Panerai

Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Watch In Bronze

Seeing the new Panerai watches for 2011 might have you doing a double take. The reason being that you are looking to see exactly what is new. Panerai's new releases are extremely in line with the current collection in terms of looks and features - making it hard to for all but dedicated experts to see what is new. While not a new watch in the grands scheme of things, the most talked about new Panerai is the PAM00382, a Luminor Submersible model in a bronze case.

The 47mm wide watch contains Panerai's newer in-house made P.9000 automatic movmeent that has a 3 day power reserve. The full name of the watch is the quite long, "Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo." That little "bronzo" part always makes chuckle. Why did Panerai use bronze for the case? Not really sure. The brand's vintage style pieces do very well, and most any watch does in bronze looks vintage. Reason enough? Bronze is a strong metal that is resistant to corrosion, but does develop a patina over time that changes the look of the metal a bit. It also doesn't polish very evenly, giving it an antique or rough feel to it. Those who love an evenly polished steel case will not necessarily appreciate this look. Panerai collector's will likely love it, and the look of bronze does match the Sub's look nicely. The diving watch has a rotating diver's bezel and is water resistant to 300 meters.

Attached to the watch is a "aged" leather strap, but Panerai also gives you a rubber strap. The PAM00382 will be part of a limited edition. Panerai will make just 1000 pieces of this model and will likely debut additional bronze watches in the near future is this diver is a sucess.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 2011, bronze, bronzo, luminor submersible, Panerai, watch

Panerai Limited Edition Watches For Beverly Hills & New York

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

As a nod to dedicated brand lovers in the US, Panerai releases four limited edition watches for the cities it feels have the highest concentration of US watch collectors. There will be two watches for each city - each with a specially engraved caseback. The Beverly Hills models have an engraving of Beverly Blvd, complete with palm trees, while the New York models will have a section of the Statue of Liberty on the back of the case.

Panerai fans have proven to gobble up limited edition pieces such as this, so I anticipate a healthy reaction. Beverly Hills gets the Panerai PAM 406 and the PAM 416. The 406 is a my favorite one, being a Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT watch. This watch will retail for $17,900, being the most expensive of the bunch (looks like I have ritzy taste). There will also the more simple PAM 416, which is a much more basic Luminor Marina model with the time a subsidiary seconds dial. This one will go for $5,100.

New York gets the PAM 407, which is a Radiomir 8 Days with a price of $12,500. it also gets the PAM 417, which is the same as the PAM 416, but with the New York style caseback engraving. All of the watches are in steel with brown leather straps. Al are 44mm wide, save for the Radiomir which is 45mm wide. The 406 and 407 will be limited to just 20 pieces, but the 416 and 417 will be limited to 150 pieces each. The watches will be available only at Panerai boutique stores in their respective cities.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: Panerai PAM 416/417

Tags: beverly hills, limited edition, new york, Panerai, watch

Rare Rolexes & More in Christie's Watches Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions

A custom-engraved Patek Philippe pocket watch from the collection of American business titan Henry Graves Jr. and a stellar collection of modern dress and sport watches from the collection of award-winning actor Anthony LaPaglia are among top lots to on offer at Christie's December 14 sale of Important Watches in New York. Price-wise the big draw is a Patek Philippe Reference 2499 in 18k gold, a perpetual calendar chronograph with moon phases, manufactured in 1982, est. $250,000–$350,000, while Graves' Patek is estimated at $40,000–$60,000. LaPaglia is an astute collector whose well-chosen pieces will lead the sale's afternoon session, with estimates ranging from $2,000 up to $70,000.

A stand-out among the vintage watches in his collection is the Rolex Reference 3646 made circa 1943 for Officine Panerai, an extremely rare example of the large, stainless steel diver's wristwatches produced for Italian navy officers during the 1940's, est. $70,000–$90,000; and the Rolex Reference 6541 from circa 1958, one of the rarest Milgauss models Rolex ever produced, est. $60,000–$80,000. Identified by its seconds hand in the form of a lightning bolt, this anti-magnetic model was originally designed for use in areas of high electro-magnetic fields, such as laboratories and power stations. And our favorite is the Rolex Reference 6239, known as the "Paul Newman" Cosmograph Daytona, (above) manufactured circa 1967 in stainless steel, est. $40,000–$60,000.

Gallery: Christie's Important Watches 12/14/10

Tags: Anthony LaPaglia, auction, christies+watches, christieswatches, chronograph, Henry Graves Jr., Panerai, Patek Philippe, rare+rolexes, rarerolexes, Rolex, Rolex Daytona, rolex+milgauss, rolexmilgauss, watches

Panerai Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Limited Edition

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Shop around for an automatic wristwatch and you're likely to find mechanisms that will keep their time on the shelf for a day, two days, maybe more. Panerai's latest, however, is capable of keeping a power reserve for a whopping ten days without moving it an inch.

The ultra-exclusive Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Limited Edition is constricted to just 100 examples, all of which will be sold at the Swiss-Italian watchmaker's store in the Taipei 101 building in Taiwan. In addition to the ten-day power reserve and the usual hours, minutes and seconds hands, it features a date window, a secondary time zone display and an AM/PM indicator. Nice work if you can get it, but it'll set you back $17,250 if you can.

Source

Tags: gmt, luminor, panerai, panerai luminor, Panerai Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT Limited Edition, power reserve

EXCLUSIVE: Rugged Fall Style Starring the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Spirits, Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style, The Classicist

Click above for a high-res image gallery and full credit info

Some people look at the colder weather as an excuse to head south for the winter; we like to think of it as an opportunity to wear lots of new clothes and find fun ways of keeping warm. In the spirit of getting ready for the season in style we took the new 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo, some classic country clothing and ruggedly handsome accouterments on a tour through the glorious autumnal landscape of northern New England, documenting our excursion with the cool new Olympus PEN E-PL1 digital camera. We let the foliage flaunt the bright colors, keeping the clothing to an elegant, understated palette of greens, grays and earthy tones with rich leather, suede and alligator skin details and subtle tortoiseshells and tartans for contrast. Warm textures of wool, cashmere, tweed, moleskin and waxed cotton combined with equestrian and hunting elements guard against the elements and the hazards of the terrain (and local fauna), handling any activity without sacrificing anything in the way of style.

That's also an apt description of the new Cayenne Turbo, hands-down the sportiest SUV around. For 2011 it gets a sleeker and more aggressive appearance, better performance and fuel economy, garnering it the 2011 Motor Trend Sport/Utility of the Year title (they noted that "the Cayenne's driving experience eclipsed that of every other contender"). Powered by a 4.8-liter, twin-turbo V8 engine generating 500 hp, it can do 0–60 mph in just 4.4 seconds if you're so inclined. Equipped with the Porsche Traction Management (PTM) active all-wheel-drive system it can do just about anything else. Fitted with Porsche's new eight-speed Tiptronic S transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel and a luxurious leather interior influenced by the Panamera, it features a state-of-the-art navigation system with real-time traffic updates, a surround sound system with iPod interface, Bluetooth hands-free phone operation, 18-way adaptive sport seats and more – in short, all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a $105,000 SUV with a Porsche pedigree.

Gallery: Rugged Fall Style - Porsche Cayenne Turbo

Grousa sweater jacket by Fjallraven; tumbled leather boots by Ralph Lauren

Moto jacket by LINCS by David Chu; shirt, tie and pants by Ralph Lauren; boots by Hunter

Cashmere sweater by Brooks Brothers; shirt and pants by Ralph Lauren; cap by Locke & Co., London

Gentry Russell boots by Wolverine 1000 Mile; scarf by Hermes

Tags: alligator, Barbour, Brooks Brothers, Burberry, camera, cashmere, cognac, David Chu, equestrian, Fjallraven, Hunter, Hunter boots, hunting, LINCS, mens style, New England, Olympus, Panamera, Panerai, Persol, Pierre Ferrand, Porsche, Porsche Cayenne, Porsche Cayenne Turbo, Ralph Lauren, Rolex, Steve McQueen, SUV, tweed, UK, watches, Wolverine, Wolverine 1000 Mile

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: Rugged Fall Style Starring the 2011 Porsche Cayenne Turbo”

Stallone Sports Ltd. Edition Panerai in 'The Expendables'

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

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

Heidi Klum Wears Diamond Encrusted Panerai Luminor Marina Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Celebrity Shopping

I am not sure exactly what model Panerai Luminor Marina watch this is - but it doesn't really matter because Panerai doesn't sell this diamond studded model. This highly diamond encrusted Panerai watch has been seen on Heid Klum's wrist and is more than likely the product of some aftermarket jewelry work. The standard Panerai Luminor Marina case and steel metal bracelet have been redone with dozens and dozens of sparkly diamonds. With a base price of some where between $7,000 - $10,000, tens of thousands or more dollars went into this special modification. Many people perform such modifications to increase the value of their timepieces, as well as ensure that no one else in the building will be wearing the same timepiece.

Klum is known fine watch lover, and typically has a penchant for those timepieces that have precious jewels on them. The last watch I saw on her was an Hublot Tutti Frutti in green with emeralds. The Panerai is a large watch being at least 44mm wide. Large for most female wrists, but Heidi is able to pull it off nicely. Interesting that she wears the watch on her right arm.

Via Zimbio.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com

Tags: diamond, diamonds, heidi klum, panerai, watch, wearing, wears

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

Panerai Honors Its Internet Fans With Limited Edition Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

With animosity toward the internet waning, watch brands are starting to change their attitude toward fans on the net, as well as sales there (here). Panerai has just released a limited edition watch (the PAM 360) in honor of the unofficial Panerai fan forum site Paneristi.com. The online community of brand lovers has been invaluable for Panerai, and this little nod in their direction is a great message to active brand fans everywhere. Specifically, the watch is said to be in honor of the website's 10th anniversary. The limited edition of 300 watches will be sold via the site by moderators, to active Paneristi members only. There is likely to be an element of seniority and activity involved in the selection - so don't plan on joining now expecting one of the watches.

The PAM 360 starts of course with custom "Paneristi.com" engravings on the caseback. The steel case is DLC black coated, with a lovely amount of contrasting luminant. The dial is very simple - the absolute most minimalist a Panerai watch can get. The light tan leather strap looks attractive against the black case. Price is up there at about $6,700 each - but it barely matters for Panerai's more elite group of super fans.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Gallery: PANERAI PAM 360 Paneristi back

Tags: 360, limited edition, pam, panerai, paneristi.com

Panerai PAM359 Luminor 1950 Marina Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

A relatively minor new introduction, the Panerai PAM 359 is still one of my favorite new Panerai watches for 2010. Why? Well this is the first Luminor Marina style Panerai in decades with full Arabic numerals (that I know of). Usually you get just a few of the hours with Arabic numerals, and the rest are simple markers. Here though, you get a full dial with actual numerals in a way that is still very much Panerai. The 12, 6, and 9 are larger - assisting with adherence to the classic look. The numerals are in lume, recessed a bit under a matte black dial. The watch case is in steel and 44mm wide, and water resistant to 300 meters. There is a sapphire crystal on the front and back of the watch.

Inside the PAM359 is Panerai's in-house made P.9000 automatic movement with a 3 day power reserve, subsidiary seconds counter, and the date. Having an in-house movement of course increases the desirability of the piece to collectors. For me, placing all Arabic numerals on the dial actually makes it easier to read and plays with the Panerai look in a good way. Price is in the $7,500 vicinity.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 1950, 2010, luminor, marina, PAM 359, Panerai, watch

Classic 1931 Gentleman's Yacht for Sale at $9 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Yachts & Sailing

Many people admired the classic 1936 sailing yacht restored by Italian watch brand Panerai that we wrote about last month. Now you can buy your own version, an even larger classic gentleman's yacht built buy the same famed Scottish boatyard as Panerai's craft, for $9 million. The 134-ft. Altair, a gaff rigged topsail schooner, was originally commissioned by Captain H. MacCaw who asked William Fife for "a sound, safe cruiser to go to the South Sea Islands in with no difficulty." She then passed through a series of notable owners including Viscount Runciman, a British Member of Parliament, before being acquired by the British Admiralty in World War II. Completely restored in 1987 and refitted in 2007, the teak on oak with teak deck Altair now ranks as one of the best-preserved large high-quality pre-war yachts in the world. The interior is considered one of the most beautiful and authentic of any classic yacht, with fine French polished walnut throughout the five cabin guest accommodations.

Tags: altair, classic yacht, Panerai, sailing yacht, schooner, teak, wooden boat, yacht

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 Relaunches Classic 1936 Sailing Yacht

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Yachts & Sailing

Swiss-owned Italian luxury watch brand Panerai has restored a classic 1936 sailing yacht which will now serve as the company's flagship at exclusive yachting events. Panerai CEO and avid yachtsman Angelo Bonati just spent the last two-and-a-half years overseeing a complete restoration of the Eilean (above), a beautiful two-masted 72-ft. Bermudian ketch originally designed and built in 1936 by the legendary Fife boatyard in Scotland. When Bonati acquired the stylish yacht, whose design was inspired by the J-Class America's Cup racers of the 1930s, in 2006 it was a mastless, rusting wreck. He hired Italian naval restoration specialist Enrico Zacagni to undertake the extremely costly and painstaking 40,000-hour task. In addition to its Burmese teak skin and decking and perfectly recreated period details, the yacht now features a bespoke set of Panerai sailing instruments. The beautiful boat will represent the brand at the upcoming Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge.

Gallery: Panerai Yacht Eilean

Source

Tags: Americas Cup, Angelo Bonati, Panerai, regatta, sailing, sailing yacht, yacht

Panerai And Ferrari Officially Break Up

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

It was a rocky relationship is there ever was one. Several years ago Panerai was given the contract to make Ferrari branded timepieces - luxury ones that is. Panerai was searingly hot in the mid 2000's, with popularity and demand at incredibly high levels. It seemed to make executive sense to have them design and produce watches with the famous Italian stallion super car moniker on them. Sources indicate that the agreement wasn't really something Panerai even wanted to deal with in the first place, but was pressured to engage in by parent company the Richemont Group. Nevertheless, in 2005 the famous Italian watch brand took on the Italian car brand under its horological wing (under a 5 year agreement).

Almost from the beginning the watches could not sell. Consumers disapproved of them, and stores couldn't move them. The watches that probably averaged in the $10,000 range were notorious for losing value - it was almost a joke if someone bought one. The sad thing was that nothing was inherently wrong with the watches. It was just not enough for the money - not nearly enough. For those who really did like the watches, it was a blessing, as you could get one at an incredible discount even brand new from a retailer. In 2005, the two companies began their five year relationship. With the contract due to expire now, neither side has any desire to renew. It is possible that the relationship was botched from the beginning. Ferrari itself seemed to have absolutely no influence on the watches, and Panerai fans just saw the pieces are more expensive, less attractive, and chintzy looking Panerai timepieces.

For those in the industry this is no surprise. The question now is who will Ferrari partner up with next? While Panerai is likely happy to be rid of the deal, others are likely drooling to get the Ferrari name license. Will it be another popular high-end brand? Will Ferrari go down market with cheaper watches that are affordable but don't do the nameplate justice? Perhaps Ferrari will go with another route altogether and find a smaller independent brands that can make high-end watches more akin to the Ferrari look and lifestyle. I will wait and see. Until then, this breakup seems to have no unhappy parties expect for those very few people that actually bought the watches.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: Ferrari, Panerai, watch

Panerai Radiomir 42mm Watch Hands-On

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

I got physical with Panerai's new smaller watch collection with their in-house made P.999 manually-would movements and I liked it. With 44mm wide Panerai watches not looking too "large and in-charge" themselves these days, I speculated about the wisdom of them doing an even smaller model - even if it was just for the ladies. Well all that speculation is aside now, as I got a chance to play nice with the watches personally. There are three versions of this new Panerai Radiomir watch, the Ref. PAM336, PAM337, and PAM338. Differences? Pink gold, steel, and titanium - respectively. Oh, and the watches aren't just for the ladies (not that there are any dedicated women's Panerai watches, but lots of women enjoy their 44mm wide and under men's watches).

I first wrote about these new smaller Panerai watches here. Being placed in the Radiomir cases style gives the watches a more classic look than others with some of the other case styles. The thinner (though not thin) bezel helps that watch feel larger than it is. Plus, the watch isn't too thin (but is actually quite thin for Panerai standards). So what you have is a watch that feels more substantial due to its thickness and higher emphasis on the dial size. At the same time, it is important to note that this is a thin watch in Panerai terms. For me, wearing it was really comfortable. The loop style lugs help the watch look more substantial, and the flatter, smaller size of the case felt really nice on the wrist. You can see that this evolution on what it means to be a Panerai still looks good on the wrist without appearing petite. It really is a more formal and classy Panerai, the type of watch that most people aren't going to know even exists.

Gallery: Panerai Radiomir 42mm Watch