Panerai true to form in Hong Kong

Only four thousand Paneristi can hope to acquire one of the watches which their favourite brand developed specifically for Watches&Wonders, the fine watch fair which held its second edition in Hong Kong, end September. Exclusivity is clearly the name of the game for these new models. In all fairness, between its Radiomir design from 1936, revisited in 1940, and the Luminor watches launched in the 1950s, the brand doesn’t have endless choice, particularly as it makes it a point of honour never to depart from its origins, which smack of sea air. In a word, Panerai is almost obsessive in its exploration of a past rich with the watches it developed for the Italian navy and its combat divers.

Total immersion

The message was delivered loud and clear to the brand’s Asian fans. Inside the dramatically lit exhibition space on the Panerai booth, an identical replica of a 1930s, two-man, self-propelled torpedo rose above the Luminor Submersibles on display. The Italian navy equipped these underwater weapons with instruments made by Panerai. After this, visitors were in the mood to discover the latest timepieces from the brand.

Pride of place went to the Radiomir 1940, proposed in two versions, one steel and one gold. Both are equipped with the self-winding P4000 movement. Celebrating a model which the brand sees as the perfect incarnation of its blend of Italian design and Swiss technology, these two new styles were joined by a special edition Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare featuring the hand-wound P3000 calibre and a plexiglas crystal, along with a Radiomir 1940 Tourbillon GMT Oro Rosso 48 mm.

Hommage to Sylvester Stallone

And there was more for the brand’s aficionados to feast their eyes on. Any self-respecting fan knows of the role Sylvester Stallone played in reviving the brand’s fortunes. While shooting Daylight on location in Italy, the American actor chanced upon a vintage Panerai while browsing around a flea market. He liked what he saw, bought the watch and wore it during filming. He then ordered more as gifts for his friends. This was back in 1996 and only a few dozen were made. Back then Panerai was struggling, until its takeover by Richemont which engineered one of the biggest commercial successes of the late twentieth century. Just a handful of the original “made for Sly” watches have surivived, although the brand’s association with the actor continued, giving rise to other products.

Naturally, Panerai wasn’t about to gloss over such an important chapter in its history. Again at Watches&Wonders, it showed a Luminor Black Seal with black dial and a Luminor Daylight with white dial. Both are driven by the P5000 movement and are presented together as a special edition set in a wood box. A worthy tribute to the “Slytech” made for the man who, as Rocky, had already left the box office reeling. All in all, a knockout Watch.