Press Release: Panerai Blue Dial.

A SPECIAL SERIES OF FOUR WATCHES WHICH SEEM TO HAVE ARISEN FROM AN ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE SEA AND THE LIGHT, AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY IN PANERAI BOUTIQUES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

The blue of the sea is the common characteristic of the new series of watches produced by Officine Panerai exclusively for its own boutiques throughout the world. For Panerai the sea is a fundamental element, inseparably associated with the history of the brand, and today this historic link is still reflected in its sponsorship of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the prestigious regattas for classic sailing boats. The dials of the Panerai watches in this exclusive series seem to have arisen from an encounter between the sea and the light, another identifying element of the brand. They are all an intense blue colour and they have been made even more attractive by the satiné soleil finish, a process which catches the light and diffuses it, thus creating subtle flashes and fascinating, ever-changing effects, like those caused by the rays of the sun and the waves of the sea.

PAM 688: LUMINOR 1950 3 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC ACCIAIO – 42mm

The blue dial with satiné soleil finish of the new Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Automatic blends perfectly with its blue leather strap with contrasting ecru stitching, emphasising the naval inspiration of this model. The Luminor 1950 case is made of polished AISI 316L stainless steel and it is 42 mm in diameter, a versatile size suitable for all occasions, while the bridge device with the sealing lever protecting the winding crown helps to ensure that it is water-resistant to 10 bar (a depth of about 100 metres).

Fitted with the in-house P.9001 automatic calibre, with a power reserve of three days, the new Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Automatic has a range of invaluable functions which are both easy to use and legible: the date at 3 o’clock; the GMT function for indicating the time in a second time zone; the power reserve display on the back, visible through the sapphire glass window which also enables the movement to be admired. The watch also features the seconds reset function, which stops the balance wheel and zeroes the seconds hand in the small counter at 9 o’clock when the winding crown is pulled out, so that the watch can be perfectly synchronised with a reference time signal. The Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Automatic (PAM00688) is available exclusively in Panerai boutiques throughout the world. Like all watches in this special series, it is presented in an elegant blue box made of polished cherry wood, which also contains second strap made of rubber, the tool for changing the strap and a screwdriver.

 

PAM 689: LUMINOR 1950 10 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC ACCIAIO – 44mm

The new Luminor 1950 10 days GMT Automatic combines the elegant sports appearance of the blue dial and its satiné soleil finish with the remarkable technology of the P.2003 automatic calibre with a power reserve of at least ten days, date, GMT function with am/pm indication, seconds reset, and the device for quickly adjusting the hour hand. It is a remarkable concentration of watchmaking technology fitted in a case of unmistakable Panerai design.

Although all the functions of the new Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Automatic can be read on the dial, it still has a simple, clean design, enhanced by its structure of two superimposed discs containing ecru Super-LumiNova®, the luminous substance which gives the watch its extraordinary visibility at night. At 6 o’clock is the characteristic linear indication of the ten-day power reserve, a duration made possible by the three spring barrels of the P.2003 Manufacture calibre. The date window is at 3 o’clock while the traditional small seconds dial is at 9 o’clock; this dial also contains the second time zone hand for am/pm indication, thus avoiding any confusion between day and night time.

The Luminor 1950 case is 44 mm in diameter and it is fitted with the iconic bridge device protecting the winding crown. It is made of AISI 316L stainless steel, an alloy with excellent corrosion resistance, perfect for a sports watch which is water-resistant to 10 bar (a depth of about 100 metres). On the back is a sapphire glass window through which the Manufacture movement can be admired, in particular the continuous movement of the bi-directional oscillating weight.

The new Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Automatic (PAM00689) is supplied with a blue alligator strap and it is available exclusively in Panerai boutiques throughout the world. Like all the watches in this special series, it is presented in an elegant blue box made of polished cherry wood, which also contains second strap made of rubber, the tool for changing the strap and a screwdriver.

PAM 690: RADIOMIR 1940 3 DAYS ACCIAIO – 47mm

The purity of the Radiomir 1940 design in its most authentic version is clothed in blue and it sparkles with reflections of the sea in the Radiomir 1940 3 Days, the new creation of the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, available exclusively in Panerai boutiques throughout the world.

The Radiomir 1949 case is made of polished AISI 316L stainless steel and it has the classic diameter of 47 mm, typical of period Panerai watches. The dial is blue with satiné-soleil finish and sandwich structure, and it too is presented in its classic version with large hour-markers and the subsidiary small seconds dial. The hands are gilded and create a harmonious effect with the ecru colour of the Super-LumiNova®, which ensures legibility at night, and the natural colour of the Assolutamente strap in untreated leather on which the OP logo has been hot-pressed.

The Radiomir 1940 3 Days is fitted with the Manufacture P.3000 calibre, hand-wound with a power reserve and three days, which is clearly visible through the sapphire glass window in the back. The calibre is 16 1/2 lignes and it has a large balance wheel firmly secured by a bridge with twin supports. There are two spring barrels which accumulate the long power reserve of three days, the minimum standard for Panerai in-house calibres. With brushed chamfered bridges, the P.3000 calibre also has the device for quickly adjusting the hour hand so that it can be moved forwards or backwards one hour at a time without interfering with the minute hand or the running of the watch.

The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days is water-resistant to 10 bar (a depth of about 100 metres) and it is available exclusively in Panerai Boutiques throughout the world. Like all the watches in this special series, it is presented in an elegant blue box made of polished cherry wood.

PAM 659 RADIOMIR 1940 10 DAYS GMT AUTOMATIC ORO ROSSO – 45mm

The Radiomir 1940 10 Days Automatic Oro Rosso is the most precious creation in the series of watches with blue satiné-soleil dials, made exclusively for Panerai boutiques throughout the world. The classic Radiomir 1940 design is executed in red gold and it is fitted with the Manufacture P.2003/10 calibre, rich in technical features and finely finished.

Designed, produced and decorated in the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, the P.2003/10 movement is Officine Panerai’s first skeletonised automatic movement, a magnificent synthesis of art and technology, of form and content. This technology is first apparent in the calibre: with a diameter of 13 3/4 lines (31 mm) and three spring barrels, which enable the watch to accumulate a power reserve of ten days, the movement has 25 jewels and a balance wheel making 28,000 vibrations per hour (4 Hz). The main functions are hours, minutes, small seconds, date, and the linear indication of the power reserve at 6 o’clock. Also, for all who travel, a central arrow-shaped hand enables the time to be read in a second time zone, with am/pm indication on the counter at 9 o’clock. Finally, two very useful devices make setting the time extremely easy and exact: the first stops the balance wheel and returns the seconds hand to zero when the winding crown is pulled out; and the second device enables the hand indicating local time to be moved forward or back in steps of one hour without moving the minute hand or interfering with the running of the watch, while the date adjusts automatically. The artistic nature of the watch is seen in the delicate work of skeletonising, which reveals the complexity and sophistication of the movement. The first element which attracts the eye is the rotor of the oscillating weight, finely finished with the words “Officine Panerai” cut out along its outer edge. The process of cutting out these words is extremely delicate, not only because of the technical expertise which is required but also because the rotor must not be made too light: beyond a certain point it would have too little weight to wind the spring barrels properly. Visible beneath the rotor, which rotates in both directions, is the skeleton work of the bridges and barrels, which draws attention to the technology involved and the remarkable finish of the various components with their polished chamfered edges.

The case of the new Radiomir 1940 10 Days GMT Automatic, 45 mm in diameter, is made of 5NPt red gold with a polished finish; this is an alloy with a high percentage of copper which gives the 18-carat gold an elegant reddish colour, and it contains a small percentage of platinum which helps to prevent oxidation. The watch is guaranteed water-resistant to 5 bar (a depth of 50 metres).

The new Radiomir 1940 10 Days GMT Oro Rosso (PAM00659) is supplied with a blue alligator strap with a red gold buckle and it is available exclusively in Panerai Boutiques throughout the world. Like all the watches in this special series, it is presented in an elegant blue box made of polished cherry wood.