Officine Panerai

Stallone Sports Ltd. Edition Panerai in 'The Expendables'

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Celebrity Shopping

In the past we've written about the special limited edition watches created by Panerai to celebrate the annual Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge sailing contests. Now one of the nautical timepieces has turned up in a totally different setting: on Sylvester Stallone's wrist in the new shoot-'em-up action flick The Expendables (above). This isn't just another example of pricey product placement, however; Stallone is a longtime Panerai fan who's credited with introducing the brand to the U.S., and the watch, a limited edition Luminor 1950 Regatta Rattrapante 44 mm, is his personal wrist candy. The split-second chronograph is coated in Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) for durability while sailing or fighting bad guys, and only 500 numbered examples were produced.

Tags: celebrity, movies, Officine Panerai, Panerai, regatta, sailing, Sylvester Stallone, The Expendables, watches, watchspotting, yacht

Classic Yachts Battle It Out at Panerai Regatta in Antibes

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Events, Sports

The first Mediterranean leg of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2010 sponsored by the luxe Italian watch brand is now complete with an impressive showing amongst the elegant craft. The yachts Mariska, an auric cutter from 1908; Rowdy, a Marconi cutter from 1916; and Chaplin, a 16-metre Italian Navy vessel built in 1974, won in the "Big Boats", "Vintage" and "Classic" categories respectively during the race days at the famous French resort of Antibes on the Cote d'Azur. The winners each received a Radiomir Regatta 1/8th Second Titanio - 47 mm watch, specially created by Officine Panerai for this new season of regattas and produced in a limited edition of just 500 pieces. In total 51 boats split into seven categories participated in the event which was organized by the Yacht Club d'Antibes and the Club Nautique d'Antibes. Also present in Antibes, though not participating in the regattas, was Eilean, the classic 1936 yacht built by Scottish boatyard Fife, recently restored by Officine Panerai, which we wrote about in April.

Gallery: Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge 2010 Antibes

Tags: Antibes, classic yacht, Cote dAzur, France, Mediterranean, Officine Panerai, Panerai, regatta, sailing, sailing yacht, watches, yacht, yacht racing

Super Sailing at Panerai's Classic Yacht Regatta

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Yachts & Sailing, Sports

The results are in for the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (ACYC), the first regatta of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge season. The ACYC, one of the largest and most renowned classic yacht races in the world, attracts a collection of some of the world's most beautiful sailing vessels, including the Spirit of Tradition yachts, J Class yachts and tall ships. This year's regatta took place April 15th – 20th and attracted more than 52 vintage and classic boats of all sizes. During five days of rugged sailing in the Caribbean, Aschanti IV and Sumurun (above) won Panerai barometers in the Classic Class and Vintage Class respectively. A special edition Panerai Radiomir Regatta 1/8th Second Titanio – 47 mm watch, designed especially for this year's Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge season, was awarded to the overall winner, Sumurun, and its owner Robert Tobin. The North American Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge will begin in New England in August.

Gallery: Antigua Classic Yachts Challenge

Tags: Antigua, boat, Caribbean, classic yachts, Officine Panerai, Panerai, regatta, sailing, sailing yacht, watch, yacht

Panerai Ltd. Edition Radiomir Egiziano

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

As The Classicist noted in a column on Officine Panerai, the watchmaker founded in Florence in 1860, the firm got its start by supplying timepieces (and other instrumentation) to the Royal Italian Navy or Marina Militare. However they also produced special commissions for the elite branches of other countries' armed forces. One highly collectible example of such is a model made for the Egyptian Navy in 1956, limited to only 50 examples. Panerai has now ressurected the watch, dubbed the Radiomir Egiziano (above), for a new limited run. Only 300 pieces will be available at about $30,000 each. The watch features features a large lightweight brushed titanium case, a hand-wound movement with an 8-day power reserve, and a bi-directional rotating bezel. It comes on a thick tan leather strap fitted with a titanium buckle.

Tags: Diving, Egypt, Italy, Military, Officine Panerai, OfficinePanerai, Panerai

Peerless Panerais in NYC Watch Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

In our regular coverage of the world's top watch auctions we usually concentrate on the highest-priced timepieces, which are almost without exception made by Patek Philippe.

On the occasion of Christie's Important Watches sale in New York on Dec. 12 however, we thought we'd focus instead on the unusually high number of beautiful examples by Officine Panerai, the storied Italian brand that's opening a stylish new Manhattan boutique, as we mentioned the other day.

The Panerais on offer at the Dec. 12 auction range from a limited edition 1950 model Luminor (right) est. at $10,000 - $15,000, to an "eccentric seconds" Marina model, est. at $2,500 - $3,500. See the gallery for pix.

Gallery: Panerais at Auction

OVERSIZED STAINLESS STEEL LIMITED EDITION AUTOMATIC DIVER'S WRISTWATCH WITH DATE

OVERSIZED LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS STEEL AUTOMATIC DIVER'S WRISTWATCH WITH DATE AND HELIUM ESCAPE VALVE

LIMITED EDITION STAINLESS STEEL WRISTWATCH

OVERSIZED STAINLESS STEEL WRISTWATCH WITH ECCENTRIC SECONDS

Tags: Christies, Officine Panerai, OfficinePanerai, Panerai

Panerai to Open NYC Boutique Next Month

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

In December, luxury Italian watch brand Officine Panerai will open a new boutique in New York City, its second stand-alone U.S. store (the other is in Los Angeles). Panerai has been on an expansion binge of late, with recently opened shops in Florence, Portofino, Hong Kong and Shanghai. In addition to the NYC store, openings are planned for Buenos Aires, Madrid, Qatar and Dubai. The furnishings in the Panerai Boutiques are inspired by the sea, as Panerai started out supplying instruments to the Royal Italian Navy. Teak and steel are the predominant materials employed in the shops' nautical design, while furnishing details evoke diving suits and equipment, with porthole-shaped display panels recalling yacht fittings.

Tags: entertainment-awards, New York, New York City, NewYork, NewYorkCity, Officine Panerai, OfficinePanerai, Panerai

The Classicist: Panerai Past & Present

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Books, Men's Style, The Classicist

Photo by Éric Sauvage and Nils Herrmann

Officine Panerai, founded in Florence in 1860, makes some of the most coveted wristwatches in the world. They only produce a limited number of timepieces every year, and there's usually a long waiting list for new models costing several thousands of dollars. The company is credited with perfecting the world's first underwater watches in the thirties; many have imitated its oversized style and the numerous devoted Panerai collectors around the globe are known as "Paneristi." Since 1996 the company has also produced a line of watches for Ferrari and serves as the marque's official timekeeper. An impressive new slipcased volume, called simply Panerai, about to be published by Flammarion, details the fascinating history of these beautiful watches.

Early on the company became the official supplier to the Marina Militare (the Royal Italian Navy), initially providing optical and mechanical instruments. In 1910 they began experimenting with luminous materials to make the instrument dials visible in the dark. In 1936 the Marina Militare asked Panerai to develop a wristwatch suitable for use by commandos under extreme conditions. Thus was born the oversized, water-resistant, luminous dial Radiomir, production of which began in 1938, cementing a place for Panerai in the pantheon of the world's great watchmakers.

Gallery: Panerai: Past & Present