The first Officine Panerai Collection was unveiled to the public in 1993 aboard Durand De La Penne, an Italian Navy cruiser. The ceremony, which was attended by Duke Amedeo D'Aosta, was a fitting backdrop to the collection’s inspiration  - Panerai’s long history of creating hardy, reliable gear for navies and commandos during World War II and afterwards. The three watches that comprise that historical set are the Luminor, Luminor Marina, and Mare Nostrum.  Made of materials par excellence such as stainless steel and titanium, their corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic cases house robust, precise and exclusively-built in-house calibers.  Both materials and movement of every piece are especially built to endure extreme conditions such as those in which military men operate. Whether in rugged combat missions or in other physically extreme professions, Panerai watches carry on its tradition of reliability and design excellence.

 

Check out Panerai watches at Shreve & Co. in Palo Alto – trusted dealer for Panerai.

 

 

References: http://www.panerai.com/en/in-house-watches-movements/hand-wound-movement/2-calibro-p-999

http://www.panerai.com/en/watch-collection/historic-collection/luminor/32-luminor-marina-pam00111

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panerai

Originally developed for use by the Royal Italian Navy, Panerai watches exhibit exclusively patented designs able to support extreme environments such as underwater. The technical excellence of these watches springs from the company’s many years of supplying high-end precision instruments for the Navy. Panerai’s designs reveal their expertise in precision instrument manufacturing. The first of these designs, patented on 1916, is Radiomir. The model name is based on the radium-based powder used in measuring instruments that gives luminosity to the calibration dials and hands. It was prototyped in 1936 for use in First Submarine Group Command of the Navy, followed by an actual production two years later. The original features have been improved further and been added with additional features for maximum performance. And due to Panerai’s pursuit on superior performance, Radiomir was superseded by a new model patented on 1949, called Luminor. The name is signified by a Tritium-based compound that is a self-luminous substance. Today, you can have these historical designs as Radiomir 1940 and Luminor 1950 at Shreve & Co. in Post Street, San Francisco – an authorized dealer of Panerai.

 

 

Reference: http://www.panerai.com/en/history-officine-panerai

From the calibre to the strap, PAM000530 has the Panerai mark of excellence and exclusivity. The  PAM00530 Luminor 1950 Rattrapante 8 Days Titanio is geared with Panerai P.2006/3 calibre, an in-house , hand-wound mechanical movement executed in Panerai’s  manufactory  in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. It also comes with a special patented system of spring barrels to indicate the status of its 8-day linear power reserve. This 2013 haute hologerie swiss watch retains an elegant finish of titanium case and personalized rubber strap with trapezoidal brushed titanium buckle, exclusive from its manufacturer. The neat look, however, belies a bundle of functions that characterize a top-class chronograph. Its black dial sports luminous hour markers that allow legibility even in low-light areas. The minute counter is at 3 o’clock, minute at 9 o’clock and the power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock. The back case is made of clear sapphire crystal through which the mechanical movement can be viewed. The PAM00530 is, indeed, a trademark of Panerai in its entirety.  Check out Panerai through their select authorized dealers and company-owned boutiques. Schiffman’s Jewelers is an authorized dealer for Panerai.   

 

 

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panerai

http://www.panerai.com/en/novelties-sihh-2013-geneva/specialities-collection-watches/108-luminor-1950/rattrapante-8-days/536-luminor-1950-rattrapante-8-days-titanio-pam00530

Human technology changes and improves from time to time; sometimes rapid, sometimes slow. But sure enough Officine Panerai evolves with the times.  Through elaborate mixtures of aesthetics and high-end watch making, Panerai created a concept piece – the most complicated piece Panerai ever made. As a tribute to Galileo Galilei and his genius, Officine Panerai produced 30 examples of a Tourbillion with the Equation of time. They deemed it L’Astronomo. The Equation of Time pertains to the difference between the ‘apparent solar time’ (time told by the sun) and the ‘mean solar time’ (time told by the watch). Because of the earth’s peculiar orbit and axis, these two vary every day except for four days a year. They differ up to 15 minutes – faster or slower. The L’Astronomo also tells the sunrise and sunset times but these vary from location to location. Panerai takes care of this by customizing each piece to have the owner’s chosen city and location as the reference point. Not only does the name of the chosen city and the mil estimation engraved on the back, the watch also features a map of the sky above the chosen city installed on the lower part of the device. Depending on the hemisphere chosen, this disc spins left or right updating the night sky above the chosen city. This 50mm watch seems heavy. But it is actually lighter than it looks because the case is in titanium. It is also available in a pink gold case on request. To see the L’Astronomo, visit Shreve & Co. – authorized dealer of Officine Panerai. 

 

 

References: http://www.panerai.com/s_page.xpd?id_lingua=2&id_sezione=20&id_categoria=9917

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equation_of_time

http://precisiontime.blogspot.com/2010/02/officine-panerai-lastronomo-luminor.html

Guess what Chuck Liddell (a UFC Hall of Famer), Damien Hirst (world’s richest living artist), and Andre 3000 (one half of the famous hip-hop duo, Outkast) in common? All have been spotted sporting Panerai wristwatches. But they’re not the only celebrities having Panerai in their collections. Bill Clinton, John Mayer, Heidi Klum, Hugh Grant and many more celebs also make the list. And this would not surprise a watch aficionado as Panerai is known to be, if not the epitome of, the perfect fusion of style and durability. The Luminor submersibles have always been go-to pieces by rugged but sophisticated men and women. Panerai has been a trusted teller of time and accessory by celebrities, fashion devotees, brands like Ferrari, and even the Italian Navy during World War II. Whether you’re 300 meters down the ocean or in the red carpet, Panerai watches will prove to be perfect for any occasion. It is simple, accurate, durable and stylistic. You can never go wrong with a Panerai. For anything Panerai, visit Shreve & Co.—an authorized dealer of Panerai watches. 

 

 

References: http://www.askmen.com/fashion/watch/panerai-luminor-marina-automatic.html

http://www.paneraisource.com/articles.shtml

http://www.paneraisource.com/ambassadors.shtml

Talk of law of supply and demand in reverse—the Italian brand Panerai watches are manufactured at less than what the market demands to create brand snootiness, which our individualist ego is subconsciously attracted to in a Freudian kind of way. Take the U.S. Navy Seals, an elite force that many shoot for, but only a few hit the mark; a super exclusive fighting group of men and women who have nothing to do with Panerai watches. Or so we thought until we realize this elite force was inspired by a group of Italian frogmen some seventy years ago. It was the Second World War, and we arrive at a Mediterranean outpost where daring Italian combat frogmen are assembled for a kill. The target is Allied ships prying over North Africa’s coast and the frogmen belong to the Decima Flottiglia MAS, Benito Mussolini’s elite force of the Italian Navy. These combatants are to board mini-submarines that are actually manned torpedoes and drive them to enemy ships undetected. On target lock, they shall stay the course until, just moments before impact, must jump ship, or so to say, to avoid being cannon fodder. They are daring, brave, patriotic, and they do it in style. They wear Panerai watches. An authority in manufacturing submersible timepieces, Panerai served as the official time-keeper for the Italian Navy during the war. Panerai has withstood the war and now must withstand the horde of fashionable people who want one of its limited editions.

 

 

Image: Officine Panerai Luminor 1950 Submersible 3 Days Automatic PAM 00305

References: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panerai

http://www.watchuwant.com/history-panerai