Panerai Radiomir Black Seal Men's Watch 00380

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.