Vintage
Nicolas (amanico) presents a captivating look at the vintage Breitling Chronograph 817, a military-issued timepiece from the 1970s. This article delves into the specific reference designed for Italian helicopter pilots, offering a glimpse into a highly sought-after collector's piece. Nicolas's original post highlights the watch's superb military aesthetic, inviting further exploration into its historical context and unique characteristics.
The Panerai Luminor reference 817 is a chronograph model from the 1970s, representing a distinct departure from the brand's more common time-only or simple date configurations of the era. This reference showcases Panerai's capability in producing more complex instrumentation, aligning with its historical role as a supplier of specialized tools. It stands out in the Luminor family for its specific chronograph functionality, which was not a standard offering across the broader Luminor collection. Its design reflects the utilitarian aesthetic prevalent in professional-grade timepieces of its period.
The case of the Luminor 817 is crafted from stainless steel, featuring the characteristic Luminor crown protection device. The watch houses a manual-winding mechanical movement, providing reliable timekeeping and chronograph operation. While specific dimensions can vary slightly across examples, it typically presents a substantial wrist presence consistent with its intended use. The crystal protecting the dial is likely acrylic, a common material for watches of this vintage, offering durability and ease of maintenance.
This reference appeals to collectors interested in Panerai's less common and more technically involved historical pieces. It offers a glimpse into the brand's diversification beyond its core dive watch offerings, highlighting its engineering capabilities in the mid-20th century. The 817 is a notable example for those seeking a vintage Panerai with chronograph functionality, distinguishing it from the more frequently encountered time-only Luminor models.
In English it's "Italian Army".
... which would be the typical path of watches issued to the military worldwide. I'd say a big part of today's collector's market consists of watches that left the military via less than official procedures. Today, with much stricter controls, we are limited to knives and other equipment, that we officially "lost in the field" ..... Marcus
Reminds me of a non matching tritium panerai but with inverted colors!
E.I. means Esercito Italiano, as I wrote before. No "Exemplary Inventory" - no one would use anything like that in the Italian Army of course. Believe me, as an Italian I know it very well.
... and it was also in no way directed at or against Italy. But it is no secret that in earlier times, when due to a lack of digital competence it was very difficult to keep an eye on all the inventory, it was not uncommon for interesting hardware - and watches without doubt fall into that category - to find an unofficial way into private property. So with "Exemplary inventory" I meant that only a part of the watches got registered, while some of them might have left the inventory, as if never r
I love this particular chronograph layout.
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