In the upcoming 86th auction at Dr. Crott (november 10th, 2012) another Ref. 3646 watch will probably find a new owner. The other Vintage Panerai of the same auction, a Ref. 3646 / Type C watch has been introduced here already in june.

The watch is in our database since 2008. It bears the typical features of a Ref. 3646 / Type D: case number 260641, Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement and the anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” sandwich dial. Case, caseback and plexi are not polished and have a lot patina. The watch comes with the original onion shaped crown. Due to the strong corrosion of the steel hands (visible on the original minute hand), the hour hand must have been replaced with another type of hands (squelette), probably from a cockpit watch or desktop / alarm clock.

The new owner will have the choice to keep the watch as it is now or try to find a NOS steel hand, which is hard to find in these days – but not impossible… Interesting detail is also the old leather strap, which is sewn onto the wired loops: the buckle end is mounted at 6’o’clock – not as usually at 12’o’clock. Reason could be that the user / owner of this watch was a lefty.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 260641
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

A good and careful service is recommended to bring back the power into the watch. The movement shows dust and aged surfaces on bridges and wheels, which is typical for a watch that hasn’t been used for a long time. We know that this watch was on display in a german museum at the baltic sea (Rügen island).

Some time ago I had the chance for making this photo, in the middle the Ref. 3646 / Type C watch of our good friend. I had the chance for comparing the differences between Type C and Type D cases, bezels, casebacks – aside the different dial versions: engraved “Radiomir Panerai” and the “Kampfschwimmer” version. The younger companion on the right, the Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” is making the line-up a big load of Panerai DNA at one spot. All three of them powered with the Rolex Cal. 618.

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.

German auctioneer Dr. Crott features two Vintage Panerai watches in their new invitation leaflet for the upcoming 86th auction on november 10th, 2012.

The Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” (left page / 1st line) was one of the highlights of their 85th auction. In the preview for the 86th auction there is again a Ref. 3646 / Type C “Kampfschwimmer” (right page / 2nd line) in the spotlight.

In the 20th anniversary issue of “Chronos”, a german watch magazine, remarkable auction results are featured in a report on page 122-125. Beside watches from Patek Philippe, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Rolex, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, a Vintage Panerai Ref. 3646 / Type D  “Kampfschwimmer” is lined up with its hammer price (incl. buyers premium) sold at the 85th auction of Dr. Crott.

Get your copy at the newspaper stores across europe.
Find more info at www.watchtime.net

A very interesting 3646 / Type D watch will be auctioned at Auktionen Dr. H. Crott on their 85th auction on may 12th, 2012. The watch is matching in all details with our database.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 260437
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

The caseback bears a rare engraving (“Marine Kampf-Schwimmer 1945″) with the initials “BD” of the german frogmen instructor Bernhard Dornsiepen. He has been mentioned by veteran Karl-Heinz Kiefer during an interview, which was held in december 2011, of which extracts will be published in our new book “History1″. He mentioned Dornsiepen as one of the instructors at Lehrkommando 700 (“Weisskoppel”) for indoor training several times and underlined his diving skills.

Similar watches can be found in chapter I.IV of our book “Vintage Panerai – The References”. We hope it will find a good new home!

Tried to catch a nice movement view of a Vintage Panerai “Kampfschwimmer” watch. The Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 used in Ref. 3646 watches are doubtless a part of the Panerai DNA. Strong machines, which still can keep perfect time after many years of use…

A few more photos of the Ref. 3646 / Type D watch, which will be auctioned in may 2012 in Frankfurt/Germany.

During a visit at the department of the Auctioneer Dr. Crott I was able to take a close look at the details of the watch. The original plexi “volcano dome” looks just stunning. The watch has the original onion shaped Rolex crown with “Brevet +” signature. The winding of the crown onto the tube is still possible but could be improved during a service by the future owner.

The case of the watch shows a very nice aging. It has not been polished and bears a lot of super fine scratches and hairlines, giving the case an unique matte finish, which appears as a beautiful mixture between polished and brushed steel.

Remarkable is also the original strap which is still on the watch. Used in seawater caused an obvious “shrinking process” over the past decades, this strap is still attractive from a collectors’ point of view – even if the watch can’t be worn with this strap anymore. It would be too dangerous to damage it. Knowing that this watch came as it was for many years, there is of course the chance to find a new leather strap in “historic look” so that the watch can be worn.

A very interesting 3646 / Type D watch will be auctioned at Auktionen Dr. H. Crott on their 85th auction on may 12th, 2012. Further details of the auction and this LOT will be published at their website soon.

The watch is matching in all details with our database. The caseback bears a rare engraving (“Marine Kampf-Schwimmer 1945″) with the initials “BD” of the german frogmen.

Similar watches can be found in chapter I.IV of our book “Vintage Panerai – The References”. We hope it will find a good new home!

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 260437
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

[Photo courtesy of Auktionen Dr. H. Crott / S. Pflaesterer]