Copy Panerai Black Watch, Japanese Panerai Black Replica

Panerai Luminor 1950 8 Days Rattrapante (PAM00319)

item as describe, nice transaction

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Laura J Gast, From Germany Bad Hersfeld

Panerai Ferrari Chronograph (FER00038)

Excellent Panerai Ferrari Chronograph (FER00038), very fast delivery, pleasure doing buisness

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by Lauren B, From United Arab Emirates Al Ain, Abu Dhabi

Panerai Luminor 8 Days Rattrapante Brown Dial Men's Watch PAM00319

not only is this watch adorable, it is also a one of a kind piece. I love ladybugs and this piece just makes you smile

---- [Rating: 5 / 5 stars]

Review by LEMAIRE Patrick, From United States Wilmington, Delaware

With its timeless design and the sophisticated technical solutions created by the new Manufacture in Neuchâtel, the Radiomir 1940 is the main focus of the new Panerai collection presented at Watches & Wonders 2015.

It is the calibre P.1000, a new hand-wound movement with a power reserve of three days, which powers the new Radiomir 1940 3 Days, available in steel or red gold with
a diameter of 42 mm. Unmistakably Panerai in their design and respect for the company's historic characteristics, the two new models have sizes and features which make them the ideal choice for all enthusiasts looking for a watch with pure lines but a b personality, versatile and suitable to every situation.

The new P.1000 calibre is entirely made in the Panerai manufacture in Neuchatel. The movement features a large brush-finished bridge covering the major part of the wheelwork and a bridge with two supports firmly holding the balance, which oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour). Thanks to the two spring barrels connected in series, the calibre has a three days power reserve, a requirement which has been part of the identity of the brand since the 1940s, when the Florentine watchmakers Panerai decided to use Angelus calibres with a power reserve of eight days for the watches supplied to the Italian Navy. Its commandos had to be able to count on an instrument with reliable timekeeping which would not be subject to wear or leaking as a result of frequent rewinding.

The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days also has the system for stopping the balance which operates in conjunction with the device for zeroing the seconds hand: when the winding crown is pulled out, the balance wheel stops and the seconds hand, rotating in the classic subsidiary dial at 9 o'clock, is moved back to zero, so that the watch can be synchronised exactly with the reference time signal.

The case is water-resistant to 10 bar (a depth of about 100 metres) in the polished AISI 316L stainless steel version and to 5 bar (about 50 metres) in the gold version. The latter is made of 5NPT red gold, the special gold alloy used by Panerai, which has a high percentage of copper, as well as a small amount of platinum which helps to prevent the precious metal oxidising.

The sapphire crystal of the porthole on the back of the new Radiomir 1940 3 Days enables the construction and finish of the P.1000 movement to be admired while the polished bezel frames the classic Panerai black dial, with large bar markers and figures. In the steel model (PAM00574) the alligator strap is coordinated with the light green of the Super-LumiNova, while the model in red gold (PAM00575) is supplied with a black alligator strap.
 
 

Published in Italy on the 2nd of July, the new Panerai book tells the story of the past and present of the Florentine brand Panerai. Published by the Italian publishing house Marsilio and created with the editorial coordination of the Cologni Foundation for the Metiers d'Art, the book respects the identity of the brand with its elegant, simple yet sophisticated graphic design, its attention to detail, and the richness and originality of its content.

It consists of five essays covering five different aspects of the identity of Panerai, each one written by a different author. The essays take the reader on a journey through the fascinating worlds which define the distinctive identity of the Florentine brand: the history, the technology, the sea and the design.

Available in four languages - Italian, English, Chinese and Japanese - the book is distributed throughout the world by Rizzoli International.

Launched in September 2000, www.paneristi.com is managed voluntarily and independently from the Panerai brand. Each day it attracts thousands of users from all over the world. The Paneristi are spread throughout all the countries of the world but North America is the region most bly represented, followed by Europe and Asia, in particular Singapore and Hong Kong. The Paneristi periodically arrange to get together for reunions and share comments, ideas and experiences.

Over the years, Officine Panerai has created several special models as a tribute to the loyalty and passion of the Paneristi. The Luminor Base Logo created in 2010 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the website's founding was developed taking into account the preferences expressed by the Paneristi.

The new Luminor Base Logo is distinguished by the minimalism of its lines and its design is consistent with the details of vintage Panerai watches. The Luminor case in polished AISI 316L stainless steel, 44mm in diameter, expresses solidity and strength, and it has the characteristic bridge device with locking lever to protect the winding crown, helping to ensure water-resistance to 100 metres. The added inscription of "Paneristi" is engraved on the locking lever and the inscription PANERISTI.COM 15TH ANNIVERSARY is engraved on the back of the timepiece.

The black dial has the classic baton hour markers with figures at the cardinal points, and the OP logo which gives its name to the model is printed in blue at 6 o'clock. The legendary nocturnal visibility typical of every Panerai model is ensured by a special coating of Super-LumiNova® ecru, a shade of vintage inspiration which is co-ordinated with the sewing of the strap.

The new Luminor Base Logo (PAM00634) uses the OP I hand-wound mechanical calibre with a power reserve of 56 hours, and it is supplied with a black leather strap with contrasting sewing, easily replaceable thanks to the special system of screwed bars, patented by Officine Panerai.
Only 500 units of the Luminor Base Logo will be produced.

A large Panerai wall clock, with the iconic minimalist design which makes every timepiece of the Florentine brand immediately recognisable, enables anyone entering the Info Point at the Expo Gate at Piazza Castello to read the time in Milan and five other world capitals, chosen for their international vocation and their connection with Universal Expositions: London, New York and Paris (seat of the BIE, the Bureau International des Expositions) and also Shanghai and Dubai (hosts respectively of the last and the next Universal Expositions).

Like all the brand's timepieces, the clock provides exceptional visibility at night, making it legible even in darkness, and it is therefore visible at all times from outside the Info Point, thanks to the building's ethereal structure of transparent glass and tubular steel.

This summer, Officine Panerai will also completely renew its Milanese boutique at Via Montenapoleone 1. The boutique is currently being restyled and enlarged under the supervision of the designer Patricia Urquiola, creator of the new concept already incorporated in the Flagship stores recently opened in Florence, Hong Kong, New York and Paris.

The length of one day is derived from the period of one rotation of the Earth and the length of one year corresponds to the period of one revolution of the Earth around the Sun. But, because of the elliptical orbit of the Earth round the Sun and the axial tilt of the Earth's rotation in relation to the equator, the duration of a day measures exactly 24 hours on only four occasions in one year, while on all other days there is a difference between apparent time (solar time) and conventional time (mean time) which varies between being up to about 15 minutes ahead or behind, depending on the time of year.

This difference, the measurement of which is one of the classic complications of high quality watchmaking, is called the "equation of time".

The new Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days displays the equation of time by a linear indicator on the dial.

The inclusion of this complication does not alter the classic Panerai design of the the watch, housed in the Radiomir 1940 case, made of AISI 361L stainless steel - an alloy that is particularly resistant to corrosion - with a polished finish, and waterresistant to 100m.

The dial is black with the classic sandwich structure invented by Panerai in the late 1930s: two superimposed discs contain the luminous substance, the light of which emerges through the holes in it corresponding to the markers on the upper disc, providing a unique tonal depth and high legibility. As well as the linear indicator of the equation of time, the dial also contains the seconds counter at nine o'clock, the date window at three o'clock and the circular indicator on which the month can be read.

On the back of the case is a sapphire crystal window which enables the details and fine finish of the hitherto unissued P.2002/E hand-wound movement to be admired. This is a development of the P.2002 calibre, the first to be made by Officine Panerai in 2005: the three spring barrels provide a power reserve of eight days.

The Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days (PAM00516) is a special editions of only 200 units; it is fitted with an alligator strap.

As well as providing exceptional technical performance, carbotech has an uneven, matt black appearance, which varies according the cutting of the material: the result is that each watch is truly unique. 
 

The structure of carbotech is designed to enhance both the aesthetics and the performance of the material, which is used to make the case, the rotating bezel and the lever bridge which protects the winding crown.

The dial of the new Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech™ is black with applied hour markers, the date window is at three o'clock and the small seconds counter adorned with Panerai blue details is at nine o'clock. The screw-in caseback is made of titanium with black treatment. The P.9000 automatic calibre beats at the heart of the watch. It is water-resistant to 300 metres. 

The new Luminor Submersible 1950 CarbotechTM is fitted with a black rubber strap, personalised for the first time by the OP logo in Panerai blue, and it is supplied with a spare strap and a screwdriver.

French Paneristi don't have to wait till Christmas for a special treat. Artcurial is organising a "Panerai Only" auction entirely dedicated to the Italian brand on December 8^th in its Parisian headquarters on the Rond-Point des Champs-Elysees. A hundred pieces dating from the 1930s to the present day will be going under the auctioneer's hammer, to the delight of collectors who are sure to compete fiercely for several historical lots or for more recent models produced in limited editions as the brand loves to do, and equally coveted. Among the watches on offer, 15 are from the same private collection.

To underscore the importance of this sale and the enthusiasm generated by the brand among aficionados, the watches to be auctioned in Paris were on show in two prior exhibitions - one in Geneva on November 6^th and the other in Milan from November 19^th to 23^rd.

The sales catalogue comprises three sequences. The vintage watches date from 1930 to 1950, the period when Panerai was official supplier of diving instruments and watches for the Italian navy and did not produce timepieces for the general public. "Pre-Vendôme" models comprise the first Panerai watches intended for the public market, launched in 1993, and those produced until the brand was bought up in 1997 by the Vendôme group (which was itself subsequently absorbed by the Richemont group). And finally, the "Vendôme" period which includes timepieces that have come on the market since 1997 and through to the present day.
 

The vintage historical models include a 1940 ref. 3646 Radiomir that is exceptionally rare. This cushion-shaped 46 mm steel wristwatch features a black 'sandwich' dial with luminescent hour-markers and Arabic numerals, and a mechanical Rolex movement. It is estimated at between 80,000 and 120,000 euros.
A ref. 6152 Marina Militare dating from the same year has the now famous crown guard specially designed at the time to meet the requirements of Italian navy combat frogmen. Valued at between 85,000 and 150,000 euros, it is supplied in its presentation box complete with a Panerai compass. In 1956 the Egyptian navy placed an order for a Panerai diver's watch, resulting in the Radiomir Egiziano, a giant 60 mm model and the first diver's watch to boast an 8-day power reserve and a shotblasted rotating bezel. On auction for the first time, ref. GPF 2/56 is estimated at between 100,000 and 150,000 euros.
 

In the "pre-Vendôme" section, a 44 mm Luminor Marina, produced around 1994 in a 200-piece limited edition and equipped with a hand-wound Unitas movement, will doubtless appeal to collectors - not only because of its rarity but also because it is one of the very first Panerai watches with a PVD case.

In 1993, Sylvester Stallone ordered a watch from Panerai and thereby played a key role in the brand's spectacular rise to public fame. The Luminor Submersible SlyTech Sylvester Stallone special edition that will be up for auction in Paris dates from about 1996 and was initially announced as a 200-piece limited edition, but only 95 were produced in the end. This collector's watch bearing the number 090/200 comes with a presentation box, two additional straps, a scale model of the Italian SLC torpedoes and an authentication letter from the Panerai quality control director! The buyer can expect to shell out between 40,000 and 50,000 euros to take this one home.

The most recent timepieces include around 20 Radiomir watches produced between 2009 and 2013, notably two featuring the Californian dial with Arabic and Roman numerals, a handsome Regatta chronograph (PAM00246 n° 1074/300) driven by a self-winding movement with split-second and jumping seconds functions, and a large 52 mm Mare Nostrum (PAM00300 n° M60/99) housing a Minerva column-wheel movement. Finally, the catalogue also includes several Luminor models: Chronograph, Submersible, Marina and Power Reserve.

But the truly original Christmas present for a die-hard Paneristi is the large black wooden box containing a watchmaker's lathe and tools (139 in all), built at Officine G. Panerai in Florence, and estimated at…. Shh, gifts are priceless!

More information
 
 
 

Officine Panerai traces its origins back to 1860 when Giovanni Panerai opened a watchmaker's shop in Florence and became a supplier of precision instruments, such as depth gauges and wristwatches, to the Italian Navy. Today, Officine Panerai's Radiomir and Luminor collections still use the b identity of the original military models.
Radiomir is named after a radium-based powder developped by the company to improve underwater and low-light time display.

The brand, which opened a production facility in Neuchâtel in 2002 where the in-house movements are produced, belongs to the Richemont Group.

WORLDTEMPUS - 8 March 2012

"We would like to offer more expensive and limited timepieces and also look into new exciting materials," David Cyrner said during a recent visit to the Italian watch brand Anonimo in the Florence area. Anonimo has actually been rechristened Firenze Orologi S.r.l. since former owner and founder Federico Massacesi sold his company in 2011 to Belgian investors. Cyrner is no stranger to the Florentine brand as he has been the Benelux distributor of Anonimo since 2004. He fell in love with it while he was working in the Dutch diamond business. Instead of simply spending money on an expensive watch, he decided to represent the whole watch brand.
"I didn't just want to buy a watch. I wanted the whole watch brand," Cyrner smiles.

Anonymous address
Anonimo's headquarters are located eight kilometers outside the Florence city center and offer a beautiful view across the scenic city on a clear day. The anonymous (pun intended) villa houses the management, administration, product development, graphics and the pearl of the watch company: the manual finishing of the cases.
The basement houses some of the 80-year-old machinery utilized, which is expertly handled by the humming-like-Winnie-the-Pooh Alessandro, who sandblasts, brushes and polishes the masculine cases that end up housing the Polluce, Marlin, Professionale, Militare and, last but not least Dino Zei, watch models.
The latter is named after the legendary naval officer who worked for Panerai from 1972 through 1997, when Vendôme (now Richemont) took over the former military-issue watch brand. Today, Dino Zei acts as the newly announced honorary president of Anonimo. Anonimo named a watch line for him in 2004.

Pearl of a case
The cases are undoubtedly the magic element of an Anonimo and make for their "bella figura" as an Italian would say: it is their outside beauty that counts - which, of course, runs exactly counter to the current maxim in Swiss watchmaking, which mostly favors what is inside the case.
The manual labor put into these cases in a wonderfully old-fashioned, far from mass-produced way is quite remarkable and fascinating to such a degree that while discussing the uncertain future of movement delivery from the Swatch Group, it occurs to yours truly that Anonimo is more about handcrafted Florentine case making than uncertain Swiss movement supply. This only proves that Cyrnes and his fellow countrymen from Belgium probably did well if they invested in the impressive Florentine case making element rather than a watch company that has to compete with the movement manufacturing frenzy going on in neighboring Switzerland these days.
Anonimo's new tagline could well be: masters of Florentine case making, users of Swiss movements. Either way, checking this brand out in Hall 5.1 this week during Baselworld would be well worth the visitor's time.
 

Presented for the first time at the exhibition "O'Clock - time design, design time" (Milan Triennale, 11th October 2011 - 8th January 2012), the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days - 47mm (PAM00422) is an excellent example of the mix of design and technique embodied by Panerai watches.
The special design of the case is inspired by a rare historic model and is characterized by the pronounced cusp rounding of the carrure. This feature, rich in meaning from the historical viewpoint, testifies to the transformation, which occurred in the early 1940s, of the Radiomir's cushion case into that of the Luminor, and in the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days - 47mm it enhances a 47mm steel Luminor 1950 case (AISI 316L), with the classic lever device protecting the winding crown made of brushed steel.

The black dial of the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days - 47mm is typical of the Panerai style, with small seconds at nine o'clock and the classic succession of large numbers and indexes. The dial has a "sandwich" structure with the ecru Super-LumiNova® layer enclosed between two plates, which emerges from the holes made in correspondence with indexes and numbers, to give maximum clarity and depth to the dial. The engravings "Luminor Marina" and "Panerai", made using characters from the period, complete the design of the dial.
The movement of the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days - 47mm is the hand-wound Panerai calibre P.3001, entirely executed at the Neuchâtel manufacture. With a 16½ lignes diameter, the P.3001 has a structure characterised by large bridges, two barrels providing a 3-day power reserve, and a variable-inertia 13.2mm-diameter balance, which permits adjustment of the movement rate of the watch thanks to the screws on the outer ring. The movement is visible through the crystal of the back case, which also allows the wearer to read the power reserve indicator placed on the main bridge.
Identified by the reference PAM00422, the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days - 47mm is made in a series of 2,000 pieces. It comes with a strap in a pure and natural leather, without any additional lacquer finishing, closed with the classic Panerai brushed-steel buckle.

IW Magazine - 1st November 2011

If there is one Italian phrase that those familiar with Panerai watches already know, it is Laboratorio di Idee. This mantra, literally "Laboratory of Ideas," is the governing philosophy at the heart of this luxury watchmaking company. Panerai prides itself on creative virtuosity, and over the course of its long history this unique philosophy has borne diverse fruit in the form of compelling watchmaking firsts, from the 1936 premiere of the Radiomir luminous watch to the more recent invention of a scratchproof ceramic-like case material called Panerai Composite, a material that enjoys the benefits of aluminum's lightness and high-tech ceramic's scratch resistance.
Though the Laboratorio di Idee slogan could be interpreted as a metaphor for all of Panerai's operations—the design and marketing team based in Milan, the Swiss movement production and assembly near Fleurier and in Neuchâtel, and even the carefully curated shopping experience provided at worldwide boutiques—the phrase is never more apt than when used to describe Panerai's Neuchâtel-based R&D department, which is responsible for furthering the Panerai legend by harnessing cutting edge technologies.

Growth
Over the past decade or so, Panerai has grown impressively in two key areas: the first has been to achieve an enviable degree of vertical integration in its movement production—to the tune of ten new movements since opening its Neuchâtel manufacture in 2002. In just short of a decade, Panerai has evolved from a "hot" design brand using only supplied movements into a respected manufacture, whose prolific invention of new calibers has caused the watch industry to take note.
More recently, however, observers of Panerai have witnessed a renewed level of attention paid to the Panerai watch case, the classic, oversized cushion shape on which the Italian design powerhouse built itself cult status. That's right, Panerai has a real cult following: They gather at least once a year in a different major city to celebrate "P-Day," and they call themselves the "Paneristi."
One need not figure among the Paneristi to know just how important those iconic case designs are to Panerai's image. Perhaps more than any other watch brand, innovations in case design have helped to shape the development of Panerai, from the wire lugged Radiomir to the bold, tough and highly water-resistant Luminor, with its iconic crown protector. And let's not forget who started the whole oversized watch case trend.

Materials
Over the last few years Panerai has pioneered a number of bold breakthroughs in case manufacture. It was last year that the firm came out with its first watch housed in proprietary Panerai Composite, a material formed when aluminum is immersed in an electrochemical bath; and it was just this year that Panerai released a watch that has become a true critic's darling, the Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo 47 mm.
According to Panerai, development of Panerai Composite watches resulted from a relationship that the firm forged in the high-end sports-automotive industry. Ceramacized aluminum was invented originally to shield parts of the engine. When the R&D department at Panerai learned of the material and its possibilities in case manufacture, it became very interested in being the first watch marque to take advantage of the metal's highly desirable attributes, including a phenomenal weight-to-strength ratio.
The new material also presented Panerai with a simpler, more effective method for producing scratchproof cases. Unlike high-tech ceramic, which Panerai forms into rough case shapes from zirconium powder and then machines into proper watch cases, Panerai Composite begins as a block of aluminum, which is machined into the case shape almost exactly as the firm would one of its steel watch cases.
It also helps the technicians achieve the right tolerances in fewer attempts: the holes for screws, for example, are right the first time. Other components can also be made in the Composite material to match the case, including the ardillon buckle and the caseback.
"Panerai Composite is the ideal material for the creation of watch cases, as it guarantees both comfort and great aesthetic qualities, resistance to knocks, scratches and high temperatures," Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati told iW. "Furthermore, Panerai Composite is ductile, allowing for complex geometries and processing, and is inert, so it does not change its structure or appearance over time."
Making cases
How exactly does Panerai turn aluminum into ceramic? As mentioned before, the process begins with an aluminum block, which Panerai machines just like steel. A technician puts the machined aluminum case into a chemical bath, through which a very high electrical charge is allowed to pass. When the charge passes through the liquid and the aluminum, a chemical transformation occurs in which the aluminum molecules of the case attach to the oxygen molecules in the bath.
The result is Al2O3, an aluminum-based version of ceramic. Depending on the case shape, the chemical transformation occurs approximately 40 to 70 microns deep: more than enough to prevent scratching, but not so deep that the lightness of the aluminum inside is compromised. (By way of comparison, the typical black PVD or DLC-coating found in high-end watchmaking is between one and two microns thick.)
To date, Panerai has made three timepieces from the new Panerai Composite. Last year the material made its debut in PAM 339, a 47-mm Radiomir-cased limited edition with eight days of power reserve from manual winding. The timepiece, powered by the in-house caliber P.2002, was the hottest limited edition that Panerai released in 2010 and was exceedingly difficult for many of Panerai's most devoted fans to get.

This year at SIHH, sensing the pent-up demand for Panerai Composite watches, the firm released two Luminor versions, one a special edition and the other an unlimited piece that joins the contemporary collection. The watches are available in 44 and 47 mm sizes, respectively.
The Luminor Composite 1950 3 Days 47 mm, the special edition, is limited to just 2,000 numbered examples. At 47 mm in diameter, the timepiece is a classic size for Panerai, and has the distinction of debuting the all-new in-house movement P.3000/1, a hand-wound mechanical caliber with a frequency of 21,600 bph and three days of power reserve. In addition to the case, the watch's winding crown, crown protector, bezel and buckle are all also made from Panerai Composite.
The other composite timepiece to debut this year is the Luminor Composite Marina 1950 3-Day Automatic 44 mm. This timepiece is powered by the in-house P.9000 automatic caliber, which offers 72 hours of power reserve from its two winding barrels. Among its more impressive attributes is its water resistance to 300 meters, all the more impressive because of the smoked sapphire crystal case back that enables an open view of the back of the movement.
The Bronzo
Among the biggest hits from any brand at the SIHH 2011 was the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo. This 47 mm diver's watch marked the very first time that Panerai made a watch from bronze. The Paneristi and other fans of the brand enthusiastically applauded the Bronzo at its debut and clamored for it when its 1,000 examples were released, causing it to sell out very quickly.
Many in the industry cited the piece's rarity, in terms of its limited nature but also because there are so few bronze watches from any brand on the market. According to Panerai, the inspiration for the Bronzo came from the firm's longstanding sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, an international circuit of classic yacht regattas, and the recent restoration of a very special classic yacht, Eilean, which the firm oversaw and funded.
"As often happens with Panerai, our inspiration comes from the sea, and in particular from the world of classic yachting, which we are deeply involved in through our sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge," Bonati told iW in an interview.
Nautical influence
If you were to board Eilean, and walk along her wooden deck, you would see gleaming bronze and brass fittings and instruments dotting her surface. The Bronzo, a tribute to the instruments of classic yachting, also gleams when it is delivered to its customer. But its appearance from that point on can go in any number of directions.
Over time, the watch's bronze case develops a unique patina, with a number of factors contributing to just how deep that patina will go. These factors include but are not limited to the frequency one wears the Bronzo, the oils and acids of the wearer's wrist, and the climate in which the watch is worn. In this sense, the Bronzo is a living timepiece that evolves with the wearer and becomes, over time, more and more his own.
If, as is often asserted, an individualized experience is central to luxury, then the Bronzo, with its limited production, is one of the most luxurious timepieces one can buy.
According to Panerai, manufacturing a bronze watch is no more difficult than machining steel or aluminum. However, the real difficulty in producing and delivering the Bronzo to Panerai customers is in the handling. Because the Bronzo is "living," an errant fingerprint or other accidental touch to human skin can start an unwanted patina on the case.
Therefore, everyone who touches the Bronzo—during machining, casing, testing, shipping and even retailing—must wear protective gloves.
Panerai sees the Bronzo as an ultimate collector's piece, for informed buyers who understand that the case is supposed to change color and texture. That being said, Panerai has not ruled out the possibility of more bronze editions in the future, a development that would please collectors.
Ceramic
High-tech ceramic is a well-established material in haute horlogerie. Panerai's preference for durable, sporty watch cases makes it a natural brand for making stealthy, stylish and sporty ceramic watches. Had ceramic watch case technology existed in the 1930s and 1940s, the Italian Navy might have commissioned just such a sleek diver's timepiece from its preferred instrument supplier.

Today Panerai makes its ceramic watches from zirconium oxide, which it obtains by pressurizing the material in powder form, to achieve a uniform, even appearance, and very high quality. The method is a far cry from the less costly ways ceramic cases are produced, such as injecting the material into a mold.
This year, Panerai has cased its P.2002/3 in-house movement in a 45 mm ceramic Radiomir case to create the Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica. The watch has a completely black look, from the case, bezel and dial to the DLC-coated pin buckle and buffalo leather strap. Even the sapphire window onto the in-house movement is smoked, reinforcing the all-black appearance of the Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica.
Though perhaps not as rare as some of the other materials that Panerai uses for watchmaking, titanium remains one of the best materials for making large, sporty watches because of its excellent weight-to-strength ration. This year Panerai presented a left-handed monopusher chronograph in a Luminor case, the Luminor 1950 Monopulsante Left-Handed 8 Days Titanio 44 mm.
Powered by the in-house P.2004/9 manual-wind chronograph caliber. With three spring barrels powering timekeeping and the monopusher chronograph, this timepiece is anything but underpowered.
As we've seen, Panerai offers one of the widest ranges in materials of any firm in the high-end watchmaking sector. With composite, bronze, ceramic and titanium to choose from, collectors in search of a high-end watch with real originality will find no shortage of options. Of course, Panerai continues to make several best-selling models in steel, as well as the occasional gold and platinum timepiece. And as we've seen in recent years, many of these cases surround in-house movements—another facet of the firm's manufacturing research and development that will undoubtedly reward Panerai collectors again in just a few months as the firm's 2012 models debut in Geneva.

The "Panerai Catalogue" is organised according to the classification of Officine Panerai watches, which are subdivided into four collections: Historic, the models driven by hand-wound calibres; Contemporary, the models with automatic movements; Specialities, the watches that express the highest level of technical excellence of Panerai production; Special Editions, the limited edition timepieces, which embody the values that are deeply rooted in the history of Panerai, namely rarity, exclusivity, authenticity and simplicity. Each watch from the different collections is illustrated with images and detailed technical information.

A specific section of the Panerai Catalogue application is devoted to calibres developed in-house by Officine Panerai at its manufactory in Neuchâtel. The technical features and functions of each of the ten calibres are illustrated through images, videos and detailed information, and each one can be instantly associated with all the models it powers.

Panerai Magazine is the second application developed by Officine Panerai specifically for the iPad, following the Panerai Magazine dedicated to 2011 news and novelties. It is available in English and can be downloaded free from the link:
http://itunes.apple.com/en/app/panerai-cat/id433429616?mt=8

WORLDTEMPUS - January 20, 2011

At SIHH, Panerai continues to show many in-house calibers and exotic materials such as a black composite, and this year even debuts a watch with a case made of bronze and boasting a green dial. While this is good and exiting, Panerai is best when it integrates the brand "story," which includes historical models originating in 1930s and '40s: watches made with a purpose and with a size not dictated by fashion but by profession. In this case, Italian military divers.
One of the retro-styled products presented at SIHH 2011 is the 47-millimeter PAM372 1950 Luminor with a three-day power reserve movement from the new P.3000 manual wind collection. The hefty watch is fitted with a so-called sandwich dial, meaning a dial consisting of two layers. The "top" dial is perforated, allowing the luminous underplate to shine through.
This twin-layered dial is no novelty, but rather a construction found on the very first Panerai watches from the early years. This watch's crystal is not the usual sapphire, but made of Plexiglas to closely emulate the original. This may sound like a cheap solution to some - and, of course, it is cheaper than to a domed sapphire crystal - however this is also a feature inspired by the original wartime timepieces.
Furthermore, the Plexiglas should be appreciated for visual aesthetic reasons as it displays less distortion in relation to the perforated Arabic numerals on the sandwich dial. The use of tinted Luminova gives the watch an instant vintage look.
The vintage look is evidenced in the strap as well. The pre-worked hides used for the strap fitted to the PAM372 look like they have already seen some battle, adding yet another vintage feel to this 47-millimeter ticking storyteller, which shows off the latest caliber when one looks through the transparent sapphire crystal case back.
Reference PAM372 will be manufactured in a sizable amount of 3,000 units, which is undoubtedly good news to hard core Paneristi who not had the chance to buy into low-production special editions such as the historic pieces from the 1930s and '40s.
The PAM372 is priced around 7,000 euros depending on local VAT. This is a decent price considering the in-house movement as well as the amazing story this particular model tells.