lehmann Radiomir” – with an overview about the details of the watch and the history behind its first two owners, german frogmen Werner Bullin and Heinz Günter Lehmann.

“The Lehmann Radiomir” is fully described in our book “History1” in Chapter I on 75 pages with 38 photos and 4 technical illustrations. Thanks to www.watchtime.net for putting a spotlight onto Panerai’s DNA. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

It was early 2007 when I was contacted by my friend Fabio Castellani from Italy. He was looking to find a new home for the 6152/1 watch, which he got years ago from Mario Arillo, high decorated veteran of the Xa MAS and commander of the submarine “Ambra”. It was one of these moments in life, which rarely happen and which will remain as something very special and unforgettable. The agreement was found in a few e-mails and soon later I became the third owner of this incredible watch.

Soon later, still thrilled everytime I was looking at it, the idea of writing a book about this watch was born. It came not just with it’s original box – it came with a long history. I remembered the story of it’s first owner Mario Arillo, which I read many times in books before. It was the perfect match to some vintage Panerai watches owned by my friend Ralf, who also had the idea in mind about writing down the rich history that came along with his watches. The first book project “Vintage Panerai – Watches with History” was born – let’s do it!

In june 2007 I came across a black-and-white copy of a photo showing Mario Arillo, receiving the gold medal for bravery – the “Medaglia d’Oro al Valore Militare” (M.O.V.M.) by Italian king Vittorio Emanuele III, june 10th, 1943. Fabio Castellani gave me this copy with the note that the original photo is in property of Arillo’s family… “now that would be a photo to have in the book!” was my initial thought. I emailed Fabio, telling him about my book idea and that I would need the original photo to publish it in good quality – a black-white copy would not be enough to use… Soon later he provided the address of the family. I wrote a little letter, introducing myself, my book project and that I am the owner of their father’s Panerai watch. Honestly, I expected nothing but received more than I could hope. How would you react if a strange person would tell you such a story? To my surprise and excitement, a few weeks later a padded envelope arrived in my mailbox. From Italy – from Arillo’s family! After opening carefully – still get goose skin when thinking back to this moment – I found the original photo from 1943. I was speechless!

Happy like a kid on christmas eve, I put the photo into my scanner and digitalized it to use in my growing book project. Jackpot! A few days later I returned the original photo as promised, well protected and extra safety, together with some sweets and a letter which expressed my happiness and thanks that the Arillo family trusted me – a yet unknown person from Germany – in sending me a family treasure, which this photo surely was…

I went ahead in writing the book and soon later I got again an envelope from Arillo’s family…? I was one more time surprised. The original photo came to me again, but now with a hand written dedication on the backside – from Arillo’s daughter: “to my friend Volker, in memory of my father Mario Arillo M.O.V.M.”. I was speechless again!

After the book was finished in october 2007, it was my pleasure to send her a copy of the book which holds the photo of her father. We continued to exchange letters and in summer 2008 during the VIII Club Panerai Meeting we met in person for the first time. Very exciting moments to remember, which are beyond collecting watches for me. When I got the watch more than one year before, I never thought that one day I would have the chance to meet the children and grand children of Mario Arillo.

The typical description for a collectors’ watch “comes with box and papers” has a very special meaning for me. The photo on the left shows the 6152/1 watch in it’s original cardboard box from Panerai, a letter from Rolex dating these type of watches to the year 1955 and the original photo of the first owner, Mario Arillo.

Read more about this watch and its first owner in Chapter IV of the book “History1”.  
[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 commander from La Spezia augment the personal descriptions of his submarine missions as a means of transport for Italian Gamma swimmers and the SLC units of the Decima MAS.

CHAPTER IV.I – “The Arillo-Luminor”
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 124537
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

More info on the fourth chapter of the book “History1″ can be found here.
The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

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 2nd world war, already provided proof in the first edition of this book (2007) about period of use of the rare watch-face version of his Panerai watch, 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 is described in more detail.

CHAPTER III.I – “The Kiefer-Radiomir”
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (painted brass, anonymous)
Case number: 260560
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

More info on the third chapter of the book “History1″ can be found here.
The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

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 firstperson narrative, with comprehensive supplementation. Thanks to extremely rare aerial photographs of the assignment targets described by him and the examination of several maps it was possible to analyse his diary entries precisely and thus present them to the reader in such an impressive manner – an unique story.

CHAPTER II.I – “The Pape-Radiomir”
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 260530
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

More info on the second chapter of the book “History1″ can be found here.
The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.

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

The story of the German elite swimmer Heinz Günter Lehmann is told with numerous photos (including maps and documents of the allied secret intelligence), covering the period from his training in Venice to his countless sporting successes on the international stage after the 2nd World War.

CHAPTER I.I – “The Lehmann-Radiomir”
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 1010186
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

More info on the first chapter of the book “History1” can be found here.
The book “History1″ is in stock. It can be ordered directly in our bookstore.