Officine Panerai travels through time to its 2016 novelties
“Panerai – Dive Into Time” was an invitation by the marque to journey through time, discover the past, the present, and the future of the exclusive watchmaking brand. Incentives to time travellers included a preview of the brand’s latest offerings – the Luminor Marina, the LUMINOR DUE, the Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon, and the Radiomir Firenze
The fascinating crypt of the former church of San Pancrazio, home of the Marino Marini Museum in the centre of Florence, provided a fitting ambience for the travel through time.
The exhibition, open from May 18 to 21, included previously unseen creations from the Florentine brand: the brilliant discoveries in optics and mechanics, and the first instruments made by the Panerai family in its infancy; the iconic watches created for the Royal Italian Navy from the 1930s to the 1950s; and a panorama of the models created in the 20 years of Richemont Group’s ownership – a period when the brand became an international name. The marque also presented an exclusive preview of its new creations.
The exhibition venue – the ancient crypt of the former church of San Pancrazio, which is an impressive underground vault of almost 1,000 sq m normally used to exhibit contemporary art – preserves fascinating traces of the ancient history of the San Pancrazio church, which dates back to the early 9th century.
The Areas
The exhibition is divided into successive areas that are arranged both chronologically and thematically.
Early history (1936-1997):
Here the first watches and instruments (including compasses, torches and depth gauges) created by Panerai for the Italian Navy were displayed, followed by the first commercial launches before the brand became part of the Richemont Group. These included the Radiomir of 1936 – the first military diver’s watch in history – the Luminor of the 1940s and 1950s, and the Slytech models created at Sylvester Stallone’s request in 1995.
Recent history (1998-2016):
This area displayed a remarkable selection of 60 creations of the Panerai Manufacture. In this period spanning almost 20 years, Panerai had presented new versions of its historic models, developing their most distinctive themes: the luminosity of the dial, the diver’s watches and links with the sea, the long power reserve and the search for excellence in materials.
The Manufacture:
This area was dominated by a master watchmaker from the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel who gave a practical demonstration of the remarkable skills needed to work on the sophisticated movements. The Manufacture area also displayed a remarkable collection of Panerai movements.
The Excellencies:
This section housed the most technically complicated examples created by Panerai, such as the sophisticated tourbillons and the creations made as a tribute to Galileo Galilei. The highlight of the section was the Jupiterium, a remarkable planetary timepiece that reproduces in real time – from the viewpoint of the Earth – the exact position of the stars, the Sun, the Moon, and Jupiter with the four satellites, discovered by Galileo, orbiting around it.
From here, the exhibition moved from a general overview of the brand to a preview of the marque’s latest creations – a must-see for watch aficionados.
Luminor Marina:
Six new models of the brand’s most famous watch were presented in various versions using the P.9010 automatic calibre, with a power reserve of three days. The new movement has made very light, slim cases possible without affecting the distinctive identity of the Luminor Marina.
The Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic models differ in their dimensions, finish, materials and creative dial designs, but share the functions and technical characteristics of the same movement, and all of them are developed from the Luminor 1950 case.
The Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic Acciaio is available with a diameter of 42mm or 44mm. The main new feature is that the new P.9010 calibre has enabled cases just 13.2mm thick in the 42mm models and 15.6mm in the 44mm editions. In all the versions, the movement can be admired through the sapphire crystal porthole in the caseback.
The new Luminor Marina 1950 Carbotech 3 Days Automatic is the first Luminor Marina made using carbotech. Like the other models of the Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic collection, it has the P.9010 automatic calibre, with a power reserve of three days, small seconds dial and date.
LUMINOR DUE:
The new LUMINOR DUE collection presented four new watches in steel and red gold cases little more than 10mm thick – in a perfect synthesis of sporty élan and elegance, perfect for any occasion.
The lines of the DUE are inspired by the Luminor 1950 case – with the robust cushion case, the large dial surrounded by the bezel, the strong integrated lugs and the bridge-shaped device that seals the crown with a lever and protects it from accidental shocks – all subtly redesigned for a new contemporary look.
Available in AISI 316L stainless steel or in red gold, the case of the Luminor Due 3 Days is 42mm in diameter, with a classic bridge device and sealing lever that protects the winding crown and an open caseback, so that the hand-wound P.1000 calibre can be admired; in the red gold model, this calibre is presented for the first time in the sophisticated skeletonised P.1000/10 version. The timepiece is supplied with a black alligator strap – both in the steel version and in the red gold version. It is water-resistant to 3 bar (approximately 30 metres).
The new Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic is the first watch in the LUMINOR DUE collection with automatic winding and contains the P.4000 calibre – the thinnest automatic calibre developed by Panerai, with a decentralised micro-rotor that rotates in both directions, feeding energy into the two spring barrels that accumulate a power reserve of three days. In the red gold model, the P.4000 calibre appears in the fascinating, precious, skeletonised P.4000/10 version, its 22-carat gold oscillating weight having Clous de Paris decoration. The watch is supplied with a black alligator strap in both the steel version and the red gold version. It is water-resistant to 3 bar (nearly 30 metres).
Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon GMT:
The 49mm Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon GMT – with its exclusive Tourbillon Regulator and the remarkable double minute repeater mechanism chiming either local time or a second time zone – is technically the most complicated watch ever made by the Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel.
Inspired by the marine tradition of marking the passage of time by a ship’s bell, Panerai has developed the new P.2005/MR Manufacture movement, a handwound skeleton calibre fitted with a high-end minute repeater mechanism with distinctive technical characteristics.
The chiming is activated by a push-piece at 8 o’clock, and is carried out by three hammers that strike an equal number of gongs fixed to the movement and the case. The choice of three hammers, instead of the traditional two, enables three different sounds to be combined, so that the carillon can play a melody, like that of a bell. As is traditional, the first gong is the lowest and identifies the hour, while the last and highest indicates individual minutes. Another unusual feature is that the second gong sounds triple chimes of an intermediate note, each triple chime corresponding to ten minutes instead of the traditional fifteen.
The most remarkable feature of the Minute Repeater Carillon is that the repeater function can be activated both for local time and for a second time zone, which is indicated on the dial by the central arrow hand and the am/pm indicator on the counter at 3 o’clock. Thanks to skeletonisation, the remarkable Panerai Tourbillon Regulator can be admired from both the front and the back of the watch. A bespoke Special Edition watch, choice of strap, hands or of other special features, such as a case made of other materials, is offered by the brand.
Radiomir Firenze 3 Days Acciaio:
This 47mm timepiece made exclusively for the clients of the historic boutique in Florence is a new special edition devoted to the city in which Panerai was founded. Not only is the case finely engraved by hand but the movement is also decorated with typical Florentine motifs. Each of the 99 pieces of this Special Edition has a unique character, as the work is carried out entirely by hand by the master engravers.
The hand-wound P.3000 movement, with a power reserve of three days, has a P.3000/F version calibre, with the bridges finely laser engraved with Florentine motifs similar to the case, which can be admired through the transparent sapphire porthole in the back. Each case requires a week of work by a single engraver, mainly due to the hardness of the AISI 316L steel of which the case is made.
The new Radiomir Firenze 3 Days Acciaio watches are supplied with a strap entirely made in Italy. Brown with contrasting beige stitching, the strap is impressed with a heat-stamped Florentine lily. The water resistance of the watch is guaranteed to 10 bar (100 metres).
