Returned home from my visit at the SIHH in Geneve yesterday. It was great to see that Panerai continue to use their DNA in the new collection.

My personal highlight was “the return of the 8 mm crown” (PAM 399) on a Luminor case, which was only produced with the legendary crown protecting device in modern Panerai watches since 1993. This type of crowns have been used on vintage Panerai watches of the references 6152, 6154 and 6152/1 (Rolex 8 mm Brevet crown). You can find more info in our 2nd book “Vintage Panerai – The References” in chapter VI.III on page 325.

Features of the watch:
Reference: PAM399
Case: 47mm AISI 316L polished steel
Movement: Hand-wound mechanical,exclusive Panerai OP XXVII calibre, base Minerva 16-17
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds
Water resistance: 30 metres
Crystal: Plexiglas 3.0 mm
Back: See-through sapphire crystal

You can find a detailled overview of the 2012 models at www.paneristi.com, also at www.panerai.com

As a vintage Panerai enthusiast, it was a big pleasure for me to see the famous “74″ Ref. 6152/1 watch with Angelus movement and single pencil hands on display at the Panerai booth! Panerai showed a couple of special and rare watches, also the PAM203 with vintage Angelus movement (a special edition model of the year 2005).

An interesting “Trittico” (= wristwatch, compass and depth gauge) is up for auction at Christies in their november sale 1383 (LOT 27). 

A rare GPF 2/56 “Big Egiziano” with “Radiomir Panerai” dial, a compass and a depth gauge will hopefully find a good new home on november 14th in Geneva/Switzerland.

Features of the watch:
Reference: GPF 2/56
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 018
Movement: Angelus Cal. 240 SF (8 days)

The watch is a close “brother” of the “Big Egiziano” with the case number 012, published in our book “Vintage Panerai – The References” and shows identical features, especially the signed date “12.55″ on the movement plate. The balance cock bears the “SF 240″ sign (Stolz Frères Cal. 240), which can be found on the earlier versions of the Angelus movement (1955 – signed “12.55″), while the movements dated in the 1960’s (e.g. “MAI.61″ or “JUIN.61″) have a “+/-” on the balance cock in the majority, from what we were able to find out by comparing with our database.

All three items of the “Trittico” are signed “OFFICINE PANERAI FIRENZE” on their casebacks. Each item has the complete number of original screws (6 each). All of them appear with their original leather strap and buckle.

The depth gauge is aimed 60 meters and bears the “Radiomir Panerai” sign on the lower part of the dial. All items show signs of use, the dial of the GPF 2/56 has faded into brown “tropic” color.

You can read more about the Ref. GPF 2/56 in our book “Vintage Panerai – The References”, chapter V, pages 256-283.

[Photos with kindly permission / courtesy of www.christies.com]

The modified Ref. 3646 Panerai with “Radiomir Panerai” dial is the 27th watch in our book “Vintage Panerai - The References” (chapter VI.I), published in 2009.

Features of the watch:
Reference: 3646 Angelus
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: -
Movement: Angelus Cal. 240 SF (8 days)
[photo by Guillermo Ceniceros]

The “Egiziano Grosso” Ref. GPF 2/56  Panerai with “Radiomir Panerai” dial is the 24th watch in our book “Vintage Panerai - The References” (chapter V), published in 2009.

Features of the watch:
Reference: GPF 2/56
Dial: “Radiomir Panerai” (sandwich, engraved)
Case number: 012
Movement: Angelus Cal. 240 SF (8 days)

Our collector friend Hagen contacted us with his latest entry in his collection: A stunning Ref. 6152 watch!

Not that the Ref. 6152 is one of the rarest references Panerai ever produced – the case number of the watch is a real sensation: 958713! It opens another, yet undiscovered number group in our database. Until today we had a number group with 6 known watches between 956632 and 956643. We hope to find other Ref. 6152 watches in the future, which have a number close to Hagen’s 958713, so that we can estimate the 2nd number group’s size.

Interesting to see the movement: not a surprise to us, it comes with a Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 2 movement, similar to the other 6152 watches we have in our database: 15 Rubis without Incabloc shock protection. The area around the crown shows the “gap” which is typical for the 6152 case.

The unpolished case confirms the fact, that also the Ref. 6152 watches have the reference and case number between the lugs. Until april 2009 this was not discovered! I had the chance to take a very close look at the Ref. 6152 watch number 956636 in summer 2010 and to my surprise I found these markings which we did not see before… we knew this watch already for years but nobody noticed it, as the watch was polished, which took away the appearance of these markings.

The reference number “6152″ is placed between the lugs at 12′o’clock and the case number “958713″ is placed between the lugs at 6′o’clock, both stamped under the case’s slope. The “double pencil” hands with “sharp pins” hold the original luminous material above a “Radiomir Panerai” dial with a wonderful patina.

What a great find!

Panerai watches entered my life in the spring of 1998 while on holiday in Florence. Little did I know, how much my life was going to change. The simple design and the rich military history had me scouring the internet to find out more and more about this special time piece that I couldn’t even pronounce correctly.

Over the years of collecting and researching, it always seems to brings you back to the beginning of it all… Vintage Panerai.

In 2006, after about a year of looking for the right one, an opportunity opened up for me to get a Radiomir Panerai, 3646 / Type C. With the help of a friend, the dream came true. 60 years of history was now a reality. With it’s clean dial and simplicity of the case with the Rolex movement, the 3646 says it all.

Although I had collected Panerai for several years, my jaw dropped when I was first able to see in person a vintage Panerai wristwatch. Thinking about the events it had ’seen’ was thrilling to me, but equally as much was knowing its role as the inspiration for the modern watches that we all know today.

Among the vintage models, the 3646 always held a special place for me. It was the first production Panerai watch and what helped the small Italian company to become a leading supplier of military wristwatches and precision instruments for many decades to come. I always said to myself should I be fortunate enough to own a vintage, that it would be my first choice. Only recently, after many months of searching (and some sleepless nights), my dream was achieved.

While I also appreciate the contemporary watches of today’s Panerai, the differences found in every vintage piece makes each uniquely special. Learning about the technical differences and historical background of each watch is something I can take part in for many years to come.

As a friend commented to me when I first acquired my 3646, ‘these watches drip history’.  
I could not have said it better myself.

A set of vintage Panerai instruments - the so called “Trittico”

Left: depth gauge (30 meters)
“Radiomir Panerai” dial, coated 70 mm case.
Center: watch (Ref. 6154)
“Egiziano Piccolo” with “Radiomir Panerai” dial, 47 mm case.
Rigth: compass
Dial divided into 22.5° sections, coated 70 mm case.

A very interesting 3646 / Type C watch will be auctioned soon at Auktionen Dr. H. Crott (LOT 379). It’s matching in all details with our database, where it is listed since august 2009. In this condition, such Panerai watches are quite rare to find in these days. It comes even with an original leather strap, which is absolutely hard to find, as most of the original straps were cut off after long time of use, because the lugs on 3646 watches are welded to the case (which caused the straps to be sewn onto the lugs / not interchangeable like on Ref. 615X watches ).

Our database entry (click above) shows the following detials: Inner caseback signed 1010288. Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1 movement. Dial signed “Radiomir Panerai” with redish aged numbers and markers. Steel hands. Onion shaped “Brevet+” crown.

We hope it will find a good new home!