Famous Panerai Hand Wind Watches, Panerai Hand Wind WristWatch

Panerai Luminor GMT Titanium (PAM00089)

I bought this for my boyfriend, and its a great buy, looks expensive, and is a great gift.

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

Review by Dave E, From United States New York

Panerai Luminor Base Men's Watch PAM00000

very nice, good deal, good watch

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

Review by carol murrell, From Australia Teneriffe

Panerai 10 Days GMT Oro Rosso Automatic Rose Gold Men's Watch PAM00497

I was extremely pleased when I received this watch. It was truly a very distinctive and well made watch. I also was completely satisfied when my husband opened it up at Christmas. He loves the the Panerai Radiomir watch and has been wearing it every day. Thank you. Great find!

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

Review by Boot A, From United States Norristown

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
 
 
 

In the history of Officine Panerai, wristwatches for left-handers appeared for the first time in the early 1940s, when the first examples were produced for the commandos of the Italian Navy with the winding crown and bridge protecting the crown on the left; today these are very rare and highly sought-after by collectors. A possible historic justification for the existence of these watches may lie in the overall equipment carried by the commandos, which included not only the watch but also the compass and wrist depth gauge, which could have been worn on the left wrist instead of the watch.

This historic peculiarity is the distinctive feature of the new Luminor 1950 Chrono Monopulsante Left-handed 8 Days Titanio - 44 mm, a Special Edition fitted with the manufacture P.2004/9 movement, the single-button chronograph calibre completely designed and produced within the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel.

The hand-wound P.2004/9 calibre has three spring barrels, which give a power reserve of eight days, and the seconds reset function, which zeroes the seconds' hand, thus enabling the watch to be perfectly synchronised with a reference time signal. From the constructional point of view, the calibre has a column wheel and vertical clutch, features which identify top-of-the-range chronographs.

The Luminor 1950 case, 44 mm in diameter, is made of brushed titanium with a polished bezel and a sapphire crystal back which enables the movement to be observed and the power reserve to be read, thanks to an indicator placed on a bridge. The cylindrical push-piece which controls all the chronometer functions - start, stop, reset - is at 2 o'clock, on the side opposite the bridge protecting the winding crown. The latter is made of brushed titanium, as is the buckle which closes the brown antiqued leather strap.The brown sandwich dial has the large figures and hour markers which are typical of the classic Panerai appearance, as well as a continuous seconds dial and minutes counter. The sandwich construction, the historic justification of which was the need to maximise the dial's legibility in situations of poor visibility, consists of two superimposed discs between which is placed the luminous material with which the markers and figures are displayed. On the dial, as well as the inscription "Luminor Panerai", the inscription "8 DAYS" refers to the movement's lengthy power reserve.

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.2004/9 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 6.6 mm thick, 31 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. 8 days power reserve, 3 highspeed spring barrels, seconds reset device. Column wheel, 329 components.
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, power reserve indicator on the back, seconds reset, single-button chronograph with two counters.
Case: Diameter 44 mm, brushed titanium. Button for the chronograph function at 2 o'clock.
Bezel: Polished titanium.
Back: See-through sapphire crystal.
Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Brushed titanium.
Dial: Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Minute counter at 9 o'clock. Seconds at 3 o'clock, central chronograph hand.
Crystal: Sapphire, formed of corundum, 2 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating.
Water-resistance: 10 bar (~100 metres).
Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and large-size brushed titanium buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap, a tool to change the strap and a steel screwdriver.
Reference: PAM00345.

Calibre P.2004

The P.2004 is a hand-wound chronograph calibre with column wheel and vertical clutch, elements which are characteristic of top-of-the-range chronographs. The chronograph function is operated by a single button: start, stop and returning the chronograph hand to zero are controlled by a single push-piece, positioned at 8 o'clock so as not to interfere with the classic design of the Luminor case and its distinctive bridge protecting the winding crown. The power reserve is 8 days and the calibre has all the other functions that are characteristic of the P.2000 series: second time zone with 24-hour indication, seconds reset and rapid adjustment of local time.
 

The column wheel is a special design used in chronographs of superior quality; it enables the functions to be more reliably and precisely selected of compared to the pivoting lever device used in less distinguished watches. The innovative vertical clutch of the chronograph prevents the hands making little jumps forward or backward at the instant the function is activated, and it also avoids premature wear on the wheels.

The constant driving force provided by the three spring barrels, combined with the sophistication of the entire construction, means that, even when the chronograph is running, the amplitude of the balance wheel remains almost optimal and the accuracy of timekeeping falls well within chronometer values.

The P.2004 calibre also has the seconds reset device which resets the seconds hand to zero, enabling the watch to be synchronised perfectly with a reference time signal. The operation of the system designed by Officine Panerai is very special: when the winding crown is pulled out to the second position, a thin blade moves into contact with the balance wheel, stopping it. At the same time, a small hammer lever moves downwards and acts on a heart-shaped cam which instantly moves the seconds hand to the zero position. As soon as the winding crown is returned to the normal position, the balance wheel is freed, the hammer lever is raised, thus releasing the cam, and the seconds hand resumes its normal course.

Functions- Hours, minutes, small seconds- Single-button chronograph- GMT 12/24 hours- Seconds reset- Rapid adjustment of local time
Technical specifications- Hand-wound- Power reserve 8 days- 321 components- 29 jewels- 13¾ lignes in diameter- 8.2 mm thick- Column wheel- Vertical clutch- Three spring barrels- Frequency of oscillation 4 Hz- KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device

In the 1930s and 1940s the names Radiomir and Luminor identified the luminous materials used by Officine Panerai to increase the night-time and underwater visibility of the dials of the watches designed for the commandos of the Italian Navy. Over the years, these two terms have come to identify the two different case shapes of the iconic watches of the brand, one of which is a development of the other. In fact, the Luminor case came into being as a result of the need to make the Radiomir case still more water-resistant. To this end, the bridge device with clamping lever was added, protecting the winding crown and making it more water-resistant, while the large, straight lugs, milled with the case from a single block of metal, replaced the wire strap attachments, welded in place.

For the first time, a new Officine Panerai model uses a unique case which marks the historic development of the Radiomir case: the Luminor 1950 3 Days - 47 mm. The Luminor 1950 of the new model, executed in polished steel in the classic size of 47 mm, has a rounded, cuspshaped caseband, directly descended from the cushion design of the case which still today is characteristic of Radiomir watches.

Other details concern the constant search for the best blend between recovering the past and researching for innovation: the flat back with the large sapphire crystal window which enables the manufacturemovement to be seen; the slightly narrower lugs which give a greater impetus to the whole; the Plexiglas® crystal; the engraving of the reference between the lugs, for the first time in the recent history of Officine Panerai but in this case directly derived from the historic originals; and the inscription "Luminor Panerai" which is no longer printed, but engraved on the dial in the lettering of the period.

The dial too confirms Officine Panerai's commitment to authenticity and loyalty to tradition: it employs the sandwich construction which provides excellent visibility under all conditions, as a result of the large quantity of luminous material which is applied between the two thin sheets forming the dial, the radiance of which appears through the figures and the hour markers cut through the upper plate. The hour and minute hands are also covered with the same ecrucoloured luminous material.

The new Luminor 1950 3 Days - 47 mm is fitted with the P.3000 calibre, a hand-wound mechanical movement entirely designed and developed by the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. With a diameter of 16½ lignes, the P.3000 has the characteristic structure of large bridges, two spring barrels providing a power reserve of three days and a variable inertia, 13,2 mm balance wheel which enables the rate of the watch to be adjusted quickly and easily by means of the screws positioned externally around the rim. 

Identified by the reference PAM00372, 3,000 units of the Luminor 1950 3 Days - 47 mm are being made. It is supplied with a leather strap - with vintage treatment making it very similar to the straps of the models of the time - closed by the classic Panerai buckle in brushed steel.

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, Panerai P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 16½ lignes, 5.3 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21,600 alternations/ hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 160 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes.

Case: Diameter 47 mm, polished steel.

Bezel: Polished steel.

Back: See-through sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Brushed steel.

Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers.

Crystal: Plexiglas®, 3 mm thick.

Water-resistance: 10 bar (~100 metres).

Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and large-size brushed steel buckle. Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

Reference: PAM00372.

Entirely designed, developed and produced in the Officine Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, the hand-wound P.3000 calibre presents the main characteristics of the Panerai movements both in terms of structure and in terms of performance, robustness, accuracy and its long power reserve.

The thickness of the calibre P.3000 is 5.3 mm and the diameter is 16½ lignes, a substantial size which traces its origins from that of the movements which were fitted to the historic Panerai models. The calibre is immediately recognisable by its construction, which is similar to that of a three-quarter plate movement: a large bridge, next to another smaller one, covers the majority of the mechanical parts and it is fixed to the bottom plate by a series of screws of substantial thickness, thus forming a particularly rigid structure.

The movement has 21 jewels and it uses two spring barrels connected in series. Such an arrangement enables long, thin springs to be used, which ensures the delivery of a more even force and also does so over a longer period of time, with a power reserve of 3 days. The balance wheel is unusually large (13.2 mm) and it is the variable inertia type, with four adjusting screws arranged externally round the ring, so that the rate can be regulated without it being necessary to remove the whole assembly. Supported by a bridge with twin supports - a fixing much safer and more stable compared to the cantilevered single bridge - the balance wheel oscillates at a frequency of 3 Hz, equivalent to 21,600 alternations per hour. It is fitted with an Incabloc® antishock device and is free-sprung, so there is no regulating lever.

With brush-finished bridges and chamfered angles - that is, with the angles smoothed and polished - the P.3000 calibre is also fitted with the device for the rapid adjustment of the time: a star wheel with 12 points and a small spring clutch enable the hour hand to be moved one hour at a time, without interfering with the movement of the minute hand or the operation of the watch.

Functions

-Hours, minutes, small seconds

Technical specifications

-Hand-wound

-Power reserve 3 days

-160 components

-21 jewels.

-16½ lignes in diameter

-5.3 mm thick

-Two spring barrels

-Frequency of oscillation 3 Hz

-Incabloc® anti-shock device

With its automatic Panerai P.9000 movement, its Luminor 1950 case in Panerai Composite® and its strict adherence to the functional and aesthetic codes which make every Panerai watch unique, the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic Composite - 44 mm is a classic example of Panerai's tradition for innovation and quality.

The Luminor 1950 case and the bridge protecting the winding crown are executed in Panerai Composite®, the synthetic ceramic, used in haute horlogerie for the first time by Officine Panerai, which is created by an electro-chemical process involving the transformation of aluminium. Panerai Composite® is much lighter than ceramic but at the same time it is much harder and more resistant than steel, furthermore it is matt and extremely distinctive in appearance.

The large, unadorned brown dial is of a sandwich construction consisting of two superimposed layers containing the Super-LumiNova® which forms the fluorescent figures and hour markers. It is in the classic Panerai style, reflected by its thickness and high legibility even in the dark. The dial is protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment.

The P.9000 automatic movement, which can be observed through the smoked sapphire crystal case back, is 13 ¾ lignes in diameter and 7.9 mm thick and it has been entirely designed and constructed within the Officine Panerai manufacture at Neuchâtel. This calibre has a date function, small seconds at 9 o'clock and a power reserve of three days, achieved by two spring barrels connected in series, with an oscillating rotor which winds the springs in both directions.

The Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic Composite - 44 mm is water-resistant to 30 atmospheres (about 300 metres) and it is supplied with a strap of antiqued brown leather, with a Composite buckle of the same colour. Identified by the reference PAM00386, it is part of the Contemporary collection.