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]

Sotheby’s will auction a Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial, Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement (lot 2276) in their auction Important Watches on 3 April 2019 in Hong Kong.

The watch is recorded in our database since March 2007. In 2015 the watch was auctioned at Christie’s Geneva (Important Watches Sale 1410).

The Ref. 3646 / Type C “Radiomir Panerai” with deep red numerals and indices is featured in our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s on page 292-297 in chapter II.III.

(Photo of the Ref. 3646 / Type C courtesy of Jared Platt)

Artcurial will feature a very rare Ref. 6152 / Type A with “Radiomir Panerai” dial from 1953 in their upcoming Auction on 23 January, 2019 in Monaco (Lot 116). This watch has been featured in our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s on page 756-759 in chapter VI.I and surfaced for the second time after 2008, where it was auctioned at Antiquorum in Hong Kong (Lot 406) and added into our database.

This 6152 shows clear signs of ageing on its “Radiomir Panerai” dial and hands. The huge Plexiglas crystal (Tropic 24), which is damaged at the bottom at 6 o’ clock is testament to the heavy use to which the watch was subjected as an important item of equipment. It comes from the first serial number sequence of the Reference 6152, produced in 1953, which we entitled 6152 / Type A.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152 / Type A
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 9566XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 2

The watch features so called “Double Pencil” brass hands, with the minute hand showing a particularly pointy design. This particular variation of the brass hands is known among collectors as the “Double Pencil – Sharp Pin” style (see also page 889 in Chapter VIII.I of our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s). The caseback of this watch features the words “REGISTERED DESIGN / MODELE DEPOSE”, which are typical of the Reference 6152.

In terms of rarity and known watches in our database, the Reference 6152 can be called the rarest of all three (6152, 6154 and 6152/1). Read more also here.

Artcurial stated in their lot description, that the watch comes with a tool and various documents from the original owner, Rear Admiral Amedeo Vesco.

During the Second World War, Vesco took part in several missions of the Decima MAS as a SLC pilot of the “Mezzi Subacquei” against the harbour of Gibraltar in May (“Operazione B.G.3”) and September 1941 (“Operazione B.G.4”). He was awarded twice with the Silver Medal for Gallantry at War (M.A.V.M.). After the Second World War, Vesco became commander of the COMSUBIN in 1950 and again from 1951 until 1954. Read more on Amedeo Vesco also here and in our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s on page 371-379.

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

[Photo with kindly permission / courtesy of www.artcurial.com]

Artcurial will start into the auction year 2019 with two Vintage Panerai watches: A Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” from the Second World War (Lot 79) and a very rare Ref. 6152 / Type A from the 1950’s (Lot 116).

Less than one year after its first appearance at Dr. Crott Auctioneers in Germany (97th Auction May, 2018, Lot 114) the Ref. 3646 / Type D with anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dial will be up for sale again at Artcurial in Monaco on 23 January, 2019. We featured this watch in our Watch Point here.

Furthermore, Artcurial will have another Vintage Panerai in the same auction: A very rare Ref. 6152 / Type A with “Radiomir Panerai” dial (photo). This watch has been featured in our book “The References” 1950’s-1960’s on page 756-759 in chapter VI.I and surfaced for the second time after 2008, where it was auctioned at Antiquorum in Hong Kong (Lot 406).

More information on both watches is published at our Watch Point.

[Photo with kindly permission / courtesy of www.artcurial.com]

Christie’s will auction a Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement with onion shaped “Brevet +” crown (Type 11) in their Sale 16202 – An Evening of Exceptional Watches, December 6, in New York (Lot 22). Read more about this new addition in our database at our watch point. Christie’s online catalogue of Sale 16202 can be found here.

[Photo with kindly permission / courtesy of www.christies.com]

Christie’s will auction a Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement with onion shaped “Brevet +” crown (Type 11) in their Sale 16202 – An Evening of Exceptional Watches, December 6, in New York (Lot 22). The watch is recorded in our database since October – the second Ref. 3646 / Type C for the year 2018.

According to Christie’s, this Ref. 3646 / Type C has been in the same family since the Second World War.

The inner caseback bears the typical engraving of Ref. 3646 / Type C watches – the Rolex SA hallmark, the reference number and the seven digit case number. The outer caseback of this watch is not engraved / plain. An overview of the caseback markings (different hallmarks inside) in Ref. 3646 watches can be found here: Type A-C and Type D-G.

Watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type C are featured in our book “The References” (first volume / 1930’s-1940’s) in chapter II.III (page 248-397). Earlier this year, Fellows auctioned a similar watch of the same number group with deep red numbers and markers, which marked the first new entry in our database in 2018. Read more here.

Christie’s online catalogue of Sale 16202 can be found here.

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 with kindly permission / courtesy of www.christies.com]

Chapter IV of our book “History1” begins with an interview conducted with Mario Arillo M.O.V.M., commander of the transport submarine for SLC and Gamma units of the Decima MAS, the Ambra. Numerous unpublished photos and documents from the family possessions of the famous commander from La Spezia augment the personal descriptions of his submarine missions in this chapter. Not many photos exist today, taken during a mission in the Second World War – and even less with a Panerai watch to be spotted on a wrist of one of the units of the Mezzi Subacquei.

In one of these photos, Giorgio Badessi (right), who was one of the six SLC pilots, is clearly wearing his Radiomir watch on the left wrist, sitting on the table together with another SLC pilot, Giorgio Reggioli (in the background), 2nd Officer Zenker (left) and commander Arillo (front) during mission N.A.1.

“Operazione N.A.1”, carried out on 12th of December 1942, was the first combined mission with SLC units and combat swimmers of the Gruppo Gamma, in which a total of 16 units were sent out from the transport submarine Ambra to attack allied ships in the Port of Algiers. A scout (“civetta”) at the water’s surface conveyed important instructions by microphone to the Ambra on the seabed. For the first time, the SLC and Gamma units started their mission from a submerged submarine, see sketch on page 324.

Read more on Chapter IV of “History1” with 165 pages, 106 photos and seven technical illustrations, here. Mission N.A.1, part of the interview with commander Arillo, is featured in this chapter on page 313-345. Do not miss to read how we were able to get these documents to be published in our book “History1” on page 374-377, with special greetings to La Spezia!

In addition to the story published at Fellows, Revolution and wornandwound.com about the Ref. 3646 / Type C watch, which Sgt. George W. Rowson brought home from his service in the 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance Regiment, we have gathered some information about the attemp of twelve German “Kampfschwimmer” units (three teams of four) to attack both bridges across the river Waal at Nijmegen in the night of 28/29 September, 1944. The first team was sent to attack the railroad bridge, the second and third team to attack the road bridge.

The story of Sgt. Rowson’s “Radiomir Panerai” is matching with information on the capture of both, second and third team which failed to attack the road bridge of Nijmegen. These eight “Kampfschwimmer” units (of which one of them belonged the Ref. 3646 / Type C) were: Orlowski, Ohrdorf, Weber, Schmidt, Kolbruch, Dyck, Gebel and Halwelka (two KIA, six POW).

The caption of a drawing by War Artist Captain Bryan de Grineau of the British Army in Holland, to which we give our credits, published in an undated British newspaper (part of a collection of documents, provided to us by German frogmen veteran Karl-Heinz Kiefer during our research of the book “History1”) reads as the following:

“Like men from Mars! Amphibious German assault troops captured near Nijmegen, presenting a fantastic appearance in skin-tight rubber suits, extraordinary rubber flappers, rubber skull-caps, and oxygen masks. The whole denoted a daring night attemp to blow up the Nijmegen bridges, the men being detected struggeling upstream in the early morning.”

Furthermore, in this interesting story, the attack of the two Nijmegen bridges, with a focus on the attack of the road bridge (located around 500 metres before the railroad bridge) is written below:

“One of the most daring enemy acts of the war was an attempt on the night of September 28 to blow up the Nijmegen railroad and road bridges spanning the Waal. If successful it would have cut communications between the British troops each side of the river. The men selected for the task – twelve in all – were first-class swimmers who underwent three months special training at Venice. They wore rubber skull-caps, rubber skin-tight suits, and paddle-shaped rubber flaps attached to their boots, which enabled them to cut through the water downstream with remarkable speed. They were also equipped with rubber masks which enabled them to swim long distances under water, being connected with oxygen flasks. Entering the Waal 17.5 miles above Nijmegen at night, they carried three floating charges of powerful Hexanite explosive, each like a twin torpedo, and split up into three parties, one making for the railway bridge, the other two for the road bridge, each charge provided with a time fuse. They were nearly successful but the strength of the eight-knot current prevented them from fixing the charges quite successfully. They made the mistake of swimming back upcurrent. After covering 6.25 miles exhaustion forced them to rest in the shallows. British soldiers saw them and fired, killing two. The remainder surrendered. Our War Artist at Nijmegen illustrates the prisoners coming in. The first charge exploded by the road bridge, doing little damage, the second was heroically rendered harmless by a naval lieutenant who dived under the bridge.”

An interesting photo of the attacked railroad bridge (dated 30 September 1944), attacked by the first group of four German “Kampfschwimmer” units (Bretschneider, Jäger, Olle and Wolchendorf), can be found in the archives of the Imperial War Museum here. Only Bretschneider and Jäger returned to their lines, while Olle and Wolchendorf were caught after the attack and became POW.

Another small but interesting detail (in terms of the Panerai watches worn by the frogmen of the second and third team) of the well documented attack of the Nijmegen bridges, can be read in the book “The Frogmen” by Waldron & Gleeson, published 1954 and part of our library, on page 119:

“The minutes ticked by as the other eight swimmers sat huddled on the bank conversing in low tones, and glancing often at the luminous dials of their underwater watches. When the time came, they put on their oxygen sets and slipped quietly into the water.”

wornandwound.com published a Ref. 3646 / Type C  watch and its interesting history behind earlier this week. The Vintage Panerai watch with “Radiomir Panerai” dial and Rolex 618 / Type 1 movement marks the first “new entry” in our database in 2018, being another piece of the puzzle added into our records of today known Ref. 3646 / Type C watches. The “Radiomir Panerai” with deep red numbers and markers, blued hands, remaining original strap and nickel-plated brass pin buckle will be auctioned at Birmingham (UK) based Fellows on 30 January, 2018 (lot 188). Read more in their blog here. Revolution also reported about the watch in January here.

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. The seven different variations (including the number group 3646 / Type C – page 248-397 – to which this watch belongs) can be found in our reference quickfinder on page 14-20. Pin buckles like the remaining one which comes with this watch are featured in chapter V (page 677-691).

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