Tried to catch a nice view of the engraved caseback of the 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai”…

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 124537
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

Pretty nice weather conditions during the easter weekend in Germany… I just had to take out the “Arillo Luminor” Ref. 6152/1 and tried to catch nice lights and shadows on the dial…

Happy Easter!

Always a pleasure to take off the watch and just look at its caseback. I read the names of the two previous owners, Mario Arillo M.O.V.M. and Fabio Castellani. I remember the story behind and the excitement when I held it in my hands for the first time in may 2003. In fact it is the first Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” watch I ever saw… and it still fascinates me today just like in the very first moment.

Our fellow collector friend Assaf Burstein from Israel provided some very nice comparing photos of the brand new PAM372 next to his 6152/1.

It is great to see that Panerai has introduced a watch with so many historical features, carrying the DNA of the brand into the future.

The long waited for “fiddy base” watch is here, giving applause to the designers in Milan.

Paneristi wanted this watch since years –
Panerai made it real!

Technical details of the “Luminor 1950” PAM372 (find more at www.panerai.com):
Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur balance, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 160 components.

Functions:
Hours, minutes.

Case
Diameter 47 mm, polished steel.

Bezel
Polished steel.

Back
See-through sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown
(protected as a Trademark) Brushed steel.

Dial
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers.

Interesting to see the case construction / shape from different views. The lugs are comming out of the case much deeper than on the original 6152/1 case. They reminds on the lugs of the 6152 and 6154 watches, which is underlined by the strong edges on the sides of the PAM372 case. From a top view this is nearly not visible, but good to see from Asi’s comparing photos. Nice, that Panerai placed the reference numbers between the lugs, just like on their “vintage grandfathers”, which hold the Rolex reference number and individual six digit case number.

By the way: “Asi, it looks good on your wrist, and nice shirt too!”

The “Luminor Panerai” engraved dial is just great! The old font has been used for that, which is much nicer than the modern Helvetica font. Giving applause to the fact that the names are not printed onto the dial, but engraved into the dial. The “double pencil” hands seem to be a little bit too small / short, but I can imagine that this will be changed on later production models. It would be not the first time, that Panerai presented a watch to the public at the SIHH which later appears with small modifications… On the display back we can find again the historical correct fonts used for the “OFFICINE PANERAI BREVETTATO” – very nice! The see-thru chrystal is a nice feature to show the new P.3000 movement.

The trademark signatures on the crown protecting device are causing a little “head down” in me, but as it is the number 1 feature of the brand, Panerai must bring it – honestly I would have been off the roof to see an engraved “BREV. ITAL.” on the backside of the crown protecting device. Overall its really a wonderful watch, the star of the 2011 Panerai collection for me. Regular production 3000 pcs., hopefully enough for all who like to wear the heritage of a legendary brand on their wrist …a Panerai “Luminor 1950”.

[photos by Assaf Burstein – thanks mate!]

In the mood for another DNA photo, I placed the 6152/1 onto the GPF 1/58.

Meanwhile, two new entries in our database arrived: Both Ref. 6152/1 watches with Rolex movement, yet undiscovered. Our database grows… more to discover in the future!

Latest addition in my vintage collection, arrived from Italy: a storage box for a “Luminor Panerai” dial – the dial version for watches with Rolex movements (without small second hand).

Since January 1st, 2010 we have received more than 40 new entries in our database, spread over all references. Most of the new entries are in the reference 6152/1.

Very interesting for our research is a “group” of three Ref. 6152/1 watches in a row: 124805, 124806 and 124807.

The first two watches have both “Luminor Panerai” dials. Watch 124805 has a crown protecting device signed “10”, while its “brother watch” 124806 has the crown protecting device signed “9”. It will be interesting to compare these two watches with close lower numbers to see if they have crown protecting devices signed with matching numbers (between “1” and “8”) to them.

All three watches come with the –  typical for this reference – Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement (17 Rubis + Incabloc shock protection) which is one of the main features of Ref. 6152/1 watches with Rolex movements.

Both watches with “Luminor Panerai” dials have the “double pencil” hands, but they are not 100% identical: watch 124806 has the “sharp pin” versions, watch 124805 has the “dull pin” versions. Both watches, 124805 and 124806, have no matriculation number engraved on the caseback.

Watch 124807 comes with a “Marina Militare” dial and so it could be part of a different order, in case that the Italian Navy ordered watches with identical dial inscriptions from Panerai. This question can be answered in the future when we have found more watches which have close case numbers to these three here. 

Watch 124807 has the crown protecting device signed “7” and the “BREV. ITAL.” trademark inscriptions. The caseback of this watch bears a matriculation number: “M.M. 005”. It holds also the “double pencil” hands with “sharp pins”.

You can find more information about Ref. 6152/1 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References” in chapter IV, pages 202-255.

Research in vintage watches is boring? Absolutely not! This week we got three new entries in our database, so three more pieces of the puzzle added. All of them are Ref. 6152/1 watches with Rolex movements, two with “Marina Militare” dial and one with “Luminor Panerai” dial. They all match with our database structure, which confirms its functionality during our research since years.

Looking thru my library today, I stopped at this photo which I took in april 2007. It was one of the first photos to build up the layout of our 1st book.

The pure DNA of Panerai featuring the crown protecting device, 47 mm case with solid lugs, huge domed plexi and “a strap like a belt” come out quite well, I think…

You can read more about the “Arillo Luminor” in our first book “Vintage Panerai – Watches with History”, chapter I.V, pages 114-141 and also in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References”, chapter IV.II, pages 226-237.

Interesting pieces of underwater equipment: an underwater spyglass / binoculars and the famous Galeazzi knife with tool grip, together with instruments from Guido Panerai & Figlio: compass, Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” watch (Angelus Cal. 240 SF movement), depth gauge and “Elux” torch.