— AUCTIONS —
TIMEPIECES
Why Panerai? Next Fine Jewels & Timepieces Auction Mon 24 Oct, 6pm MELBOURNE
The Panerai wristwatch has always struck me as an impressive
the perspex crystal, in 1938 they introduced their massive
piece of horological machinery. Let’s delve a little deeper and
luminous sandwich dials, in 1940 came the integrated lugs
explore what makes these watches so distinctly wrist-worthy.
with spring bars as well as a movement with an 8-day power
The popularity of the Panerai watch can be traced back to the role they played in the Navy. Watchmaker Giovanni
BELOW: Giovanni Panerai outside his
watch store / Alamy ABOVE: Panerai Luminor PAM00372
a Stainless Steel Wristwatch With 3-day Power Reserve NOO29/3500 Circa 2011 Sold for $7,500
brought in their signature lever-activated crown lock.
Panerai (1825-1897) founded Officine Panerai in 1860. In the
So unfalteringly accurate and resilient were Panerai watches,
following years, Panerai’s grandson Guido Panerai (1873-
that during the Second World War, the Officine Panerai
1934) broadened the business to include the production
productions were not only standard issue tools for military
of mechanical engineering and high precision scientific
personnel of the Italian Navy frogmen but for the German
instruments.
Kriegsmarine as well. In the 1970s, Panerai supplied similar
Further innovations and developments followed, and in 1916,
instruments to the Egyptian Navy.
Panerai filed the patent for Radiomir, a radium-based powder
With their larger-than-life aesthetic matched equally by
that gave luminosity to the dials of sighting instruments and
their fascinating and important place in military history,
devices, which proved invaluable during military operations.
Panerai today retains all the immediately recognisable
Officine Panerai later changed this material to Luminor, which
features – the large crowns, minimalist style of dials, and large
had the same qualities as Radiomir but was not as dangerous
cases. Panerai’s distinctive characteristics were borne out
as the original radioactive material.
of naval necessity, yet their watches command a presence
Panerai was highly innovative in a relatively short period of time and many of the distinct features developed in the company’s early history are recognisable in some form or another in their models today. In 1936, they developed
12 | leonardjoel.com.au
reserve to reduce wear on crown seals, and in 1950 they
and significance today, just as they have throughout their captivating and complicated history. PATRICIA KONTOS / Senior Jewels & Timepieces Specialist
