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SIHH 2011: Panerai Novelties
WORKSHOP OF IDEAS
The history of Officine Panerai tells of a long journey of research and technical knowledge in the service of man and his achievements. Panerai has been prominent for its accuracy and innovation since the end of the second half of the 19th century, when the founder Giovanni Panerai and his family ran the Orologeria watch making shop which still exists today in the centre of Florence. During the 20th century, and in particular in the years from the 1930s to the 1950s, watches and precision instruments supplied to the Italian Navy permanently defined the identity of Panerai watches, a strongly distinctive identity which arises directly from the functions for which they were intended.
The authenticity of a Panerai watch is expressed in faithfulness to the history of the brand and in the search for innovation in the form of technical excellence. The collection presented at SIHH 2011 combines these two elements in an original way and the result is a series of watches which bring together the most recent developments in relation to movements and materials technology, and forms and functions which are derived directly from Panerai’s historic heritage.
THE CASES
In the 1930s and 1940s, the names Radiomir and Luminor identified the luminous materials used by Panerai to increase the night-time and underwater legibility of the watches designed for the commandos of the Italian Navy. Over the years, these two terms have come to identify the two different case shapes of the iconic watches of the brand, one of which is a development of the other.
The Luminor case came into being in the late 1940s as a result of the need to increase the strength and water-resistance of the classic cushion case which today is identified by the name Radiomir. This development saw the application of an exclusive Panerai patented device: the bridge with clamping lever which protects the winding crown and makes it more water-resistant. At the same time, the large, straight lugs, milled with the case from a single block of metal and therefore much stronger, replaced the wire strap attachments, welded in place, which were characteristic of the earlier models.
The new Luminor 1950 3 Days – 47 mmoffers for the first time a historic case which marks a transitional phase: while having the characteristic Luminor features, the new case has a rounded, cusp-shaped caseband, which was evidently derived from the cushion form of the Radiomir case. Other small details mark the faithful relationship of the new model to a few extremely rare historic examples: the slimmer lugs, the engraving of the reference details between the lugs, the Plexiglas® crystal instead of a sapphire one and the wide, flat back with the words “Officine Panerai” engraved upon it.
THE DIALS
A Panerai watch dial is immediately recognisable both by its simple, minimalist appearance and by its sandwich construction. Both these characteristics originated from the historic function of Panerai watches, arising from the need to guarantee the commandos the maximum visibility and legibility even under conditions where the light was poor.
The sandwich construction is an evolution to the normal structure where the luminous material is placed in incisions engraved in the dial. With it, the dial is formed of two superimposed discs attached to each other. A generous quantity of the luminous material is placed on the lower disc and its radiance emerges through openings in the upper one, which correspond to the hour markers and figures. In this way the legibility of all the elements is at its maximum and the dial acquires an unusual intensity.
The classic appearance of the Panerai dial consists of a simple alternation of large linear hour markers and figures at all or some of the cardinal points. Existing examples of watches of the period show that there were several dial variants, but their features in common are simplicity and the absence of decorative elements. Many models carried neither the Panerai brand name nor the terms Radiomir, Luminor or Marina Militare: as instruments covered by military secrecy, Panerai watches had to remain anonymous in case they were captured by the enemy.
The new Radiomir 3 Days Platino – 47 mmpresents for the first time a rare, mysterious dial of which only two examples are known. Appearing at the end of the 1930s, these had a unique, original design consisting of an alternation of bar-shaped hour markers – double ones at 12 o’clock and single ones at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock – and dot markers. The origin of this dial is not easy to identify.
According to some historians, the two surviving examples were possibly test samples, which were not followed up until the re-edition of today.
THE MATERIALS
The choice of materials, particularly those used in making the cases, is one of the areas in which the ability of a brand to innovate can be most strongly expressed.
New in 2011 in terms of materials is the introduction of bronze, a material which immediately evokes the world of the sea with which Officine Panerai is historically associated. The new Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo – 47 mm has a case made of CuSn8 bronze, an alloy of copper and tin in the pure state which, as well as being resistant to the corrosive action of sea water and atmospheric agents, has a high structural strength and an appearance which completely preserves the warm shades of the original while acquiring the aged appearance which is a feature of this material. With the passage of time bronze forms a patina which is the result of its reaction to external agents (air, humidity, heat and wear); this does not alter the properties of the material but is rather a sign of its ageing, making each example unique and personalised.
At SIHH 2011, Officine Panerai is also presenting Panerai Composite, a special synthetic ceramic, produced by a process of aluminium ceramisation, which is remarkable for its lightness, ductility, hardness and strength. The cases of the new Luminor Composite Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic - 44mm and the Luminor Composite 1950 3 Days - 47mm are all made of Panerai Composite.
The new Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica – 45 mm has a case of zirconium oxide, a synthetic ceramic made by applying isostatic pressing process to the material in powered form. This material has a particularly consistent, even appearance as well as providing the characteristics of hardness and resistance to scratches, corrosive agents and high temperatures which have made ceramic one of the materials of choice in the world of haute horlogerie.
THE MOVEMENTS
The creation of a complete new range of movements, entirely developed and created internally, is one of the areas where Officine Panerai has stood out since the opening of the Neuchâtel manufacture in 2002. Naturally a history of innovation and technical development must be fed by a continuous commitment to research and development and in a few years Officine Panerai has created a collection of calibres which are notable for their strong aesthetic and functional identity, in keeping with the codes of the brand.
On the occasion of SIHH 2011, Officine Panerai is adding the new P.3000 movement to its collection. This is a hand-wound mechanical calibre with a power reserve of three days, distinguished by its two spring barrels, its 13,2 mm balance wheel, its solid structure with large bridges and its exceptional size (16½ lignes in diameter, 5.3 mm thick), reproducing a classic size of period Panerai models.
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Please find the 8 models of the 2011 Novelties and the new Calibre P.3000 after this main post.
This message has been edited by AnthonyTsai on 2011-01-22 08:52:49