Another Ref. 3646 / Type D watch will be on auction in november: A “Kampfschwimmer” – 260563 – will be auctioned at Sotheby’s during their Important Watches auction in Geneva, november 13th.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 260563
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

The watch is listed in our database since february 2010. It is one of more than 50 watches within the Ref. 3646 / Type D number group. You can read and see more about the different versions of Ref. 3646 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References”. In specific, watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D are introduced in chapter I.IV (page 84 to 121)

We hope that also this watch will find a good new home and remains surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world.

[photo courtesy of Sotheby’s / G. Ader]

“Chronos”, one of the biggest german watch magazines, has published a nice report in the column “Sammlerträume” (“Collectors’ dreams”) of their november/december issue 6-2012. Get yourself now a copy at the newspaper stores across europe!

It features the Vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 / Type D  “Kampfschwimmer” watch that has been auctioned in may 2012. Read also our recently posted information about this watch – pre-auction – movement – dial – caseback – post-auction – its nice to see that this watch got some attention in the news now, and also that it found a good new home! [Volker Wiegmann]

A rare Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” infront of the camera. Produced by Panerai for the italian state police divers (“Sommozzatori della Polizia di Stato”, founded in 1958). It bears a rare engraving on the backside of the case: “P.S. 02”.

Today other type of engravings on the casebacks of some few Vintage Panerai watches are known from the italian helmet divers (“S.M.Z.”) and combat swimmers of the Marina Militare (“M.M.”), aside italian police institutions as the Guardia di Finanza (“G.F.”) and Carabinieri (“C.C.”). Some examples for the italian fire brigades (“V.F.”) are known too.

It is interesting to see that Panerai has been a trustful supplier for different italian divers – military and also civil units.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Luminor Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 124816
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

Recently we have added another yet unknown watch into our database.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 6152/1
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 12450X
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4

You can read and see more about Ref. 6152/1 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References”, chapter IV (page 203-255).

Captured the surface of the sandwich dial on a Ref. 3646 /  Type C Vintage Panerai watch.

The milled digits and indexes on the matte black aluminium dial with a diameter of 37 mm are two of the typical features that each Panerai watch bears – from the past until today. The reduced design of the dial – only 4 numbers and 8 indexes – represents the DNA of the Panerai brand on first sight. Even from a distance, a Panerai can be spotted easily because of its “clear” face…

Captured the blue color of the steel hands on Ref. 3646 watches. Always an amazing detail on these watches: the matte black sandwich dial, the aged luminous material in a color range from honey-like orange to a deep red.

These watches carry the DNA of Panerai in many details. Each of these rare watches aged individually. It is always interesting to see how different these watches passed nearly 70 years… and they are still keeping great time!

Features of the Ref. 3646 with “Kampfschwimmer” dial:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 260554
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

Features of the Ref. 3646 with “Radiomir Panerai” dial:
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 1010244
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

You can find more information about Ref. 3646 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References” in chapter I, pages 31-159.

Recently I had the chance to take some photos of two Ref. 3646 watches. The differences between Type C and Type D cases are always nice to point out, but the steel hands are striking eyecatchers on both of them. The blue color of the temperature-treated hands is coming well in a different ankle towards the light source, not easy to capture.

The Ref. 3646 / Type C appears to be one of the “dark red” dials which changed the color of the luminous “Radiomir” over decades. The Ref. 3646 / Type D marks a typical “Kampfschwimmer” watch with anonymous dial.

The casebacks of these watches bear the roots of their origin – both are individually engraved on the outer caseback. The Ref. 3646 / Type D watch has the personalized initials of the first owner and the unit he belonged to, engraved by hand. The Ref. 3646 / Type C watch bears the machine engraved name of the famous italian unit, which carried out underwater missions in the mediterranean sea – the Decima Flottiglia MAS – including its matriculation number.

For our good friend Assaf Burstein from Israel, a long hunt is finally over. We took notice that he can call himself the new happy owner of a Ref. 3646 / Type C watch with “Radiomir Panerai” dial.

The watch has one of the dials which luminous elements (markers and numbers) turned into a deep red colour. In our opinion, the reason for this was the varying composition of the Radiomir paint used in the production of smaller batches. One of the few surfaced pieces of this kind with similar dial has been introduced more than two years ago here.

Not only the front of the watch is a stunner, also the caseback bears a “nice to have” feature, which doesn’t exist often today: less than 10 pieces are known with a “Xa FLOTMAS” (a short for “Decima Flottiglia MAS”) engraving, together with a matriculation number. It underlines that this watch has been used by italian frogmen during 2nd world war. Inside the watch, the Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement from Rolex is ticking, with the typical decorations on the movement bridges, which makes it “one more” clean 3646 / Type C watch entry in our database!

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 1010244
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

You can read and see more about the different versions of Ref. 3646 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References”. In specific, watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type C are introduced in chapter I.III (page 67 to 83)

Congratulations, Asi – we’re very happy for the “new piece” in your collection!
[Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

Photo courtesy / with kind permission of Geoff Hess, USA

Today I had the chance to see another yet unknown Ref. 3646 / Type C “Kampfschwimmer” watch surfacing into the Vintage Panerai world. Auctioneer Dr. Crott kindly informed me that they just had a new arrival for their upcoming 86th auction which will be held in november 2012.

In its actual conditions, this watch is in my opinion a “raw diamond”. It is untouched, stored away for decades which let it appear today in its original conditions. It needs doubtless a cure at a good watchmaker with a heart for historic treasures – he can bring back the power and functionality on this fantastic piece for the future years.  However, the watch was running during my observation. As many other watches too, it has the tubular shaped “Oyster Patent” crown instead of the onion shaped “Brevet +” crown.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type C
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 1010351
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

The original strap has not “survived” but we know this has happened on most of the sewn-onto-the-case straps of Ref. 3646. It should be easy for the new owner to find a strap to his personal taste, so there are many options for this kind of  “personalization” for the future owner.

Once again, this “new surfaced” Ref. 3646 watch is matching our Type C criteria in all details, rising the number of Ref. 3646 / Type C database entries close to 50 watches…! In relationship with the 7 digit case number (the watch is inbetween the number group 1010091 – 1010374) is the Rolex SA embossing on the inner caseback, which is a typical feature of Ref. 3646 / Type C watches. Matching with the inner caseback engravings is the Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement from Rolex with its typical engravings on the center bridge. The outer caseback bears no engraving. The steel hands have kept their blueish color and the luminous material is still nearly complete!

You can also read and see more about the different versions of Ref. 3646 watches in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References”. [Volker Wiegmann]