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SIHH 2011: Panerai PAM00372 LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS - 47 MM
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, cusp-shaped 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 manufacture movement 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 ecru-coloured 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.
Technical Specifications
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.