Christie’s New York will feature a Ref. 3646 / Type D with anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement in their upcoming auction Important Watches on 12 December, 2019. Read more in our Watch Point about this watch.

[Photo of the Ref. 3646 / Type D watch courtesy of www.christies.com]

Christie’s New York will auction a Ref. 3646 / Type D with anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dial in their auction Important Watches on 12 December, 2019 (lot 10). It is the third new entry of the Ref. 3646 / Type D in our database in the year 2019.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer”  (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 2605XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

Watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D with anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dials are featured in our book “The References” 1930’s-1940’s on page 398-531 in chapter II.IV.

Further info on this watch can be found in Christie’s e-catalogue 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]

[Photos of the Ref. 3646 / Type D watch 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). 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]

Geneva based auctioneers Phillips and Christie’s will offer five Vintage Panerai watches in their upcoming auctions between 12 and 14 November 2016.

First of the five is lot 82 – a Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” with Rolex movement and crown-protecting device in The Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR (session one: 12 November 2016, 6 pm, lots 1-100). Read more about this Ref. 6152/1 in our Watch Point. Lot 152 – a “warbird” in shape of a Ref. 3646 / Type D is the second Vintage Panerai to be auctioned at Phillips (session two: 13 November 2016, 6 pm, lots 101-196). Read more about this “Kampfschwimmer” in our Watch Point. The following lot 153, a Ref. 6154 “Small Egiziano” is the third and last Vintage Panerai watch to be auctioned at Phillips. Read more about this watch in our Watch Point.

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

One day later, 14 November 2016, Christie’s is featuring two Vintage Panerai watches in their Sale 1417. The morning session starts at 10 am (lots 1-146) in which a Ref. 3646 / Type B with “Radiomir Panerai” dial and “Xa FLOTMAS” engraving on its caseback will be auctioned (lot 99).

The afternoon session starts at 2 pm (lots 147-236), in which a Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” dial will be up for auction (lot 209). Read more about these two Ref. 3646 watches in our Watch Point.

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

Watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type B, Type C and Type D are featured in our book “The References” (first volume / 1930’s-1940’s) in chapter II.II-IV.
Chapter VII and VIII.II of “The References” (second volume / 1950’s-1960’s are featuring watches of the Ref. 6154 and Ref. 6152/1. Visit our bookstore for more info.

Christie’s features two Ref. 3646 watches in their upcoming auction on 14 November 2016 in Geneva (Sale 1417).

The first Vintage Panerai watch in Christie’s Sale 1417 is a Ref. 3646 / Type B with dark red aged “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement. The watch is recorded in our database since 2010, back then with a cylindrical “Oyster Patent +” crown (Type 13). The onion shaped crown which is acutally fitted to the watch appears to be a replacement for the earlier cylindrical shaped crown during the last years (after March 2011).

The inner caseback bears the small Oyster Watch Co hallmark, which is a typical feature of Ref. 3646 / Type B watches. The outer caseback shows the remaining engravings of a rare matriculation number of the Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS (short “Xa FLOTMAS No. 038”). Information about Ref. 3646 watches with a “Xa FLOTMAS” engraving on their casebacks can be found on page 301-303 in chapter II.III.

Watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type B are featured in our book “The References” (first volume / 1930’s-1940’s) in chapter II.II on page 170-247.

Further info on this watch (lot 99 / page 69) can be found here.

The second Vintage Panerai watch in Christie’s Sale 1417 is a Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” sandwich dial and Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement. The watch is recorded in our database since 2011, back then with “double pencil” shaped brass hands, which have been replaced with blued steel hands in March 2013 on demand of the former owner. The watch was listed for sale at Chrono24 earlier this year.

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).

Further info on this watch (lot 209 / page 145) can be found here.

We hope the watches will find good new homes and remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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

Christie’s features two different Ref. 3646 watches an a “40 metri” depth gauge from Guido Panerai & Figlio in their upcoming auction on 16 May 2016 in Geneva (Sale 1413).

Lot 133: A “Luminor Panerai” depth gauge (case size: 70 x 90 mm) for 40 metres with anti-reflective coating. The back of the depth gauge is signed “OFFICINE PANERAI · FIRENZE · BREVETTATO”, the steel GPF buckle, sewn to the strap, is unsigned. The Guido Panerai & Figlio instrument is accompanied by a heavy, stainless steel knife for underwater works, made by Galeazzi (La Spezia).

Similar depth gauges in various versions (aimed for proper use in different depths depending on the underwater activities) are featured in our new book “The References” (second volume / 1950’s-1960’s) in chapter XI (page 1314-1367). An identical “40 metri” depth gauge is shown on page 1364-1366. A similar Galeazzi knife with tool grip has been introduced earlier here.

Lot 134: This watch has been added recently in our database. New to the market, representing another typical “Kampfschwimmer” of the Ref. 3646 / Type D number group with anonymous sandwich dial. The inner caseback engravings which bears the Rolex SA stamp, reference and case number, in combination with the Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement, are matching our database criteria for watches of the Reference 3646 / Type D number group.

Watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D are featured in our new book “The References” (first volume / 1930’s-1940’s) in chapter II.IV (page 398-531).

Lot 135: Again up for auction at Christies, the Ref. 3646 / Type C with “Radiomir Panerai” dial, as introduced in earlier postings from a past auction in November and December 2013. The outer caseback is engraved with a matriculation number of the Italian Decima Flottiglia MAS (short “Xa FLOTMAS No. 048”).

Watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type C are featured in our new book “The References” (first volume / 1930’s-1940’s) in chapter II.III (page 248-397).

We hope the depth gauge and the 3646 watches will find good new homes and remain surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world. [Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann]

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

Christie’s New York will have a rare GPF 2/56 “Radiomir Panerai” with Angelus movement (LOT 154), made for the Egyptian Navy, in their upcoming Important Watches auction 3752 (June 17th).

This “Egiziano Grosso” bears the matriculation number 012 on the inside of the caseback, which is screwed onto the body by six screws. The “engine” of this watch with a case size of 60 mm and rotating bezel, the Angelus Cal. SF 240 eight-days-movement, is signed “12.55” and equipped with an Incabloc shock protection.

The Angelus movement can be clearly identified on the face of the huge watch by its small second function with a subdial at 9 o’clock. Hour and minute hand are shaped in the “single pencil” style, which is also typical for Vintage Panerai watches with Angelus movement. The sandwich dial bears the “8 GIORNI BREVETTATO” symbol on the right side at 3 o’clock. This engraved symbol is an unique feature in the range of Vintage Panerai watches, and can be found only in this particular reference, which was produced for the Egyptian Navy.

Features of the watch:
Reference: GPF 2/56
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 012
Movement: Angelus Cal. 240 SF (8 days)

This GPF 2/56 “Radiomir Panerai” is already recorded in our database and has been published in our book “The References” (first edition 2009 / chapter V).

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

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

Christie’s New York features another rare Ref. 3646 / Type D (LOT 155)  in their upcoming Important Watches auction 3752 (June 17th). The watch with its anonymous “Kampfschwimmer” dial is recorded in our database since 2013.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 / Type D
Dial: “Kampfschwimmer” (sandwich, anonymous)
Case number: 2606XX
Movement: Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1

The inner caseback engravings bear the Rolex SA stamp, reference and case number of the watch. In combination with the Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement, these details are matching with our database criteria for watches of the Ref. 3646 / Type D number group.

The caseback of the watch bears the additional “Marine Kampf-Schwimmer” (navy frogmen) engraving plus the year of its service (1945). The initials of the watch’s first owner “AM” were engraved in a german POW camp right after the war, where some of the remaining german frogmen units were imprisoned. After the war, many watches “changed ownership” with members of the allied forces and travelled to these servicemen’s home countries (UK, USA…).

Like other valuable asset, wrist watches were sometimes traded for other goods, which were urgently needed for life back in these days (“lucky strike currency”). This is why today some of these watches surfaced overseas, as it is the case with this watch. Since the end of the 2nd world war this Ref. 3646 / Type D watch remained in the United States, where the family of the 2nd owner (a former U.S. Navy serviceman) contacted us in 2013 to find out the history behind.

Similar watches of the 3646 / Type D number group are featured in our books “History1” (chapter II) and “History2” (chapter V and VII). You can read in these books many details about training and missions in which these Panerai watches were an important part of the frogmen’s equipment during the 2nd world war.

May 2014 will be interesting to follow three important auctions, where Vintage Panerai watches will be up for sale. We hope they find a good new home and remail surfaced in the Vintage Panerai collectors world.

Dr. Crott (Frankfurt/Germany) starts the auction month on saturday, may 10th. They have an engraved “Kampfschwimmer” Ref. 3646 / Type D in their 89th Auction (LOT 289). The watch comes with a rare brass dial, corresponding flat bezel, typical Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement, leather strap and very rare chromed brass buckle. The caseback of this Vintage Panerai watch is engraved with the initials of the first owner HV surrounded by Marine-Kampfschwimmer 1944.

Christie’s (Geneva/Switzerland) has another Ref. 3646 / Type D “Kampfschwimmer” on their Important Watches 1401 for auction (LOT 433) on may 12th. This Vintage Panerai watch comes with anonymous sandwich dial and the typical Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement (with 17 jewels and without Incabloc). The caseback is engraved with the initials of the first owner GF surrounded by Nahkampflehrer von L.K. 700 1945.

Last but not least, Sotheby’s (Geneva/Switzerland) presents a Ref. 6152/1 “Luminor Panerai” in their Important Watches auction (LOT 298) on may 14th. The watch belonged to Admiral Gino Birindelli (M.O.V.M.), commander of the Com.Sub.In. in the 1950s and SLC pilot veteran from WW2. The engine of this Vintage Panerai watch is the typical Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 4 movement (with 17 Jewels and Incabloc). It comes with a rare, rotating plexi bezel of which only a few pieces are existing today.