Panerai - The Geneva Watch Auction: XV Geneva Saturday, May 7, 2022 | Phillips

The Geneva Watch Auction: XV

Geneva Auction 7 - 8 May 2022

  • Manufacturer: Panerai
    Year: Circa 2000
    Reference No: PAM00078; OP 6549
    Case No: BB 1032085; D36/75
    Model Name: Radiomir "Seconds Counter"
    Material: 18K white gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 920, 17 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Alligator
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Panerai pin buckle
    Dimensions: 42mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, strap, and buckle signed.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Officine Panerai was founded in 1860 in Florence, Italy, as a distributor of specialist precision devices such as compasses and depth gauges. By the turn of the century, the company had expanded to include wristwatches as well. Several decades later, their timepieces remain true to the original Panerai DNA, with its enormous cushion-shaped casing and clear legible dial immediately distinguishable. Panerai experimented with a variety of chemicals in order to develop a new luminous material that would be more effective and brighter for their underwater devices. In 1916, the luminous powder was given the name "Radiomir" and was patented in France.

    Known for producing some of the world's most important military and diving watches, the company has released sophisticated editions of the Radiomir and Luminor throughout its history, with a focus on technical innovation. With an original Panerai cushion-shaped case and legible dial, the timepiece remains true to the manufacture's DNA. Upon closer inspection, one can not avoid but notice the engraved tachymeter scale elegantly contrasting the white gold case as well as the interesting and unusual seconds counter function (mechanism used for the precise measuring of seconds within a minute, activated through the push of one single button). With a small cyclope at 3 o'clock, this Panerai really stands out from the usual diver wristwatches. Produced in an extremely limited series of only 75 timepieces and presented in overall excellent condition, the watch is a must have for any collector looking for innovation and rarity within the Panerai watchmaking series.

  • Artist Biography

    Panerai

    Italian • 1860

    Known for its robust designs and large case sizes, Officine Panerai was established in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai in Florence, Italy. Around 1900, Giovanni's grandson Guido Panerai took over, and Panerai became the supplier to the Regia Marina — the Royal Italian Navy. After supplying the navy with high-precision instruments for a number of years, Officine Panerai created Radiomir, a radium-based powder that gives luminosity to the dials of sighting instruments and devices. By 1936, the Royal Italian Navy approached Panerai again with the request to design a watch resistant to extreme underwater conditions. The watch they created became known as the "Radiomir".

    Panerai's watches made during the early twentieth century era were comprised of cases designed and manufactured by Rolex SA, with Cortébert, a Swiss manufacturer, supplying the majority of their movements. The most recognizable designs from the firm are the Radiomir and Luminor. To date, vintage models from the first half of the 1900s, such as the reference 3646 and 6152 models, remain the most desirable among collectors.

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Σ242

Panerai

Ref. PAM00078; OP 6549
A very elegant and rare cushion shaped white gold one minute single button chronograph wristwatch with date, number 36 of a 75 piece limited edition

Circa 2000
42mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, strap, and buckle signed.

Estimate
CHF4,000 - 8,000 
€3,900-7,900
$4,200-8,500

Sold for CHF21,420

Contact Specialist

Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East

+41 22 317 81 81
AGhotbi@phillips.com

Tiffany To
Head of Sale, Geneva

+41 22 317 96 63
TiffanyTo@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: XV

Geneva Auction 7 - 8 May 2022