Manufacturer: Panerai Year: 1999 Reference No: PAM00040 Case No: BB980052 Model Name: Luminor Marina Material: Titanium Calibre: Mechanical, OP II, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Brown Panerai calf leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Titanium Panerai buckle Dimensions: 44 mm. bezel width Signed:Case, dial and movement signed, case further engraved B155/200 Accessories: With Panerai screwdriver and fitted presentation box. Literature: For another example of the present watch, please see Panerai Watches from 1936 to 1997 by Mario Paci, page260.
Catalogue Essay
The PAM00040 was limited to 200 pieces and the present watch is numbered 155 of that limited series. When Panerai was sold in 1997, the components of the PAM00040 was sold with it and retailed under the company's new owners in 1998. The present watch is a very attractive and original example of one of these early titanium PAM00040.
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.