Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2010

The association between classic yachting and Officine Panerai has been renewed for 2010, with the sixth edition of Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the most important international circuit of regattas reserved for vintage and classic sailing boats.

For the 2010 edition, the circuit has grown thanks to new and prestigious regatta fields: for the first time, the historical British Classic Yacht Club Cowes Regatta (Isle of Wight, Great Britain) and the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta (Marblehead, USA) are also part of the circuit. The latter is one of the most famous and exclusive American yachting centres, as well as being the historical birthplace of the American Navy.

The inclusion of the Corinthian Classic Yacht Regatta represents an important change for the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, not just because of the prestige of the event but also, for the first time, the American regattas are combined to form an independent Trophy, parallel to that of the Mediterranean: the North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge. This Trophy event takes place entirely in the waters of New England and is made up of the Marblehead Regatta, the Newport Opera House Cup and the Museum of Yachting Classic Yacht Regatta, also in Newport. The Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta Trophy however remains an independent event, and in April, like every year, it will open the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge in the clear waters of the Caribbean island.

The other great change in 2010 is the British Classic Yacht Club Panerai Cowes Regatta. With more than 65 classic yachts expected at the start, this traditional appointment - held every year, in July, in the waters of the Solent, the stretch of sea which separates the Isle of Wight from Great Britain - is likely to be the largest regatta reserved for vintage and classic sailing boats ever held in the region.

Prestigious confirmations for the Mediterranean circuit of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge: as well as Les Voiles d’Antibes and the Régates Royales in Cannes, which open and close the circuit season every year in the Costa Azzurra, the circuit features the spectacular meeting of the Vele d’Epoca in Imperia, which every other year brings to the Ligurian coast an exceptional number of vessels from every class, and the traditional Copa del Rey in Mahon, on the island of Minorca.

In keeping with annual tradition, Officine Panerai has created a special limited edition watch, the prize for the winners of each heat in the different construction classes: The Radiomir Regatta 1/8th Second Titanio – 47 mm is a chronograph with a split-second function, that enables the measurement of several simultaneous events, and a foudroyante function to measure fractions of a second. The piece is also fitted with an express scale in knots for the calculation of the average speed of the vessel, a high-tech instrument which perpetuates the long tradition that has always linked Officine Panerai with the creation of tools for life on the waves.

Among the more than 500 vintage boats taking part in the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge regattas, 2010 will also see the debut of Eilean, the Bermudan ketch built in 1936 in the legendary Scottish Fife boatyards, which was purchased and painstakingly restored by Officine Panerai, as part its commitment to safeguarding and promoting classic yachting.

CALENDAR

ANTIGUA CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA

April 15th – 20th, 2010

Antigua (Antigua and Barbuda)

LES VOILES D'ANTIBES

June 2nd – 6th, 2010

Antibes (France)

BRITISH CLASSIC YACHT CLUB PANERAI COWES REGATTA

July 17th – 24th, 2010

Cowes, Isle of Wight (United Kingdom)

CORINTHIAN CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA

August 6th – 8th, 2010

Marblehead, MA (USA)

OPERA HOUSE CUP

August 12th – 15th, 2010

Nantucket, MA (USA)

COPA DEL REY

August 25th – 29th, 2010

Mahon, Minorca (Spain)

MUSEUM OF YACHTING CLASSIC YACHT REGATTA

September 3rd – 5th, 2010

Newport, RI (USA)

VELE D'EPOCA DI IMPERIA

September 8th – 12th, 2010

Imperia (Italy)

RÉGATES ROYALES

September 20th – 25th, 2010

Cannes (France)

Panerai Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Ceramic Watch

The case on the new Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Ceramica is made of zirconium oxide ceramic, a very hard material that is resistant to corrosion and scratching. The case is formed using an isostatic pressure process that produces a single block ready for milling. The 44mm case requires over 60 operations to complete. The screw-down back is titanium with a sapphire window opening onto the P.2003 automatic movement.

The movement – designed and manufactured in-house by Officine Panerai – offers a 10 day power reserve, the status of which is displayed via a linear display on the trademark sandwich dial. This reference PAM00335 will be produced in a limited series of 500 pieces with a European MSRP of 12,900 euros. The launch is scheduled for September 10.

Technical specifications

Reference: PAM00335

Movement: Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.2003 caliber, executed entirely by Panerai, 13¾ lignes, 8.0 mm thick, 25 jewels, Glucydur balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 10 days with horizontal indicator, three barrels. 296 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, second time zone, 24h indicator, linear power reserve indicator, seconds reset.

Case: Black ceramic

Case Diameter: 44 mm

Bezel: black ceramic

Back: See-through smoked sapphire crystal.

Device protecting the crown: (protected as a Trademark) Black ceramic.

Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock, seconds and 24h indicator at 9 o’clock, linear power reserve indicator at 6 o’clock.

Crystal:Sapphire, made from corundum, 2 mm thick.Anti-reflective coating.

Water-resistance:10 bar (100 meters).

Strap: PANERAI personalised leather strap and largesize titanium buckle with special hard black coating.Supplied with a second interchangeable strap and a steel screwdriver.

Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina Titanium 44mm PAM 00351

Like the release of the PAM 00359, the Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina 44mm Titanium PAM00351 is another watch with a built-by-Panerai which looks to be aimed at move to offer lower cost Panerai's with in-house movements. In 2009, Panerai offered their first watches with a in-house movement for below 10K. At an estimated price of approximately US$8,000 this another sub-10K a Panerai with a in-house movement.

This watch is similar in design of the Panerai Luminor Marina PAM 240 as both watches have titanium cases. Titanium is a metallic element which is recognized for its high strength to weight ratio. It was discovered in 1791, by William Gregor. On the Periodic Table, Titanium is symbolized by Ti. Compared, to the most common material used in building watch casings, which is 316L grade stainless steel, commercial grade Titanium alloy has a higher tensile strength, is lighter more and more resistant to corrosion.

Titanium strong resistance to corrossion is due to its self healing properties which is explained by TIMET as follows:

Titanium metal's corrosion resistance is due to a stable, protective, strongly adherent oxide film. This film forms instantly when a fresh surface is exposed to air or moisture. The oxide film formed on titanium at room temperature immediately after a clean surface is exposed to air is 12-16 Angstroms thick. After 70 days it is about 50 Angstroms. It continues to grow slowly reaching a thickness of 80-90 Angstroms in 545 days and 250 Angstroms in four years. The film growth is accelerated under strongly oxidizing conditions, such as heating in air, anodic polarization in an electrolyte or exposure to oxidizing agents such as HNO3, C(R)O3, etc.

The composition of this film varies from TiO2 at the surface to Ti2O3, to TiO at the metal interface. Oxidizing conditions promote the formation of TiO2 so that in such environments the film is primarily TiO2. This film is transparent in its normal thin configuration and not detectable by visual means.

A study of the corrosion resistance of titanium is basically a study of the properties of the oxide film. The oxide film on titanium is very stable and is only attacked by a few substances, most notably, hydrofluoric acid. Titanium is capable of healing this film almost instantly in any environment where a trace of moisture or oxygen is present because of its strong affinity for oxygen.

Titanium has roughly the same weight as aluminum and is 100% hypo allergic. About the only drawback we can find for a Titanium watch case is that it has a dull gun metal finish, unlike stainless steel that can be either brushed or polished to different degrees. So either you like the look or not. A Titanium watch will also cost you a bit more than an identical one with a stainless steel case.

Manifaturra heritage. While the PAM 351 reminds of the PAM 240, the manifaturra heritage of the PAM 351 is clear to those with a sharp eye even from the outside. The use of the sleeker 1950 case, the pancake dial and the absence of a magnifying glass on the date display are standard features on the design of Panerai's falling under the manifaturra line.

Inside is the Panerai P.9000 calibre movement, built entirely by Panerai it produces 28,800 vibrations per hour, and despite this feature not being included in its name unlike other Panerai's with the same feature, it has a three day power reserve.

The case itself is the standard 44 mm diameter for Luminor Marina's, and the watch has a water resistance rating of 300 meters. It comes with a brown alligator strap and supplied with a second interchangeable strap (usually a balck rubber one).

Officine Panerai Luminor 1950 Submersible 3 Days Automatic PAM 00305

New Submersible with the Panerai P. 9000 movement. Another new watch Panerai launched at SIHH 2009 is a new Submersible version of its Luminor watches. Internally, the Officine Panerai Luminor 1950 Submersible 3 Days Automatic PAM 00305 is identical to the new Marina PAM 00312 we took a look at a few days ago.

The movement in the PAM 312 is the new for 2009, built by Panerai P. 9000 calibre. This self winding movement has a three day power reserve and produces 28,800 vibrations per hour. The PAM 305, like the PAM 312, also has a clear-case back that allows you to look at the watch mechanism in action. The PAM 305 falls within Panerai's manifaturra line, which means that it will be somewhat more expensive than their watches with modified third party movements. The use of brushed titanium for the case will also add to the cost.

Differences. While the PAM 305 is internally similar to the PAM 312, there is plenty to distinguish the two. The PAM 305 comes in a massive 47mm 1950 case with a unidirectional rotating bezel used for measuring periods of elapsed time of up to 60 minutes making it a more contemporary divers watch. It also comes with a 4mm thick crystal (2.6mm on the PAM 305).

300 meters water resistance. Unfortunately, despite its larger girth and thicker glass, water resistance is rated at the same 300 meters as the PAM 305, which is a bit disappointing for such a massive watch. With the Omega Planet Ocean rated at 600 meters water resistance and the Rolex Sea Dweller DEEPSEA providing a rating of 3990 meters... the 300 meter rating for the PAM 305 is disapointing. I suspect this has something to do with the decision to with the clear crystal window on the PAM 305's case back.

Panerai Jupiterium Solar System Clock

Panerai released an amazing clock at SIHH 2010 named the Jupiterium. The Clock is based on Galileo’s interpretation of the Solar System, and was unveiled at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm. The Clock shows the position of the Moon, Sun, Jupiter and the Stars as viewed from Earth. There are Three of these clocks in existence.

The clock has a 40 day power reserve, and has the time mounted on the wooden base. The ironic thing about it I suppose is that the Earth appears in the centre of the clock, when Galileo was in fact the first person to suggest that the Earth was NOT the center of the solar system. This clock conveys their relationship rather than the position of the different celestial bodies.

Officine Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina 3 Days Automatic PAM 00359

Panerai formally launched at the 2010 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie it new line-up of watches. One of this watches is the new Officine Panerai Luminor 1950 Marina 3 Days Automatic (PAM 00359)... I distinctly remember writing about this watch last year.

The reason that the new Luminor 1950 Marina 3 Days Automatic, with reference code PAM 359 seems very familiar is that is almost identical to the PAM 312 released in 2009. Both watches have the built-by-Panerai Panerai P. 9000 calibre self-winding movement with a longer than usual three day power reserve which produces 28,800 vibrations per hour. Both watches use a 44mm diameter case using the 1950 case design. Both have a divers watch rating of 300 meters water resistant.

The difference is in the dial. Instead on a combination of arabic numbers and baton markers found in the PAM 312, the PAM 359 dial is adorned by arabic numerals only. The other big difference is the price. The PAM 359 expected at a US$7,400 retail price.

Watch collectors, value a watch more when the movement inside is built by the same company that build a watch. Panerai used to charge a premium for watches with built by Panerai movements. With the release of the PAM 312 in 2009, followed by the PAM 359 in 2010, I think we are seeing a migration to a point in time when all Panerai's will have built-by-Panerai.

Panerai chooses selective distribution

Panerai stands apart, with limited editions sold through a selective distribution network of some 500 points of sale worldwide and 20 stand-alone stores.

Christophe Roulet

To say that Panerai likes to propose its watches in small quantities is something of an understatement. Look no further than the models it unveiled at the recent Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, which included several "Special Editions" in limited numbers: every Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon L’Astronomo will be unique, personalised to the customer’s wishes; there will be just 30 of the Radiomir Tourbillon GMT Lo Scienziato; the Mare Nostrum is limited to 99 pieces, and the Radiomir Composite Marina Militare extends to 1,500. Furthermore, annual production of models in Panerai’s "standard" range is also limited. For example, there will be five hundred Radiomir Oro Rosa watches each year, and the same number each of the Radiomir 10 Giorni GMT and the Luminor 1950 10 Giorni GMT Ceramic.

Keep within the limits

"Limiting production isn’t the same as a limited edition," notes Angelo Bonati, Chief Executive of Panerai. "In our case, if we propose, for example, 99 of our Mare Nostrum, it’s because that’s how many movements we have at our disposal. Obviously limited editions are of value to collectors, far more in fact than the new models we have launched, insofar as we respect quantities. It’s a strategy we have and, while it may mean lower revenues, our products take on an aspirational value. This has to be a serious, considered approach. Limited editions lose all meaning and value when produced in abundance."

In a similar vein, Panerai has no intention of spreading itself across a vast distribution network. "Again, we aim for selectivity by working with professionals in the field. This has led us to work with just 500 points of sale worldwide, and open 20 Panerai stores where we can convey our values and image. One of the last stores we opened was in New York in 2009, when the watch sector was in the midst of crisis, and we’re extremely satisfied with business there. Our policy to keep the brand sufficiently in the public eye without excess goes hand-in-hand with our determination to propose rare and exclusive products."

Panerai, a mono-product brand

For Angelo Bonati, Panerai’s ultimate objective is to assert itself as a high-end brand with its own coherency. "It’s a question of simplicity and authenticity. This is how we can deliver our message and values, which are those of a family business, established in Florence. Panerai had no watchmaking heritage but still produced watches. Our job has been to build a recognisable brand with watchmaking content, in particular by producing our own calibres. When a company is making products that inspire dreams and passion, it must know how to keep these emotions alive. I can’t say it often enough. This is what helped us weather the crisis. Panerai is virtually a single product brand, with its Radiomir and Luminor models. We stayed true to our identity, kept the same communication so as not to miss out on customers, and never lowered our prices so as not to jeopardise quality. In a word, Panerai has come through the crisis unchanged!"

Panerai Luminor GMT North Pole Watch

Officne Panerai, an exclusive partner of the North Pole Winter Expedition, has developed a technically advanced watch, the Panerai Luminor GMT North Pole, which had been tested in the course of this hazardous but fascinating expedition. The watch has a steel case with the characteristic bridge protecting the winding crown (an Officine Panerai patent) and an additional internal case made of soft iron, a material which protects the mechanism from the influence of the earth’s magnetic field, the intensity of which increases considerably in the vicinity of the North Pole. The calibre OP VIII, with automatic winding, has been lubricated with special oils to guarantee the best performance even close to the North Pole. The screw back has been personalised with a diagram of the expedition and the watch is water-resistant to a depth of 300 metres.

The special feature of the Panerai Luminor GMT North Pole is its rotating bezel with the applied letters of the four cardinal points. This is a practical solution which enables the wearer’s position to be established by observation of the stars. It is a simple instrument which can be used in the conditions of total darkness in which Mike Horn and Borge Ousland found themselves and it was a fundamental system of orientation in the context of an environment which prevented the operation of equipment such as the compass and GPS because of the extremely severe cold. Blue in colour to make reading the information easier, the dial indicates both the time and the date while the second time zone is indicated by a further hand.