Florence: 1860. One Giovannia Panerai was chosen to set up a watch shop-cum-atelier. For several years, Giovanni Panerai had already been the official supplier of watch-bracelets to the Italian Navy. To respond to the country’s new military requirements, this man was pushed to invent what would be the ancestor of the Luminor: the Radiomir, a radium-based powder that allowed the dials of sighting instruments to glow. It was in 1949 that the Luminor would take over where the Radiomir left off. While the latter was composed of radium, the Luminor was made with a tritium substance, an isotype of hydrogen. But that’s not the important part. This luminescent essence, quickly dubbed Luminor, was unique in that it inspired Panerai to create a collection of timepieces that would anchor themselves in history: the Luminor line. Made for grand travelers, sported by the most daring of adventurers, the Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT 24H is one of the line’s emblematic models. This watch was equipped with a GMT 24H function for the first time, allowing for local time to be read along with that of another timezone with an independent central hand that would make its way around the dial in 24 hours. The dial’s design, completely black, had the advantage of highlighting the GMT function. Two superimposed plates enclosed the luminous substance, visible through the cut-out openings in the upper part that corresponded to the index. Indeed, next to the classic indexes, the outer part of the dial was adorned with numerals that allowed for checking the time in another timezone thanks to an easily recognizable arrow-tipped hand. In short, it was a constructive system used by Panerai in 1930 that, as time now tells, was the starting point for the induction of the Luminor timepiece.
For yes, the Luminor is iconic, or at least it became it. As proof, the Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titane is a watch that provoked such an enthusiasm that, as with any icon, its usage eventually evolved. It was imagined for a sailor – as the inclusion of the word “Regatta” would imply. Covered with an anti-reflective coating, the timepiece could very well be worn under the sun at high noon and still be gloriously readable. To this end, Panerai took it upon themselves to deliver it with a race-style countdown timer and a knotted scale to calculate the boat’s speed. But like any icon, its powerful and elegant allure would quickly appeal to men who, whether in a business suit or on a yacht, liked to give the impression of controlling time. Between 1993, year of the first watch collection to no longer be exclusively created for military usage, and 1997, year of the brand’s purchasing by the Richemont group, Panerai only produced a few hundred watches. Today, the brand is releasing a Special Edition box set that encloses two models inspired by two of the most representative watches of the pre-Vendôme era. The Special Edition Luminor Black Seal and the Luminor Daylight – these two timepieces were ordered in 1996 by Sylvester Stallone, then appearing in the film Daylight. The two watches remain loyal to the design of the 1996 models, today released in a limited edition with 500 copies each. In each of these box sets, the lucky owner will also be able to enjoy a human torpedo model accompanied by a booklet dedicated to the military equipment of the Royal Italian Navy’s special forces.
Leave a Reply