Officine Panerai

Here's a complete thread for the new Panerai SIHH 2015 collection w/ full text description.
 

PANERAI PAM614 LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 3 DAYS CHRONO FLYBACK AUTOMATIC TITANIO – 47mm

THE TWO NEW SUBMERSIBLE MODELS FROM OFFICINE PANERAI, WITH THE LUMINOR 1950 CASE IN BRUSHED TITANIUM, HAVE AN AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH CALIBRE WITH FLYBACK FUNCTION AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE WITH A ROTATING BEZEL OF TITANIUM OR BLACK CERAMIC.

Many fundamental innovations which have marked the history of the mechanical watch were developed in the military field in the first half of the last century. In those years the highest possible quality was required from instruments created for use by specialist forces, which often operated in conditions of extreme danger, and their requirements gave rise to many of the functions which are found in luxury sports watches today. The new Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio - 47mm from Officine Panerai reunites features which have in common the military context of their origins, and they appear as two contemporary watches with a strongly sporting character, with great personality and the purest Panerai identity.

Like all Panerai watches, the main world of reference is of course that of the sea. Professional underwater models that are water-resistant to a pressure of 30 bar (a depth of about 300 metres), the new Luminor Submersible 1950 watches have a large Luminor 1950 case, with a diameter of 47 mm. The iconic design of the case, immediately recognisable by the device protecting the winding crown, is integrated with an element whose historic origins go back to the model created by Officine Panerai in 1956 for the Egyptian Navy: the unidirectional rotating bezel for calculating the time of immersion. Two versions of this are available: one with a bezel made entirely of brushed titanium (PAM00614) and the other with a special bezel of titanium to which a matt black ceramic disk has been applied, with linear markers and dots in titanium (PAM00615). Both models are supplied with a black rubber strap, soft and durable, ideal for an underwater watch and personalised with the OP logo in Panerai blue.

The other function of the new Luminor Submersible 1950 originating from requirements which arose in the military field in the 1930s is that of the flyback chronograph. Also known as the “retour en vol”, this function enables the chronograph hand that is already moving to be zeroed and instantly restarted by a single pressure, without it being necessary first to stop the hand and then to return it to zero. In the Luminor Submersible 1950 the push button which controls the stopping and starting of the chronograph is at ten o’clock, while the push button at eight o’clock operates the flyback function and zeros the chronograph hand after it has been stopped.

To ensure the simplest and clearest possible reading, the chronograph minutes and seconds hands are both positioned centrally on the central dial and distinguished from each other by being different colours: the seconds hand is blue while the minute hand is rhodium plated, advancing instantaneously with a jump every sixty seconds. The colours chosen for the hands enhance the minimalist design of the black dial, with its dot-shaped hour markers and simple figures, and the small continuous seconds counter at nine o’clock. The two models have different elements at three o’clock: the model with the titanium bezel has the date window in this position while the model with ceramic bezel has the chronograph hour counter there.

The movement of the Luminor Submersible 1950 is the P.9100 calibre, the first automatic chronograph calibre developed and made in the Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. Many details bear witness to its sophisticated construction: the vertical clutch, the column wheel, the two spring barrels connected in series which guarantee a power reserve of three days, the oscillating weight which winds the spring barrels as it moves in both directions, and the variable inertia balance which oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour. To ensure the greatest accuracy when adjusting the watch, the mechanism has the device for stopping the balance wheel and the system which enables the hour hand to be moved backwards or forwards in jumps of precisely one hour, without interrupting the movement of the minute hand. The movement consists of 302 components and it is 13¾ lignes in diameter and 8.15 mm thick.

Both versions of the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio - 47mm are supplied with a spare strap, a screwdriver and the special tool for changing the strap.

LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 3 DAYS CHRONO FLYBACK

AUTOMATIC TITANIO - 47mm

PAM00614

Divers Professional

MOVEMENT: Automatic mechanical, P.9100 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, calculation of immersion time, flyback chronograph, seconds reset. CASE: 47mm, brushed titanium. DIAL: Black with applied luminous dots and Arabic numerals. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, central chronograph seconds and minutes hands. POWER RESERVE: 72H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 30 bar (~ 300 metres).

PANERAI PAM615 LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 3 DAYS CHRONO FLYBACK AUTOMATIC TITANIO – 47mm

THE TWO NEW SUBMERSIBLE MODELS FROM OFFICINE PANERAI, WITH THE LUMINOR 1950 CASE IN BRUSHED TITANIUM, HAVE AN AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH CALIBRE WITH FLYBACK FUNCTION AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE WITH A ROTATING BEZEL OF TITANIUM OR BLACK CERAMIC.

Many fundamental innovations which have marked the history of the mechanical watch were developed in the military field in the first half of the last century. In those years the highest possible quality was required from instruments created for use by specialist forces, which often operated in conditions of extreme danger, and their requirements gave rise to many of the functions which are found in luxury sports watches today. The new Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio - 47mm from Officine Panerai reunites features which have in common the military context of their origins, and they appear as two contemporary watches with a strongly sporting character, with great personality and the purest Panerai identity.

Like all Panerai watches, the main world of reference is of course that of the sea. Professional underwater models that are water-resistant to a pressure of 30 bar (a depth of about 300 metres), the new Luminor Submersible 1950 watches have a large Luminor 1950 case, with a diameter of 47 mm. The iconic design of the case, immediately recognisable by the device protecting the winding crown, is integrated with an element whose historic origins go back to the model created by Officine Panerai in 1956 for the Egyptian Navy: the unidirectional rotating bezel for calculating the time of immersion. Two versions of this are available: one with a bezel made entirely of brushed titanium (PAM00614) and the other with a special bezel of titanium to which a matt black ceramic disk has been applied, with linear markers and dots in titanium (PAM00615). Both models are supplied with a black rubber strap, soft and durable, ideal for an underwater watch and personalised with the OP logo in Panerai blue.

The other function of the new Luminor Submersible 1950 originating from requirements which arose in the military field in the 1930s is that of the flyback chronograph. Also known as the “retour en vol”, this function enables the chronograph hand that is already moving to be zeroed and instantly restarted by a single pressure, without it being necessary first to stop the hand and then to return it to zero. In the Luminor Submersible 1950 the push button which controls the stopping and starting of the chronograph is at ten o’clock, while the push button at eight o’clock operates the flyback function and zeros the chronograph hand after it has been stopped.

To ensure the simplest and clearest possible reading, the chronograph minutes and seconds hands are both positioned centrally on the central dial and distinguished from each other by being different colours: the seconds hand is blue while the minute hand is rhodium plated, advancing instantaneously with a jump every sixty seconds. The colours chosen for the hands enhance the minimalist design of the black dial, with its dot-shaped hour markers and simple figures, and the small continuous seconds counter at nine o’clock. The two models have different elements at three o’clock: the model with the titanium bezel has the date window in this position while the model with ceramic bezel has the chronograph hour counter there.

The movement of the Luminor Submersible 1950 is the P.9100 calibre, the first automatic chronograph calibre developed and made in the Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. Many details bear witness to its sophisticated construction: the vertical clutch, the column wheel, the two spring barrels connected in series which guarantee a power reserve of three days, the oscillating weight which winds the spring barrels as it moves in both directions, and the variable inertia balance which oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour. To ensure the greatest accuracy when adjusting the watch, the mechanism has the device for stopping the balance wheel and the system which enables the hour hand to be moved backwards or forwards in jumps of precisely one hour, without interrupting the movement of the minute hand. The movement consists of 302 components and it is 13¾ lignes in diameter and 8.15 mm thick.

Both versions of the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio - 47mm are supplied with a spare strap, a screwdriver and the special tool for changing the strap.

LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 3 DAYS CHRONO FLYBACK

AUTOMATIC TITANIO - 47mm

PAM00615

Divers Professional

MOVEMENT: Automatic mechanical, P.9100 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, calculation of immersion time, flyback chronograph, seconds reset. CASE: 47mm, brushed titanium. DIAL: Black with applied luminous dots and Arabic numerals. Seconds at 9 o’clock, hour counter at 3 o’clock, central chronograph seconds and minutes hands. POWER RESERVE: 72H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 30 bar (~ 300 metres).

PANERAI PAM616 LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 CARBOTECH^TM 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC – 47mm

EVERY EXAMPLE OF THE NEW LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 CARBOTECH^TM IS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT FROM ALL THE OTHERS THANKS TO THE SURPRISING TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CARBOTECH, THE NEW COMPOSITE MATERIAL WHICH IS MAKING ITS DEBUT IN HAUTE HORLOGERIE WITH OFFICINE PANERAI.

One of the secrets of Officine Panerai is its ability to combine echoes of the glorious past, which is always at the foundation of each new design by the brand, with a continuous thrust towards the future and innovation. In 2010 Officine Panerai amazed the world of high quality watchmaking by offering the Luminor Submersible for the first time with the case of bronze, an ancient material with unmistakable nautical associations, which is personalised by ageing with the passage of time.

Officine Panerai’s Workshop of Ideas today turns to the future and presents a remarkable new technical innovation which makes each example of the new Luminor Submersible 1950 CarbotechTM different from the others. The case is made of carbotech, a composite material based on carbon fibre, never before used in the world of watchmaking. As well as providing exceptional technical performance, carbotech has an uneven, matt black appearance, which varies according the cutting of the material: the result is that each example is unique.

The structure of carbotech is designed to enhance both the aesthetics and the performance of the material, which is used to make the case, the rotating bezel and the lever bridge which protects the winding crown. To form the plates of carbotech from which these components are made, thin sheets of carbon fibres are compressed at a controlled temperature under high pressure together with a high-end polymer, PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), which binds the composite material, making it even stronger and more durable. The carbon fibres used are very long, so as to ensure great aesthetic uniformity, and the sheets are superimposed and pressed together in such a way that the fibres of each layer are set at a different angle to the ones above and below it. With this structure, the mechanical properties of carbotech are much higher than those of similar materials or of other materials used in the world of watchmaking, such as ceramics and titanium: carbotech is lighter than these and much more resistant to external solicitations, as well as being hypoallergenic and not subject to corrosion.

While the technology of the material looks to the future, every detail of the design of the watch is faithfully inspired by the history of the brand. The Luminor 1950 case (47mm in diameter), developed by Panerai in the late 1940s to be worn on the wrists of commandos of the Italian Navy, is enhanced by a rotating bezel with markers consisting of small studs, inspired by the model created by Panerai for the Egyptian Navy in 1956. The bezel rotates only anticlockwise and enables the time of immersion to be calculated: a very useful function for a professional underwater instrument which is tested for water-resistance up to 30 bar (about 300 metres).

The dial of the new Luminor Submersible 1950 CarbotechTM is black with applied hour markers, the date window is at three o’clock and the small seconds counter marked by Panerai blue details is at nine o’clock. The screwin caseback, which helps to ensure the watch’s high degree of water-resistance, is made of titanium with black treatment and it is engraved with elements characteristic of the Panerai brand: “Florence 1860”, the city and year of birth of Panerai watchmaking, and the image of a Slow Speed Torpedo (SLC), the notorious “pig” on which in the 1940s the commandos of the Italian Navy sailed through the depths of the sea on their missions while wearing instruments made by Panerai.

The technological heart of the Luminor Submersible 1950 CarbotechTM is the P.9000 automatic calibre, developed and made by the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. The movement, 13¾ lignes in diameter, has two spring barrels giving a power reserve of three days, and the oscillating weight rotates in both directions. To ensure accuracy when setting the time, the movement has the device which stops the balance wheel while the hour hand moves forward or backward in increments of one hour, without interfering with the progress of the minute hand. The oscillation frequency of the balance is 28,800 vibrations per hour.

Identified by the reference PAM00616, the new Luminor Submersible 1950 CarbotechTM is fitted with a black rubber strap, personalised for the first time by the OP logo in Panerai blue.

LUMINOR SUBMERSIBLE 1950 CARBOTECH^TM

3 DAYS AUTOMATIC - 47mm

PAM00616

Divers Professional

MOVEMENT: Automatic mechanical, P.9000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, calculation of immersion time. CASE: 47 mm, carbotech. DIAL: Black with applied luminous dots and Arabic numerals. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock. POWER RESERVE: 72H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 30 bar (~ 300 metres).

PANERAI PAM601 LUMINOR 1950 EQUATION OF TIME 8 DAYS ACCIAIO – 47mm

TWO NEW SPECIAL EDITIONS CREATED BY OFFICINE PANERAI WITH ONE OF THE MOST CLASSIC AND FASCINATING ASTRONOMICAL COMPLICATIONS, THE EQUATION OF TIME. P.2002/E MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT, HAND-WOUND WITH A POWER RESERVE OF EIGHT DAYS.

The history of time measurement arose from the human need to arrange events on a dimension which was not solely spatial and, since ancient times, man has found the answers to this need through the study of astronomy. The length of one day is derived from the period of one rotation of the Earth and the length of one year corresponds to the period of one revolution of the Earth around the Sun, and for centuries timepieces have been used to place events in a timeframe defined by these phenomena, establishing the universal convention which is time.

There is, however, a difference between convention and reality. Because of the elliptical orbit of the Earth round the Sun and the axial tilt of the Earth’s rotation in relation to the equator, the duration of a day measures exactly 24 hours on only four occasions in one year, while on all other days there is a difference between apparent time (solar time) and conventional time (mean time) which varies between being up to about 15 minutes ahead or behind, depending on the time of year. This difference, the measurement of which is one of the classic complications of high quality watchmaking, is called the “equation of time” and it is displayed by a linear indicator on the dial of the new Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days and the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days.

The inclusion of such a sophisticated complication as the equation of time does not alter the classic Panerai design of the two models, a design inspired directly by the history of the Florentine brand. One of the watches has the Radiomir 1940 case and the other the Luminor 1950 case, the latter being the historical evolution of the former, having the distinctive bridge device with clamping lever which protects the winding crown. Both cases are made of AISI 316L stainless steel – an alloy that is particularly resistant to corrosion – with a polished finish.

The dial of both models is black with the classic sandwich structure invented by Panerai in the late 1930s: two superimposed discs contain the luminous substance, the light of which emerges through the holes in it corresponding to the markers on the upper disc, providing a unique tonal depth and high legibility. As well as the linear indicator of the equation of time, the dial also contains the seconds counter at nine o’clock, the date window at three o’clock and the circular indicator on which the month can be read.

On the back of the case is a sapphire crystal window which enables the details and fine finish of the hitherto unissued P.2002/E movement to be admired. This is a development of the P.2002 calibre, the first to be made by Officine Panerai in 2005: it is a hand-wound movement with a diameter of 13¾ lignes, with three spring barrels providing the long power reserve of eight days which has been part of the tradition of the brand since the 1940s.

The Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days (PAM00516) and the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days (PAM00601) are two Special Editions of only 200 and 100 units respectively. Water-resistant to 10 bar (about 100 metres), they are fitted with an alligator strap, and the model with the Luminor 1950 case is supplied with a screwdriver and the tool for replacing the strap.

LUMINOR 1950 EQUATION OF TIME

8 DAYS ACCIAIO – 47mm

PAM00601

MOVEMENT: Hand-wound mechanical, P.2002/E calibre, executed entirely by Panerai. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, month indicator, equation of time, power reserve indicator on the back. CASE: 47 mm, AISI 316L polished steel. DIAL: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date and month indicator at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, equation of time indicator at 6 o’clock. POWER RESERVE: 192H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 10 bar (~ 100 metres).

PANERAI PAM603 MARE NOSTRUM TITANIO – 52mm

THE CHRONOGRAPH MADE BY OFFICINE PANERAI IN 1943 FOR THE DECK OFFICERS OF THE ROYAL ITALIAN NAVY IS REVIVED IN A SPECIAL EDITION OF ONLY 150 EXAMPLES.

Many people know that the ancient Romans, following their conquest of Egypt and Spain, named the Mediterranean Sea “Mare Nostrum” (“Our Sea”) since they controlled the greater part of its coastline. It was the during the rule of Trajan that the Roman Empire reached it maximum size and its control of the Mediterranean coasts was then complete, entirely justifying the title. On the other hand it may not be known that, many centuries later – between 1941 and 1942, to be precise – there was a short period when Italy spoke again of “Mare Nostrum”: this was when, during the Second World War, the victorious missions of the Royal Italian Navy meant that for a short time a wide area of the Mediterranean Sea was controlled by the Italian fleet.

It was undoubtedly this second period, much closer to our own times, that the Panerai family had in mind when in 1943 it named the chronograph created for the deck officers of the Royal Italian Navy “Mare Nostrum”. This name had already been used by Guido Panerai in 1924 for what was probably the first Panerai chronograph, but all traces of this first model have been lost. However a few prototypes of the 1943 chronograph still exist, and these have enabled the new watch to be reconstructed with great technical accuracy and similar aesthetic characteristics. The new Mare Nostrum Titanio is a Special Edition of the greatest interest, consisting of only 150 units. It faithfully reproduces the 1943 model, updating it to the highest standards of today’s high quality watchmaking and with some fundamental differences compared to the original.

The first difference compared to the vintage watch is the material of which the large case 52 mm in diameter is made. The metal used for this tonneau-shaped case is not steel but brushed titanium, a material which combines excellent non-allergenic properties and greater lightness than steel with the structural toughness needed to resist high pressure, external stresses and corrosion. The wide flat bezel, the screw back and the winding crown engraved with the words “Mare Nostrum” are all made of brushed titanium as well.

The chronograph functions are controlled by two classic push buttons, also made of brushed titanium, and the readings are indicated by the central seconds hand and by a subsidiary minutes counter dial at three o’clock. The continuous seconds hand rotates in a subsidiary dial at nine o’clock. Protected by a sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment, the dial is made in two levels and, instead of the dark green of the vintage model, it is a sophisticated tobacco brown, which coordinates with the brown leather strap and its ecru stitching.

The new version of the Mare Nostrum has a hand-wound manufacture movement: the OP XXV calibre developed on a Minerva 13-22 base; it is 12¾ lignes in diameter and has a balance wheel making 18,000 vibrations per hour, like the Angelus movement of the vintage prototype. This is a high quality watchmaking calibre, hand-finished, with top-of-the-range technical details such as the column wheel and the swan neck regulator. The bridges are made of Maillechort, a nickel silver alloy that is particularly hard to work, and they have a sophisticated Côtes de Genève finish.

The Mare Nostrum Titanio – 52mm has the reference PAM00603 and it is water-resistant to 3 bars (a depth of about 30 metres).

MARE NOSTRUM

TITANIO – 52mm

PAM00603

MOVEMENT: Hand-wound mechanical, exclusive Panerai OP XXV calibre. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph with two counters. CASE: 52 mm, brushed titanium. DIAL: Brown on two levels with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Minute counter at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, central chronograph hand. POWER RESERVE: 55H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 3 bar (~ 30 metres).

Titanium is great to reduce the weight of this delicious monster.

Solid case back: Excellent.

Brown dial: Gorgeous.

But the size is problematic. I tried to convince myself that I could wear its steel sister, I couldn't. And believe me, I tried hard!

47 mm maxi, and I am in heaven!

Best,

Nicolas

PANERAI PAM604 RADIOMIR FIRENZE 3 DAYS ACCIAIO – 47mm

THE ENGRAVING CARRIED OUT BY HAND BY EXPERT ITALIAN CRAFTSMEN MAKE THE RADIOMIR FIRENZE SPECIAL EDITION UNIQUE. IT IS ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE HISTORIC PANERAI BOUTIQUE IN THE TUSCAN CITY.

There is no machine or tool which can replace the depth and beauty of the action of a human limb. The gesture is the expression of knowledge, experience and mastery and, for centuries, artists and craftsmen have given expression to fantasies, to dreams and to the ingenuity of mankind with their gestures.

The impossibility of exactly repeating an action means that each example of the Radiomir Firenze is unique and different. Only 99 examples of this new Special Edition are being made and they are sold exclusively in Officine Panerai’s historic Florence boutique in Piazza San Giovanni.

The brushed steel case 47 mm in diameter has the same dimensions as the first watch created by Officine Panerai in 1936, and it is entirely decorated with engraving carried out by hand by expert Italian craftsmen, the designs being inspired by motifs which recur in Florentine iconography.

Like the inlays which adorn the marble facades of the churches of Florence, the engravings, with their lines of fascinating purity, enhance the elegant structure of the case, covering the caseband and the winding crown. The lines created by the skilled hands of the engravers form geometric figures which create a harmonious whole in which details of great symbolic significance stand out, such as the Florentine lily, the emblem of Tuscany’s most important city since the 11th century.

Each case requires more than a week of work on the part of one engraver, work that is made particularly demanding by the hardness of the AISI 316L stainless steel. The geometric and floral motifs are first drawn as a temporary outline – using powdered chalk or magnesium powder – and then engraved with a burin. The engraved surfaces are formed of very thin parallel lines which give depth to the design, accentuating the contrasts between light and dark. Any error that the engraver might make as he works with his burin on the case, which is already completed and finished, would irrevocably damage the work already carried out, just as a poorly-aimed blow by a sculptor on a block of marble would mean that the artist had to start his patient work all over again from scratch.

The name of Florence, the city of Officine Panerai’s birth and the inspiration of this unique model, is inscribed on the black dial in characters that are typical of vintage Panerai watches. The dial itself is enhanced by a satiné soleil finish which catches the light and diffuses it, creating fascinating, surprising effects. Like all Panerai models, the luminosity of the dial is increased by its sandwich structure: the light from the luminous material which enables the time to be read at night emerges through holes corresponding to the figures in the upper of the two superimposed discs which form the dial.

The movement of the new Radiomir Firenze is the handwound P.3000 calibre, designed and made in the Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel, and it can be admired through the sapphire glass porthole which is positioned in the centre of the back. The two spring barrels connected in series provide a power reserve of three days and the balance, which is unusually large (13.2 mm in diameter), oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour (3 Hz). The movement is also fitted with the device which enables the hour hand to be moved when setting the watch without interfering with the running of the minute hand.

Consistent with its origins as a watch originally designed for military use underwater, the new Radiomir Firenze (PAM00604) is water-resistant to ten bar (a depth of about 100 metres) and it is supplied with a black alligator strap with contrasting ecru stitching.

RADIOMIR FIRENZE

3 DAYS ACCIAIO - 47mm

PAM00604

MOVEMENT: Hand-wound mechanical, P.3000 calibre, executed entirely by Panerai. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes. CASE: 47 mm, AISI 316L brushed steel. DIAL: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. POWER RESERVE: 72H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 10 bar (~ 100 metres).

PANERAI PAM516 RADIOMIR 1940 EQUATION OF TIME 8 DAYS ACCIAIO – 48mm

TWO NEW SPECIAL EDITIONS CREATED BY OFFICINE PANERAI WITH ONE OF THE MOST CLASSIC AND FASCINATING ASTRONOMICAL COMPLICATIONS, THE EQUATION OF TIME. P.2002/E MANUFACTURE MOVEMENT, HAND-WOUND WITH A POWER RESERVE OF EIGHT DAYS.

The history of time measurement arose from the human need to arrange events on a dimension which was not solely spatial and, since ancient times, man has found the answers to this need through the study of astronomy. The length of one day is derived from the period of one rotation of the Earth and the length of one year corresponds to the period of one revolution of the Earth around the Sun, and for centuries timepieces have been used to place events in a timeframe defined by these phenomena, establishing the universal convention which is time.

There is, however, a difference between convention and reality. Because of the elliptical orbit of the Earth round the Sun and the axial tilt of the Earth’s rotation in relation to the equator, the duration of a day measures exactly 24 hours on only four occasions in one year, while on all other days there is a difference between apparent time (solar time) and conventional time (mean time) which varies between being up to about 15 minutes ahead or behind, depending on the time of year. This difference, the measurement of which is one of the classic complications of high quality watchmaking, is called the “equation of time” and it is displayed by a linear indicator on the dial of the new Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days and the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days.

The inclusion of such a sophisticated complication as the equation of time does not alter the classic Panerai design of the two models, a design inspired directly by the history of the Florentine brand. One of the watches has the Radiomir 1940 case and the other the Luminor 1950 case, the latter being the historical evolution of the former, having the distinctive bridge device with clamping lever which protects the winding crown. Both cases are made of AISI 316L stainless steel – an alloy that is particularly resistant to corrosion – with a polished finish.

The dial of both models is black with the classic sandwich structure invented by Panerai in the late 1930s: two superimposed discs contain the luminous substance, the light of which emerges through the holes in it corresponding to the markers on the upper disc, providing a unique tonal depth and high legibility. As well as the linear indicator of the equation of time, the dial also contains the seconds counter at nine o’clock, the date window at three o’clock and the circular indicator on which the month can be read.

On the back of the case is a sapphire crystal window which enables the details and fine finish of the hitherto unissued P.2002/E movement to be admired. This is a development of the P.2002 calibre, the first to be made by Officine Panerai in 2005: it is a hand-wound movement with a diameter of 13¾ lignes, with three spring barrels providing the long power reserve of eight days which has been part of the tradition of the brand since the 1940s.

The Radiomir 1940 Equation of Time 8 Days (PAM00516) and the Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days (PAM00601) are two Special Editions of only 200 and 100 units respectively. Water-resistant to 10 bar (about 100 metres), they are fitted with an alligator strap, and the model with the Luminor 1950 case is supplied with a screwdriver and the tool for replacing the strap.

RADIOMIR 1940 EQUATION OF TIME

8 DAYS ACCIAIO – 48mm

PAM00516

MOVEMENT: Hand-wound mechanical, P.2002/E calibre, executed entirely by Panerai. FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, month indicator, equation of time, power reserve indicator on the back. CASE: 48 mm, AISI 316L polished steel. DIAL: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date and month indicator at 3 o’clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, equation of time indicator at 6 o’clock. POWER RESERVE: 192H. WATER-RESISTANCE: 10 bar (~ 100 metres).