Straight from the SIHH 2016 in Geneva, we are bringing you our hands-on with what we think is one of the most beautiful historical inspired Panerais ever released along with the new Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 663.
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SIHH 2016: Presenting the New Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days PAM 655. Hands-on Live Pictures & Pricing.
The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic PAM 655 takes its inspiration directly from the 1940s model but in an absolutely contemporary style. Subtle, light, distinguished by its essential lines and maximum clarity of reading and setting, it is a sports watch adapted to every situation.
News: Pre-SIHH 2016 Presenting the Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic PAM 655. First Radiomir Ever with a White Dial.
A little bit over a month before the SIHH 2016 kicks off, Panerai presents the first Radiomir to have a white dial. The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic PAM 655 takes its inspiration directly from the 1940s model but in an absolutely contemporary style. Subtle, light, distinguished by its essential lines and maximum clarity of reading and setting, it is a sports watch adapted to every situation. For the first time in a watch in the Radiomir 1940 collection, the dial of the new Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic is offered in white. Its graphic design maximizes the dial’s clarity and legibility, with the large black figures corresponding to the hour markers and the small seconds dial at nine o’clock, a characteristic of Panerai watches of the 1940s. The cushion case, in AISI 316L stainless steel with polished finish, measures 42 mm in diameter and only 10.93 mm in thickness.
Insider: Panerai Radiomir Black Seal 8 Days PAM 609. Delivered an Actual 9 Days, 3 Hours and 10 Minutes of Power Reserve During Our Hands-On Review.
Launched a few months ago, the new Panerai Radiomir Black Seal 8 Days PAM 609 is the latest addition to the 'Black Seal' family within the Radiomir collection. The first modern Panerai Radiomir watch honoring ref. 3646 from the late 1930s was launched in 2004 as the Panerai 'Radiomir Black Seal' PAM 183 with a 45mm —the original Radiomir watches had a case measuring 47mm in diameter— stainless steel cushion-shaped case. Since then, many iterations of the 'Radiomir Black Seal' have followed with dial changes —i.e. today, the PAM 183 features the 'Black Seal' writing at 12 o'clock instead of at 6 o'clock as it did when it was launched in 2004—, release of new models with in-house calibres that include date functions, power reserve indicators and most recently powered by the manual wound Panerai in-house calibre P.5000 with an outstanding 8-day power reserve. Interestingly enough, while working on our hands-on review, the PAM 609 reviewed here, ended up delivering an impressive total power reserve of 9 days, 3 hours and 10 minutes.
Insider: Panerai Radiomir Black Seal 3 Days Automatic PAM 388. An Upgraded PAM 183 with Date and Automatic Movement.
In the 1930s, the men in the Italian Royal Navy's Gamma Group, carried out their maneuvers astride human torpedoes a.k.a. "pigs" or indeed "black seals". The first modern Panerai Radiomir watch honoring ref. 3646 from the late 1930s was launched in 2004 with a 45mm —the original Radiomir watches had a case measuring 47mm in diameter— stainless steel cushion-shaped case with detachable wire lugs, display case back, black matte sandwich dial with superluminova, onion-shaped crown, gold calf strap with beige contrast stitching, large pin buckle and the OP XI hand-wound movement —based off of the ETA 6497/2 but with a swan neck regulator. This Panerai, was released under the 'Radiomir Black Seal' name and usually referred to by Paneristi as the PAM 183. Today, the PAM 183 includes the 'Black Seal' writing at 12 o'clock under the word 'Radiomir' instead of at 6 o'clock as it did when it was launched in 2004.
News: Officine Panerai Opens Flagship at Miami Design District. Largest Panerai Point of Sale in the U.S. To Date.
Adding up to the large number of watch boutiques now opening in Miami's Design District, Officine Panerai presents its first ever flagship store in the Americas, created by the architect and designer Patricia Urquiola. The new flagship is situated in the heart of the Miami Design District, an area of the city which has recently been transformed into an exclusive luxury shopping destination. The boutique extends over an area of 2,200 square feet on two floors with two different entrances making this the largest Panerai point of sale in the United States to date. The flagship store is in the south-west corner of the Design District’s Palm Court and it has seven windows, five on the ground floor and two on the upper floor. The boutique windows face onto the piazza of the Palm Court, which is easily recognized by the large glass sculpture shaped like a geodesic dome in the center of the courtyard.
Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 372. A Flawless Modern Execution with Unparalleled Vintage Look and Feel.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Radiomir and Luminor names identified the luminescent material used by Officine Panerai to increase the night-time and underwater visibility of watch dials intended for use by Italian Navy commandos. Over the years, the two terms have come to identify the shape of the cases of Officine Panerai's two iconic watches, one case representing the evolution of the other. The Luminor case was in fact born out of the need to make the Radiomir case even more resistant and watertight. This is why the crown-protecting device was added, shielding the crown and making it more watertight, with the strap attachments made from the same block of steel as the case replacing the welded wire lugs.
News: Presenting Three New Officine Panerai Radiomir Watches. Radiomir Black Seal 8 Days PAM 609, Radiomir 8 Days PAM 610 and Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Titanium PAM 619.
Officine Panerai is pleased to introduce three new timepieces within the Radiomir family. As you all know, the Radiomir line features a 45 mm case across the board with the exception of the Radiomir 1940 3 Days which is fitted with a 47 mm case construction —powered by the in-house calibre P.3000 which also powers the 47 mm Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare 3 Days PAM 587 presented here and the Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 372 reviewed here. The three new models are the Radiomir Black Seal 8 Days in stainless steel —PAM 609—, the Radiomir 8 Days in stainless steel —PAM 610— and the Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic in titanium —PAM 619. In the 1930s, the men in the Italian Royal Navy's Gamma Group, carried out their maneuvers astride human torpedoes a.k.a. "pigs" or indeed "black seals".
SIHH 2015: Introducing the New Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days PAM 516 and Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days PAM 601. Live Pictures and Pricing.
Continuing with our hands-on reviews of all the novelties presented at the SIHH 2015, here we have a pair of new timepieces from Panerai that are very special. We are talking about the new Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days in stainless steel PAM 516 and its counterpart the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days also in stainless steel PAM 601. Both watches display the sophisticated complication called the “equation of time” via a linear indicator on the dial located at 6 o'clock. The difference between the mean time indicated by a watch and the true time indicated by the solar meridian is called the “equation of time” and it is the result of the combination of the Earth’s inclination and its elliptical orbit. The linear equation of time indicator displays this difference in time and it is set automatically when the date and the month are set on the watch. The date and month are indicated at 3 while the running seconds are at 9 o'clock.
SIHH 2015: Introducing the New Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanium PAM 614 and PAM 615. Live Pictures and Pricing.
Last week at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie SIHH 2015 in Geneva, Panerai unveiled seven new timepieces that we have been showing here on our website. This time is the turn to present you our live pictures of the other two new Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible watches after we presented you the Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech here last week. The Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanium PAM 614 and PAM 615 are two of our favorite releases from Panerai this year.
The new Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanium fitted with a very robust titanium Luminor 1950 case measuring 47mm in diameter incorporates features which have in common the military context of their origins and it appears as a contemporary watch with a strongly sporting character, with great personality and the purest Panerai identity.
SIHH 2015: Introducing the New Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 CarboTech 3 Days Automatic PAM 616. Live Pictures and Pricing.
Today, we were able to check all the Panerai novelties that include three Luminor Submersible 1950s, a couple Equation of Time pieces and a Mare Nostrum in titanium with tobacco dial. Here, we have the live pictures we took of the new Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 CarboTech 3 Days Automatic PAM 615. The Luminor Submersible 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic presents a remarkable new technical innovation with its case made of Carbotech, a composite material based on carbon fiber, never before used in the world of watchmaking and a technology owned by Panerai.
News: Presenting the New Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare 3 Days PAM 587. 1,000 Pieces of Pure Historical DNA.
The details of a special edition of strong vintage appeal recall the historic links between the Italian Navy and Officine Panerai. The story of the Radiomir 1940 is the story of the development of the design of Officine Panerai watches. Its essential lines recall the intermediate stage in the transformation of the cushion case of the first Panerai watches, created in 1936, to the more robust shape of the Luminor 1950. The new Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare presents the pure design of this case, combined with a series of historic details demonstrating the fidelity of the new model to those created for the Italian Navy. The case is 47 mm in diameter, the standard size for watches made for the commandos of the Navy, because they had to be worn over a wet suit. It is made of 316L stainless steel, an alloy particularly resistant to corrosion that is perfect for a watch water resistant to 100 meters.
News: Officine Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic PAM 572 and 573. Powered by the New In-House Movement with Micro-Rotor.
The Radiomir 1940 is presented for the first time with an automatic movement and the brand new in-house Panerai calibre P.4000 calibre which was fully designed and assembled by Officine Panerai in Neuchâtel. The distinctive feature of the new calibre is it off-centered oscillating weight, winding in both directions, just like the distinctive micro-rotor inside many of the Patek Philippe automatic movements. With a diameter of 13¾ lignes and just 3.95 mm thick, it has been developed to integrate perfectly with the proportions of the Radiomir 1940 case. The new P.4000 calibre is the first Panerai automatic movement with an off-centered micro-rotor. This means that the rotor is smaller in diameter than the calibre itself: a sophisticated technical solution which enables the movement —and therefore the watch itself— to be much thinner.
Insider: Officine Panerai Radiomir S.L.C. 'Siluro a Lento Corsa' 3 Days PAM 425. Iconic Like its Predecessor from 1936.
The Officine Panerai Radiomir S.L.C. —Siluro a Lento Corsa— 3 Days, represents a tribute to the history of Officine Panerai and to a watch that has constituted a fundamental milestone in the history of professional diver’s watchmaking. Many of the characteristics of this watch come straight from the prototype created by Panerai in 1936 to equip the commandos of the Royal Italian Navy. Fitted with a cushion case in stainless steel with measuring 47 mm in diameter, the Radiomir S.L.C. 3 Days features the iconic slender wire strap attachments of the Radiomir line as well as the conical —onion shaped— crown and a very simple dial with a special feature on bas-relief.
News: Officine Panerai Restores Paolo Uccello's Clock at the Duomo in Florence.
Officine Panerai in partnership with the 'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore' proudly presents the newly restored mechanism of the Paolo Uccello's clock located inside 'Il Duomo di Firenze'. This magnificent clock that everyone that has been to 'Il Duomo' cannot forget as it is located right above the main door inside the church, was exquisitely designed and hand painted by Renaissance master painter and mathematician Paolo Uccello in 1433. Uccello, is very well known for his paintings across multiple churches in Florence including the 'Life of Saint Francis' at the church of 'Santa Trinita', the 'Annunciation' at 'Santa Maria Maggiore' and the 'Lives of the Church Fathers' at the abbey of 'San Miniato Al Monte' which is located on a hill above the Piazzale Michelangelo overlooking Florence from which we took the picture of Florence right below Paolo Uccello's portrait.
Insider: Presenting the New Officine Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days PAM 590. Live Pictures and Pricing.
Panerai watches were created to face the darkness of the night and of the depths of the sea: these were the conditions under which the special underwater forces of the Royal Italian Navy operated, as they carried out missions which demanded extraordinary courage and heroism but also exceptionally durable and reliable equipment. It was in the 1930s and 1940s of the last century that the Italian Navy nominated Orologeria Panerai in Florence, with which it had already collaborated for many years, as its trusted partner for supplying underwater watches for the frogmen. To satisfy the strict requirements imposed by the Navy, the workshop of ideas created by the Panerai family developed a timepiece and other precision instruments embodying innovative technical solutions of genius and revolutionary simplicity, solutions which transformed those watches into an icon and which still today make every Panerai watch immediately recognizable.
News: Rare and Historical Panerai ref. 6152/1 Luminor Sells for 425,000 Swiss Francs at Sotheby's Important Watches Auction in Geneva.
Today May 14, 2014 Sotheby's Important Watches Auction took place in Geneva. While this auction didn't bring as much attention and high bidders as the Christie's auction two days ago, some interesting selling activity took place.
We do have to say, that we are quite surprised that many very interesting lots did not sell and those lots that were expected to fetch very high amounts, ended up realizing mediocre amounts under the low estimate or right in the middle.
News: Presenting the New Officine Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT 24H PAM 531. First Panerai In-House Movement with a Complication.
Finally, after several years of seeing Panerai watches labeled as GMTS but fitted with what in reality is a 12H second timezone independent hand, Officine Panerai presents this new watch truly designed for world travelers featuring a real 24H GMT function. This new watch, Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT 24H PAM 531 allows the wearer to simultaneously read the time in a second time zone by means of an independent central hand which makes one revolution of the dial in 24 hours.
Insider: Panerai Galileo Galilei's Pendulum Clock PAM 500. A 30-Piece Limited Edition.
The pendulum of Galileo Galilei, the “measurer of time” which marked a turning point in horology because it opened the doors of the modern era, now beats again thanks to Officine Panerai and its new Pendulum Clock. This is a faithful reproduction of the instrument designed by Galileo to demonstrate that the law of isochronism of small oscillations of the pendulum – the period of oscillation of pendulums of equal length is constant regardless of the amplitude of oscillation —could be applied to the measurement of time. Galileo’s discovery in the 17th century represented a real revolution, because it enabled clocks to progress from an error of several minutes per day to one of just a few seconds. The escape wheel designed by the Tuscan scientist is recognized as the first free escapement in history and the Pendulum Clock therefore represents an operation of exceptional historic importance and technical mastery, underlining once again the link between Galileo, Florence, Science and Officine Panerai. The application of the pendulum to timekeeping is a long and painful story: Galileo could not develop his intuition of 1641 since he was by then almost blind, so its realisation was entrusted to his son Vincenzo. Galileo died in the following year and the project lay dormant for a long time until, in 1649, his son decided to complete it. A blacksmith made the iron frame and the wheels and pinions in their crude state while Vincenzo Galilei himself cut the teeth of the escapement. Unfortunately he too died a few months later and the model, still incomplete but probably operational, remained in oblivion for some time.
It was in 1659 that Vincenzo Viviani, friend and biographer of Galileo, recovered the model at the request of Leopoldo de Medici and brought it to the Florentine prince together with a drawing. And it is only the latter which survives, because all trace of the machine itself has been lost: the drawing now preserved in Florence illustrates the structure and the principle of operation of this instrument which gave physical form to the intuition which Galileo had had years earlier and to the formulation of the laws of isochronism.
The Pendulum Clock is based on the model made by the Florentine clockmaker Eustachio Porcellotti in 1887 from this original drawing, a model which is now preserved in the Museo Galileo in Florence. The winding system and the dial are not shown in the drawing. Galileo believed that isochronism had resolved all the defects of clocks: this was the fundamental point of his discovery, and he was therefore not concerned with what type of motive power should be used or with the design of the dial. For him these were secondary details, which, however, may have been hinted at in the model shown to Prince Leopoldo de’ Medici because a writing by Vincenzo Viviani mentions a “clock of iron, unfinished, with pendulum, Galileo’s first invention”. Porcellotti added both a barrel with the mainspring and a dial with Roman numerals to his model, thus completing the instrument by indicating hours and minutes.
The remarkable new Officine Panerai production interprets Porcellotti’s work almost exactly.
The height of the Pendulum Clock is 35.6 cm, the width 18.5 cm and the depth 11.1 cm: the
dimensions of this table clock are taken from the original drawing and they are confirmed by the few other reliable reconstructions. The frame consists of two main plates, which are made not of iron, as in the original model and Porcellotti’s, but of brass, plated with nickel-palladium, and they are joined by crosspieces at the top and the bottom fixed in the traditional way by taper pins.
The upper crosspiece carries the escapement and the pendulum suspension, while the lower one connects the lower parts of the frame plates which are formed into four scrolled feet. Between the base and the dial is the spring barrel, the drum of which contains a spring 4.10 meters long which powers the clock for eight days. The clock is wound by turning the square winding arbor with a key, while a ratchet with its related spring is mounted above the center of the spring barrel to prevent it unwinding.
Higher up is the sandblasted glass dial with Roman numerals, like that of the 1887 model, with black-lacquered hands. The wheels with their hand-finished teeth, the bezel surrounding the dial, the spring barrel and other details are all gold plated. Composed of 153 components and one barrel, the clock provides an eight day power reserve when fully wound.
The fundamental part of the clock is the regulating pendulum and escapement designed by
Galileo. This consists of an escape wheel with 12 pins fitted to its side and 12 teeth cut in its
perimeter, and three levers, one on the left as you look at the clock and two on the right. The
one on the left, the longest lever which ends with a hook, is the stopping lever; the two on the
right, arranged like scissors, are the release and impulse levers.
While the wheel is in its stopped phase, the pendulum is completely free from any contact with it, and for this reason the device is called a “free escapement”. The pendulum itself consists of a rod terminating with a gold plated ovoid lenticular bob, with the screw for adjusting the period of oscillation below it. On the lower crosspiece is a place for keeping the key for winding the clock.
The Pendulum Clock is mounted on a mahogany base, with a hinged plate on the front on which the name of the model is engraved; underneath the plate is a bubble level, indispensable since the clock must be perfectly horizontal to run accurately. The base is leveled by turning the four adjustable feet of the wooden base. Completing the Pendulum Clock is a glass case, with a black-lacquered aluminum frame and a door at the front enabling the clock to be wound and its hands to be set. The Panerai Pendulum Clock is made in 30 numbered units, sold only in the Officine Panerai boutiques around the world.
Sticker Price $43,200 USD. For more info on Panerai click here.
News: Officine Panerai Opens its 10th North American Boutique. This Time in Aspen, Colorado.
Last month, Italian watchmaker Officine Panerai announced its U.S. retail expansion by unveiling its largest boutique in North America to date in Aspen, Colorado. The Aspen location is Panerai’s 10th U.S. boutique, and its 63rd worldwide, and displays the high-end sports watch brand’s recent global architectural design concept that showcases the finest elements of Italian style and engineering, as well as highlights the company’s nautical history. Located in the heart of Aspen’s renowned high-end shopping district, Panerai’s new 1,255 square foot boutique is located in a two-storied landmark building with sweeping views of Aspen Mountain and features an expansive sales area, library and VIP lounge for customers to experience the Panerai brand.
To celebrate the official opening, Panerai will participate as a Presenting Sponsor of the Light It Up Blue Aspen Gala in support of Autism Speaks and Extreme Sports Camp on Sunday, February 16th which will be held at The Hotel Jerome in the ski resort town. For the gala’s live auction, Panerai will donate an Aspen Special Edition Luminor Marina 44mm PAM 00467, #1 of the limited edition series, in brushed steel. This highly-coveted Special Edition timepiece bears a unique engraving on the case back depicting the Rocky Mountains and Aspen Mountain, and will be presented to the highest bidder by Panerai North American President Rafael Alvarez at a private event at the Panerai Boutique the following evening.
In addition to welcoming dignitaries from Autism Speaks and key influencers from the local community, the event will continue with a private cocktail reception on February 17th dedicated to local-area watch enthusiasts who will come together to view Panerai’s latest collection and get to know each other in an Italian-inspired congenial atmosphere. To further support Autism Speaks and its local Aspen-affiliate Extreme Sports Camp, Panerai will donate a percentage of proceeds for sales made throughout the week to the two non-profit organizations. Mr. Alvarez commented, “We’re delighted to participate in Light It Up Blue Aspen, in support of Autism Awareness and we’re grateful to the Aspen community for giving Panerai such a warm welcome this winter season. We look forward to lots more community involvement in the years ahead.”
Jill Pidcock, Director of Development for Extreme Sports Camp which is collaborating with Autism Speaks on the Light It Up Blue Aspen events, added “Light It Up Blue Aspen is honored to have Officine Panerai as a Presenting Sponsor for our 3rd annual Gala. Raising awareness and funding for autism is critical in so many lives; we appreciate that Officine Panerai also recognizes the importance of this effort. It is very gratifying to have such wonderful support in our own Aspen area community.”
For more info on Panerai click here.
