Panerai - The 2021 New York Watch Auction New York Saturday, December 11, 2021 | Phillips

The 2021 New York Watch Auction

New York Auction 11 - 12 December 2021

  • Manufacturer: Panerai
    Year: 2001
    Reference No: PAM00080; OP-6551
    Case No: BB1032015; D125/160
    Model Name: Radiomir Independent
    Material: 18K white gold
    Calibre: Manual, Chézard cal. 7400, 21 jewels
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K white gold Panerai pin buckle
    Dimensions: 42mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement, strap, and buckle signed.
    Accessories: Accompanied by Certificate confirming the watch is part of a limited series of 160 pieces, warranty booklet and blank warranty card, specification paper, inner fitted presentation box, and outer packaging.

  • Catalogue Essay

    First established in 1860 in Florence, Italy, Officine Panerai began as a purveyor of specialized precision instruments like compasses and depth gauges. By the turn of the twentieth century, the firm transitioned to manufacturing wristwatches as well. Today, several management changes later, their watches stay true to the original Panerai DNA, easily identified by their oversized cushion-shaped case and clear legible dial. Panerai experimented with various compounds to produce a new luminous material that would be brighter and more effective for their underwater instruments. The luminous powder was named “Radiomir” and patented in France in 1916.

    This Radiomir Independent is at once a step away from these origins and a natural successor to them. Cased in white gold, rather than utilitarian stainless steel or titanium, and shrunk down to a petite-for-Panerai 42mm diameter, the PAM80 nevertheless retains the cushion-form case and wire lugs of its forebearers. Though it bears the oversized luminous numerals associated with Panerai watches, it also displays a brilliant blue dial quite apart from the typical black or white dials associated with military legibility.

    Within beats the caliber 7400, a Chézard ébauche dating from the 1950s finished by Panerai with an unusual complication: jumping seconds. Very few modern watches incorporate a jumping second, which historically had been used in precision instruments needed for navigation and other industrial uses. Rather than “sweeping seconds”, where the seconds hand seamlessly moves from one second to the other, the PAM80 incorporates a jumping second via a star-and-flirt mechanism, and the seconds hand appears to “jump” from one second to the other. Instead of the seconds hand mirroring the flow of energy from the escapement every time it oscillates, the jump seconds must store energy during its pause between each second and release it instantaneously.

    Produced in a highly limited quantity from the turn of the century, these models hardly ever pop up at auction, making the present opportunity as rare as the watch itself. Offered in fantastic condition with its original certificate and accessories, the PAM80 is a rare opportunity to own a watch combining innovation and creativity with the heritage and prestige of a historical brand like Panerai: the best of both worlds.

  • 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.

    View More Works

63

Panerai

Ref. PAM00080; OP-6551
An extremely rare and unusual limited edition white gold wristwatch with jumping seconds, certificate, and presentation box

2001
42mm Diameter
Case, dial, movement, strap, and buckle signed.

Estimate
$12,000 - 24,000 
CHF11,200-22,400
€10,700-21,400
HK$93,600-187,000

Sold for $32,760

Contact Specialist

Paul Boutros

Head of Watches, Americas

+1 (212) 940-1293

WatchesNY@Phillips.com

 

The 2021 New York Watch Auction

New York Auction 11 - 12 December 2021