Opening a Panerai Caseback

Opening a Panerai Caseback is a bit easier (cheaper!) to do without damaging your watch. There are caseback dies just like the Breitling ones, but with 12 sides as Panerai casebacks have 12 sides. Panerai Casebacks also come in 3 different sizes, for which you can use any of the above mentioned methods of opening just as the Breitling cases can be opened, but there are aluminum hand held openers for panera casebacks that work very well. Opening a Breitling Caseback.

These caseback openers are made from Aluminum, which is softer than the Steel used in your case so it is less likely to scratch it. Also they offer very good grip and cost from about $50-100, depending on where you purchase them from. Strap-works sell thems for $85 IIRC.

Panerai Watches in Movies

Panerai gets to be one of the most seen brands in the movie industry. Panerai has four major lines of watches: Historic, Contemporary, Manifattura and Special Editions. Most of the watches are produced in a limited run (normally of 500, 1000, 2000 or 4000 units) and carry an issue number on the case back. Some of the most famous movies in which Panerai Watches appear are:

After producing near 300 watches for the Marina Militare (Italian Navy, one of the four branches of military forces of Italy) between 1938 and 1993, the company stopped producing them because they were no longer cost-effective or did not featured the naval specifications.

When launching its products to the civilian market, Sylvester Stallone got to buy a Panerai Luminor in a jewelry store in Rome in 1995 to wear during shooting of the film "Daylight". He then ordered a batch of them with his signature on the case back. The model was called Slytech. He offered them as a gift to friends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Newly elected Governor Schwarzenegger, after receiving his Panerai as a gift from Sylvester Stallone, wore the timepice while shooting “Eraser”, a movie in which Panerai Luminor Marina actually had a scene before Schwarzenegger (main actor). The movie was released in 1996.

It then came the appearance of a Panerai Logo in Daylight. This time, worn by Sylvester Stallone. The movie was released at the end of 1996.

Jason Stratham, United Kindom actor, gets to be a very big Panerai fan as well.

Both movies, Transporter and Transporter 2, start with a similar opening scene in which the camera enters a parking garage with only one car.

Inside, Jason Statham hears an alarm and looks at his watch: a Panerai in both movies.

The transporter I

Jason Stratham wearing a 40mm Panerai Luminor Automatic Chrono (PAM 74) on OEM Brown Alligator Strap with white stiching.

The transporter II

Jason Statham wearing a Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 196

Another well known Panerai fan is Hugh Grant, who has been seen wearing his Panerai in magazines and also on TV interviews. He didn't leave the Panerai at home for "Bridget Jones' Diary" or "Two Weeks Notice".

Hugh Grant wears a Panerai watch at Bridget Jones' Diary

Hugh Grant wears a Panerai Watch at Two Weeks Notice

Panerai Luminor GMT 3 Days Automatic PAM 00320

Panerai has launched several watches with its new P. 9000 calibre movement. We have taken a look at the PAM 305 and PAM 312 which have the new in-house movement. The new P. 9000 calibre is a self-winding movement which produces 28,800 vibrations per hour, has a three day power reserve and features a date display.

A varaint of this movement is the P. 9001 calibre, which adds additional functions: (1) a second time zone; and, (2) a power reserve indicator.

The PAM 320 is a dual time watch with a power reserve indicator. Despite all this the dial is kept clean. This is because the GMT hand rotates every 12 hours (so you will have to figure out whether it is day or night at your second time zone on your own), so there are no 24 hour markings on the dial. The power reserve indicator is viewed from the back of the case, keeping it off the dial. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing, depends on you.

The Panerai watch is housed in a steel 44mm "1950" style case. A 2.6mm sapphire crystal glass protects the hand and dial, and the movement can be viewed through a sapphire crystal caseback. The case and crytals are sufficient to provide the watch with a 300 meter water resistance rating.

The short arrowhead hand provides the second time zone. What is not too clear to us is whether this hand rotates once every 24 hours (which is common for most dual time watches, and some Panerai's) or once every 12 hours (like some Panerai's). The watch does not have a day/night indicator which leads me to believe that the second time zone displays 24-hour time. The are no 24 hours markers to read against the second time zone hand, but it should be easy enough to use the 12 hour markers for this purpose. Small price to pay for the nice clean dial.

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.