Size Matters TEST: PANERAI LUMINOR

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1 Size Matters With its extra-large case, Panerai set a new standard for modern wristwatch design and has been surfing the wave of success for many years. The Luminor is one of Panerai s most avidly sought after models. BY WITOLD A. MICHALCZYK 110 WatchTime June 2004

2 June 2004 WatchTime 111

3 One look at the Luminor is all it takes for us to determine its greatness. A huge case, black dial, distinctive indices, and two no-frills hands: those are all the elements that Panerai needs in order to make the Luminor into a living legend. At first glance, there doesn t seem to be anything in these standard elements that you couldn t find on dozens of other watches. And yet, Panerai s watch nonetheless sets itself clearly apart from them. Aficionados of this brand meet at fan clubs around the world to share their experiences. The Internet forum of the Paneristi, as the brand s fans are called, ranks among the most frequently visited Websites for watch lovers. Despite what some-wouldbe experts have predicted, the brand has been riding a wave of success since the late 1990s. What makes us love Panerai? The brand s role as a pioneer of big watches surely plays an important role. Panerai s timepieces are the archetypes of the extra-large wristwatch. When these 44-millimeter-diameter models first appeared in jewelers showcases, their sheer size alone gave watch connoisseurs plenty to talk about. Once strapped to the wrist, it became apparent that the diameter was more than Reflections are absent on this watch s sapphire crytal, so the time is easy to read from any angle. A distinctive characteristic: the stirrup and lever above effectively seal the crown and prevent water from penetrating into the case. DATA PAGE PANERAI LUMINOR Manufacturer: Officine Panerai Reference number: PAM Functions: Hours, minutes. Movement: OP X (based on a Unitas 6497), diameter = 36.6 mm; height = 4.5 mm; 17 jewels; 21,600 beats per hour; hand-wound, swan s neck fine regulation, special decoration on the movement exclusively for Panerai. Case: Stainless steel, crown with locking mechanism, sapphire crystal, pane of sapphire crystal in back, Luminova, water-resistant to 300 meters. Wristband and clasp: Calfskin strap, stainless steel pronged buckle. Results of rate test: (Deviations in seconds per 24 hours) Dial up: 8 Dial down: 6 Crown right: 12 Crown left: 5 Crown down: 6 Crown up: 8 Greatest deviation of rate: 7 Average deviation: 7.5 Mean amplitude: Horizontal positions 320 Hanging positions 317 Dimensions: diameter = 44 mm, height = 16.8 mm, weight = 126 grams Price: $3,400 merely a designer s caprice. The larger dial makes reading the time considerably easier, thereby improving the essential function of a wristwatch. The trend was born, and it didn t take long before nearly all of the major manufacturers augmented their collections with watches sporting diameters of 40 millimeters or more. Despite the competition, Panerai remains at the forefront of this fashion wave. Truly, the Luminor is something special. But what contributes to its success? One factor lies in the principle of reduction to the bare essentials. The Luminor s big, uncluttered dial offers plenty of wide-open spaces. The unadorned hands, indices, and numerals are relatively slender despite their large size. The dial doesn t even have a calibrated minutes-circle or a seconds-hand. Their absence would be missed on any other watch, but on the Luminor their lack makes a powerfully expressive statement in the less-ismore vein. Emphatic bigness and spectacular sleekness add up to extraordinarily high functionality. The legibility of the time is nearly perfect by day. Nighttime legibility is superlative as well thanks to the presence of plenty of glowin-the-dark Luminova. The two hands, however, are nearly the same length, so you must look carefully at the dial so as not to mistake the hours for the minutes and vice versa. A few extra millimeters added to the length of the minute hand would readily solve this problem. The minute hand should be longer, yes, but neither it nor the hour hand should be widened. Doing so would destroy the already optimally balanced proportions. All of the elements on the dial have the same width, a fact that makes them all seem equally important. Reflections are absent on this watch s sapphire crystal, so the time is readily legible from any vantage point. The transition from the bezel to the gently domed crystal is precisely crafted. A little step here is palpable, but not at all unwelcome. The Luminor model that we tested belongs to Panerai s Classic Collection. It s not necessary here to retell the tale of this brand s military past. More than enough ink has been spilled about that history since the brand reappeared roughly a decade ago. Orientation towards historical predecessors is unmistakable in all of Panerai s timepieces, and it no doubt contributes to the brand s success. The Classic 112 WatchTime June 2004

Love it, or hate it? Few brands polarize opinion as radically as Panerai. dial s design, the fact remains that the concept has been convincingly implemented.

The same characteristics that critics decry as "militaristic" are praised by fans as "distinctive.

This patented protective mechanism has long since acquired the status of an unofficial trademark for Panerai.

4 Love it, or hate it? Few brands polarize opinion as radically as Panerai. dial s design, the fact remains that the concept has been convincingly implemented. A member of the Richemont Group since 1997, Panerai has never sought to cater to the tastes of the masses. Scarcely any other brand polarizes fans opinions as radically as Panerai. The same characteristics that critics decry as "militaristic" are praised by fans as "distinctive." The stirrup and lever above the crown is one of the details that s proved to be a bone of contention for watch aficionados. This patented protective mechanism has long since acquired the status of an unofficial trademark for Panerai. The design of If you have the time, it s surely more pleasant to slip the watch off your wrist before devoting attention to "filling its tank." According to the movement s specifications, rewinding the mainspring should be done approximately every 60 hours. Panerai has embellished the basic Unitas 6497 caliber to produce a sight for sore eyes that answers to the name "OP X." The rather functional-looking original bridge has been reshaped to give it an elegant curve. The word "Panerai" is engraved many times across the surface of the movement. This is an unusual and welcome alternative to the Geneva Waves and cloud-pattern decorations that have became an almost standard combination on movements inside other luxury brands The facets of fascination: the Luminor is supremely legible from practically any angle.. It s case combines dynamic, elegant lines with an unmistakable profile Collection line features hand-wound movements, leather straps with pronged buckles, and models with three hands. Another historical detail that s been preserved on these timepieces is the characteristic typography, which uses "open" digits for the "6" and "9." Only in the format of the case have Panerai s designers strayed from faithful replication of the past. A 44-millimeter diameter case makes the modern watch slightly smaller than the original, historical, frogman models, which measured fully 47 millimeters across! Another authentic detail in the watches in the Luminor line is the absence of a minutes-circle. The large distance between individual indices makes it fairly easy to estimate the time to the nearest minute, more or less. Fans of two-handed watches probably won t miss the seconds-hand, since they prefer not to split precious time into hectic little subdivisions. The minimalist appearance of the Luminor can thus be interpreted in another way, without bothering about the design s history. This is a watch that renders visible the slow, peaceful flow of time. Italophiles will interpret this as a reflection of dolce far niente, that sweet idleness in which a few minutes more or less are totally unimportant. Whichever of these two aspects you recognize in the the lever isn t quite identical with the one on the historical predecessor. The lever was opened from below on that model, as well as on the Luminor Marina 1950 model. The new access from above, however, is obviously more convenient to handle. And upward access doesn t interfere at all with the operation of the watch. Even when it s strapped to your wrist, this watch can readily be wound and its hands can easily be reset. Ease of winding, of course, is an important factor for a hand-wound watch. But you mustn t forget to close the lever afterwards, or the watch won t remain water-resistant. On a minor downside, the little steel handle can leave indents on the back of your wrist. watches. The edges of the bridges are beveled and polished. For several years now, Panerai has replaced Unitas standard index assembly with a swan s neck fine regulating system of its own. All of these details are readily visible through the transparent pane of sapphire crystal in the back, which screws "Oyster style" into the Luminor s case. This detail too is an innovation in which the watch departs from its historical predecessor. The window in the back might tempt you to remove your watch frequently, simply for the pleasure of admiring the beautifully decorated movement inside. Anyone who wants to enjoy this movement, and indeed the entire watch itself, would be well advised to vis- 114 WatchTime June 2004

it his dealer soon. Because the small number of timepieces that the Florentine maker crafts means that purchasing one of these watches may require quite a bit of patience.

The engineers and designers in Neuchâtel are building upon the know-how that they acquired when they improved the 6497 and are planning to incorporate those insights into a completely new movement.

5 it his dealer soon. Because the small number of timepieces that the Florentine maker crafts means that purchasing one of these watches may require quite a bit of patience. Also, the liaison between Unitas and Panerai is likely to be ended sometime in the near future. The engineers and designers in Neuchâtel are building upon the know-how that they acquired when they improved the 6497 and are planning to incorporate those insights into a completely new movement. According to Panerai, the newcomer is already in the midst of an extensive testing phase and will probably make its public debut early in Unfortunately, the rate results as measured on the timing machine in our test laboratory lifestyle. When you consider the watch s performance against this background, the loss of a few seconds per day really doesn t seem so important anymore. Our empirical test on the wrist yielded nearly the same results as were measured on the timing machine. Mediterranean culture tends to take things lightly, but this watch is too heavy to take lightly. Even the version with the lightweight leather strap weighs in at fully 126 grams. A certain amount of top-heaviness is unavoidable when a heavy case teams up with a lightweight strap, but even in this combination the wristwatch was pleasant to wear. A watch with such big dimensions is meant for a man with a correspondingly ample wrist, but this timepiece that offers a high degree of wearing comfort. The exciting movement is an elaborately decorated and technically reworked Unitas weren t quite as spectacular as the attractive embellishment on the movement would lead us to expect. Our tested specimen lagged between six and twelve seconds, but this deficiency would be easy to remedy. Could it be that Panerai s watchmakers deliberately left the watch in this slightly "slow" state so that its future owner would be able to see for himself just how effective the swan s neck fine regulation truly is? We already mentioned the possible connection between the inexactness of the displayed time and the leisurely inexactness of the Italian Even the engraving on the Unitas caliber stands out from the pack. doesn t look out of place on a somewhat smaller wrist. There s no question that the Luminor can also be worn by women. Its sleek design makes it a sporty unisex model. This timepiece, however, really ought to be slipped off a lady s wrist before she slips into her evening gown and leaves for the opera or symphony. And you ought to think twice about wearing your Luminor beneath the sleeve of your tuxedo. This wrist Colossus is 16.8 millimeters tall, so we d definitely recommend that you d be better off not wearing this big watch with a dressy shirt at all, because... To see the complete article, please purchase a copy of the WatchTime June issue at your local bookstore or newsstand.

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