SIHH 2012: OFFICINE PANERAI
Kong
The authenticity of a Panerai watch is expressed in its loyalty to the history of the brand and in the innovative research that ensures its technological excellence. The SIHH 2012 collection reinterprets the Luminor and the Radiomir with the most original technology and materials while recovering details of the Panerai story.
Here is a list of the new products (which will be posted following this main post) :
PAM 00438 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA – 44MM TUTTONERO
PAM 00441 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA – 44MM
PAM 00396 : LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT CERAMICA – 48MM
PAM 00395 : RADIOMIR 8 DAYS GMT ORO ROSSO – 45MM
PAM 00399 : RADIOMIR 1940 – 47MM
PAM 00398 : RADIOMIR 1940 ORO ROSSO – 47MM
PAM 00422 : LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS – 47MM
PAM 00423 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS POWER RESERVE – 47MM
PAM 00424 : RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS – 47MM
PAM 00425 : RADIOMIR S.L.C. 3 DAYS – 47MM
PAM 00448 : RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS – 47MM (Special Edition LE to 500 pcs)
PAM 00449 : RADIOMIR S.L.C. 3 DAYS – 47MM (Special Edition LE to 500 pcs)
HISTORY
The history of Officine Panerai, which is the inspiration of each new collection, is the tale of an extensive pursuit of technical and aesthetic solutions combining the perfection of simplicity with the highest possible quality. Exploring the history of the brand involves the re-presentation of the shapes, functions and details that are authentic but as yet have not been rediscovered. In doing this the Panerai watches of today continue to faithfully recount the most exciting chapters in the history of an Italian excellence.
FROM THE RADIOMIR TO THE LUMINOR
In the course of Panerai’s history, the case used in 1936 for the first prototype of the watch presented to the Royal Italian Navy was gradually developed to meet ever more closely the requirements of the frogmen in their heroic underwater deeds.
The first Panerai case had an elegant cushion shape and the strap was connected to it by slender wire strap attachments, formed by a metal rod bent at both ends and welded to the case. This arrangement exposed the attachments to the risk of being bent or broken by strong external forces, and as a result the commandos were in danger of losing an instrument of vital importance in the course of their missions.
The need to avoid this risk caused the Panerai engineers to experiment, from 1940 according to some sources, with new solutions to strengthen the structure of the case, paying particular attention to the strap attachments. The result of this research was the replacement of the wire attachments with more robust lugs, larger and milled from the same block of steel as the case.
The definitive transformation of the first cushion case, which today is offered by Officine Panerai with the name Radiomir (originally the name of the radioactive material which made the dial luminous), occurred gradually during the 1940s. The new case was distinguished from its predecessor not only by the different arrangement of the lugs, but also by the general modification of the sizes of the individual parts and the abandonment of the corners of the caseband, typical of cushion cases, in favour of one with flatter edges.
But the element which made the new case unique, and the one which today identifies the Luminor models (the name being borrowed from the tritium-based material which replaced Radiomir), is the bridge-shaped device fitted to protect the winding crown. At the centre of this device is a tightening lever which applies pressure in such a way as to compress the sealing ring of the crown without damaging it, thus optimising its water-resistance. An exclusive Panerai patent, this device enabled the watch to be water-resistant to a depth of 200 metres, an absolute record for the time, and it also provides the winding crown with protection against shocks or accidental rotation.
THE POWER RESERVE
Even in the version with the bridge device with locking lever, the crown is one of the elements of the case most exposed to the infiltration of water as well as being subject to stress, and therefore to wear. The length of the power reserve, and therefore the frequency with which a hand-wound watch had to be wound up, was therefore a crucial element in its performance, particularly in the case of a professional instrument devoted to quality and precision.
The challenge of a long winding reserve, enabling the watch to run continuously for at least a week without needing any manual intervention, was met by Panerai in the 1940s by the adoption of a mechanical hand-wound Angelus movement, with a power reserve of eight days. Extremely solid and reliable, another characteristic of this movement was its very sophisticated finish.
With the adoption of the Angelus movement one of the distinctive elements of Panerai watchmaking was born: the dial with the small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. This detail also met a particular requirement of the frogmen, who with it could check immediately that the watch was running, since the relatively rapid movement of the small luminous hand was very visible, unlike that of the other hands.
The eight-day power reserve has remained in the Panerai DNA and it is no coincidence that the first of the movements completely developed by the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel was a hand-wound mechanical calibre, the P.2002, in which the power reserve of eight days is displayed by a linear indicator on the dial.
The circular mark with the inscription “otto giorni brevettato” (“eight day patented”
which appears on the dial of some exclusive Special Edition watches is also a very fascinating element: it appeared for the first time on the dial of the Radiomir created in 1956 for the Egyptian Navy.
INNOVATION
The present and the future of Officine Panerai are now based on the development of high quality in-house manufacture movements together with research into innovative materials. The collection presented at SIHH 2012 uses only manufacture movements and materials of finest performance and characteristics: stainless steel, ceramic and, for the first time, red gold.
THE PANERAI MATERIALS
Steel is the material par excellence for Officine Panerai. The Panerai watches created for the Italian Navy were made of stainless steel, a solid, reliable material which was also resistant to the extreme environmental conditions in which the commandos operated. Today steel is still at the core of every new Officine Panerai collection in its most corrosion-resistant grade, AISI 316L stainless steel.
The ceramic already used for several years by Officine Panerai is a special synthetic ceramic made by a complex series of working and finishing processes on zirconium oxide powder. The final result of these operations is a material which has a particularly uniform and even appearance combined with a high degree of hardness (up to five times greater than that of stainless steel), as well as being resistant to scratches, corrosive agents and high temperatures. These characteristics have made ceramic one of the materials of choice in the world of haute horlogerie.
Red gold is an alloy consisting of gold, copper and other metals, ideal for use in haute horlogerie on account of its excellent technical properties and elegant colour. The proportion of gold is 75% (18 carat), and other elements are added to it in varying proportions. The red gold used by Officine Panerai is 5Npt; this is a special alloy with an unusually high percentage of copper (24.1%), which gives great depth to the colour, together with a quantity of platinum of 0.4%, which helps to prevent any oxidation of the metal.
THE MANUFACTURE MOVEMENTS
Since the launch of the P.2002 hand-wound movement with eight-day power reserve, which came out in 2005, the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel has created a complete collection of movements with a strong aesthetic and functional identity that is faithful to the codes of the brand. Of great solidity and robustness but extremely sophisticated in the attention paid to their finish and details, Officine Panerai movements have a character of simplicity which is descended historically from the military function of Panerai watches: a simplicity of construction and functionality which can be achieved only through excellent research and development work, not to mention innovative aspect.
The collection presented at SIHH 2012 is a demonstration of the continuous work of developing new technical and aesthetic solutions in the field of manufacture movements. Presented here are the P.3001 and P.3002 calibres, developed from the hand-wound P.3000 calibre with a power reserve of three days, the distinctive features of which are the power reserve display on the back of the movement or on the dial respectively. Innovative too are the P.2002 and P.2005 movements offered for the first time in new versions distinguished by a particularly precious finish and original, novel aesthetic solutions.
Here is a list of the new products (which will be posted following this main post) :
PAM 00438 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA – 44MM TUTTONERO
PAM 00441 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA – 44MM
PAM 00396 : LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT CERAMICA – 48MM
PAM 00395 : RADIOMIR 8 DAYS GMT ORO ROSSO – 45MM
PAM 00399 : RADIOMIR 1940 – 47MM
PAM 00398 : RADIOMIR 1940 ORO ROSSO – 47MM
PAM 00422 : LUMINOR MARINA 1950 3 DAYS – 47MM
PAM 00423 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS POWER RESERVE – 47MM
PAM 00424 : RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS – 47MM
PAM 00425 : RADIOMIR S.L.C. 3 DAYS – 47MM
PAM 00448 : RADIOMIR CALIFORNIA 3 DAYS – 47MM (Special Edition LE to 500 pcs)
PAM 00449 : RADIOMIR S.L.C. 3 DAYS – 47MM (Special Edition LE to 500 pcs)
HISTORY
The history of Officine Panerai, which is the inspiration of each new collection, is the tale of an extensive pursuit of technical and aesthetic solutions combining the perfection of simplicity with the highest possible quality. Exploring the history of the brand involves the re-presentation of the shapes, functions and details that are authentic but as yet have not been rediscovered. In doing this the Panerai watches of today continue to faithfully recount the most exciting chapters in the history of an Italian excellence.
FROM THE RADIOMIR TO THE LUMINOR
In the course of Panerai’s history, the case used in 1936 for the first prototype of the watch presented to the Royal Italian Navy was gradually developed to meet ever more closely the requirements of the frogmen in their heroic underwater deeds.
The first Panerai case had an elegant cushion shape and the strap was connected to it by slender wire strap attachments, formed by a metal rod bent at both ends and welded to the case. This arrangement exposed the attachments to the risk of being bent or broken by strong external forces, and as a result the commandos were in danger of losing an instrument of vital importance in the course of their missions.
The need to avoid this risk caused the Panerai engineers to experiment, from 1940 according to some sources, with new solutions to strengthen the structure of the case, paying particular attention to the strap attachments. The result of this research was the replacement of the wire attachments with more robust lugs, larger and milled from the same block of steel as the case.
The definitive transformation of the first cushion case, which today is offered by Officine Panerai with the name Radiomir (originally the name of the radioactive material which made the dial luminous), occurred gradually during the 1940s. The new case was distinguished from its predecessor not only by the different arrangement of the lugs, but also by the general modification of the sizes of the individual parts and the abandonment of the corners of the caseband, typical of cushion cases, in favour of one with flatter edges.
But the element which made the new case unique, and the one which today identifies the Luminor models (the name being borrowed from the tritium-based material which replaced Radiomir), is the bridge-shaped device fitted to protect the winding crown. At the centre of this device is a tightening lever which applies pressure in such a way as to compress the sealing ring of the crown without damaging it, thus optimising its water-resistance. An exclusive Panerai patent, this device enabled the watch to be water-resistant to a depth of 200 metres, an absolute record for the time, and it also provides the winding crown with protection against shocks or accidental rotation.
THE POWER RESERVE
Even in the version with the bridge device with locking lever, the crown is one of the elements of the case most exposed to the infiltration of water as well as being subject to stress, and therefore to wear. The length of the power reserve, and therefore the frequency with which a hand-wound watch had to be wound up, was therefore a crucial element in its performance, particularly in the case of a professional instrument devoted to quality and precision.
The challenge of a long winding reserve, enabling the watch to run continuously for at least a week without needing any manual intervention, was met by Panerai in the 1940s by the adoption of a mechanical hand-wound Angelus movement, with a power reserve of eight days. Extremely solid and reliable, another characteristic of this movement was its very sophisticated finish.
With the adoption of the Angelus movement one of the distinctive elements of Panerai watchmaking was born: the dial with the small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock. This detail also met a particular requirement of the frogmen, who with it could check immediately that the watch was running, since the relatively rapid movement of the small luminous hand was very visible, unlike that of the other hands.
The eight-day power reserve has remained in the Panerai DNA and it is no coincidence that the first of the movements completely developed by the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel was a hand-wound mechanical calibre, the P.2002, in which the power reserve of eight days is displayed by a linear indicator on the dial.
The circular mark with the inscription “otto giorni brevettato” (“eight day patented”
which appears on the dial of some exclusive Special Edition watches is also a very fascinating element: it appeared for the first time on the dial of the Radiomir created in 1956 for the Egyptian Navy.INNOVATION
The present and the future of Officine Panerai are now based on the development of high quality in-house manufacture movements together with research into innovative materials. The collection presented at SIHH 2012 uses only manufacture movements and materials of finest performance and characteristics: stainless steel, ceramic and, for the first time, red gold.
THE PANERAI MATERIALS
Steel is the material par excellence for Officine Panerai. The Panerai watches created for the Italian Navy were made of stainless steel, a solid, reliable material which was also resistant to the extreme environmental conditions in which the commandos operated. Today steel is still at the core of every new Officine Panerai collection in its most corrosion-resistant grade, AISI 316L stainless steel.
The ceramic already used for several years by Officine Panerai is a special synthetic ceramic made by a complex series of working and finishing processes on zirconium oxide powder. The final result of these operations is a material which has a particularly uniform and even appearance combined with a high degree of hardness (up to five times greater than that of stainless steel), as well as being resistant to scratches, corrosive agents and high temperatures. These characteristics have made ceramic one of the materials of choice in the world of haute horlogerie.
Red gold is an alloy consisting of gold, copper and other metals, ideal for use in haute horlogerie on account of its excellent technical properties and elegant colour. The proportion of gold is 75% (18 carat), and other elements are added to it in varying proportions. The red gold used by Officine Panerai is 5Npt; this is a special alloy with an unusually high percentage of copper (24.1%), which gives great depth to the colour, together with a quantity of platinum of 0.4%, which helps to prevent any oxidation of the metal.
THE MANUFACTURE MOVEMENTS
Since the launch of the P.2002 hand-wound movement with eight-day power reserve, which came out in 2005, the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel has created a complete collection of movements with a strong aesthetic and functional identity that is faithful to the codes of the brand. Of great solidity and robustness but extremely sophisticated in the attention paid to their finish and details, Officine Panerai movements have a character of simplicity which is descended historically from the military function of Panerai watches: a simplicity of construction and functionality which can be achieved only through excellent research and development work, not to mention innovative aspect.
The collection presented at SIHH 2012 is a demonstration of the continuous work of developing new technical and aesthetic solutions in the field of manufacture movements. Presented here are the P.3001 and P.3002 calibres, developed from the hand-wound P.3000 calibre with a power reserve of three days, the distinctive features of which are the power reserve display on the back of the movement or on the dial respectively. Innovative too are the P.2002 and P.2005 movements offered for the first time in new versions distinguished by a particularly precious finish and original, novel aesthetic solutions.
Press Release
This message has been edited by Kong on 2012-01-16 03:22:27 This message has been edited by Kong on 2012-01-16 06:29:43 This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2012-01-16 07:07:20
Added PAM 448 & 449.
This message has been edited by Kong on 2012-01-17 06:13:20 This message has been edited by amanico on 2012-01-28 09:34:29
Comments:
Kong January 16th, 2012-03:49
PAM 00438 : TUTTONERO LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA – 44MM Officine Panerai presents a new and unique watch: Tuttonero. With a Luminor 1950 case and the classic Panerai bracelet in ceramics, Tuttonero is made entirely of matt black ceramic: a watch with extraordinary aesthetic impact, which is faithful to the Pan...
psirbono January 17th, 2012-14:32
Pretty cool...remains me of the 359 No message body
sergio January 19th, 2012-08:02
If one forgets it's a Panerai....bla, bla..DNA..bla,bla this is an incredibly HANDSOME watch.
Kong January 16th, 2012-04:08
PAM 00441 : LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC CERAMICA – 44MM Movement: Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9001 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 7.9 mm thick, 29 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, two barrels. 229 comp...
Kong January 16th, 2012-04:25
PAM 00396 : LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT CERAMICA – 48MM A great speciality of haute horlogerie, the tourbillon regulator has been reinterpreted in a sophisticated and innovative manner in the new Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Ceramica. The Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Ceramica is a watch of great character, offer...
Kong January 16th, 2012-04:39
PAM 00395 : RADIOMIR 8 DAYS GMT ORO ROSSO (Special Edition) – 45MM Loyalty to its historic origins perfectly blended with elegance and sophistication: these are the characteristic features of the new Radiomir 8 Days GMT Oro Rosso. The classic aesthetic of the Radiomir, here in red gold in the 45mm size, is combined with ...
AnthonyTsai January 16th, 2012-10:51
I love the skeletonization of the P.2002 movement! I hope we see more of this in future models, especially with the P.9000 watches! Now the P.2000 movement is realllllly sexy now you can see more of it. Is this PAM395 the start of skeletonization for Panerai? I really hope it is! Cheers, Anthony...
dxboon January 17th, 2012-12:48
It's definitely nice... ...but even if they choose to go with the larger plates for their P.9000 models in steel, I would be okay with that. Panerais have a legitimate tool watch history, and the more robust movement designs are not inappropriate -- as long as the price points d...
Jester January 18th, 2012-03:00
Agree that this is exceptional. I certainly hope to see more on the future models. Would be curious to see if there's any price premium being placed on the skeletonizing of the movement. I guess a comparison between the current list of 289 and 395, once availab...
Kong January 16th, 2012-05:08
PAM 00399 : RADIOMIR 1940 – 47MM (Special Edition) RADIOMIR 1940 - 47 MM Special Edition RADIOMIR 1940 ORO ROSSO - 47 MM Special Edition A new chapter in the history of the most famous watch designed for underwater military operations lives again in the new Radiomir 1940, two new Special Edition watches w...
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pifpaf
PAM382 "Gonzo", very in-depth review.
pifpaf
These last months had become unbearable, I had the state of mind of a five year old on Christmas Eve. At the beginning of November, a clusterf#ck about the delivery address made me blow a fuse. After two extra weeks of waiting, (a kind of double penalty), the watch eventually arrived at the shipping facility in Geneva. I jump into my Interceptor parked in Lausanne, for a homerun at « ISO 14001 driver’s license-revoking speeds”, punctuated by many front lights flashing aimed at placid Helvetians cruising on the Autobahn, themed after “the left lane, love it or leave it”!! Touchdown.
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