 "Watch that history")
The most complicated watch to ever come out of the Officine Panerai ateliers, the Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon, would strike a chord with the most ardent watch lovers. Minute repeaters have been popular ever since the first pocket watches were made, originating in an era before artificial illumination and permitting its user to wear it and determine the time in darkness. What a minute repeater does is chime the exact time, down to the last minute, using gongs of varying tonalities for the hours, quarter-hours and minutes. Over the last few years, the world's best watch makers have come up with their own versions of minute repeaters. The Italian-origin Swiss watch maker Panerai is not far behind. It will soon be launching its minute repeater, which not only chimes time for a second time zone, but also comes with a hand-wound P.2005/MR calibre and patented tourbillon that ensures that it is a highly accurate, precise timepiece.
Through the history of Panerai, the Radiomir has occupied the pride of place. "Panerai, founded in 1860 by the Panerai family, had a watch making school and workshop in in Florence, and they collaborated with the Royal Italian Navy in the early 20th century, developing nautical instruments such as the compass," says Milvin George, managing director, Officine Panerai India and West Asia. Frogmen commandos of the Royal Italian Navy were the first to use the Radiomir during World War II. "Between 1938 and 1993, we produced 300 of these watches just for the navy, so it was a military secret," says George. "People saw the brand being worn by family members of the navy officers, but no one could buy the watches unless they found their way to the auction house.
But what makes this watch a real headturner is its naval heritage, which is clear in the special, harmonious tones of the chimes evoking the striking bell of a ship that was used to summon sailors or even to warn of danger. Instead of the traditional two hammers found on other minute repeaters, the Radiomir is equipped with three hammers that allow for a combination of three different sounds, so that the carillon can play a melody like a bell. A push-piece at 8 o'clock on the 49 mm, polished red gold case sets the chimes in motion, the first gong with the lowest tone identifying the hour and the last with the highest tone for the individual minutes. The unusual feature is that the second gong sounds triple chimes of an intermediate note, each triple chime indicating ten minutes instead of the traditional quarter hour. For example, an ordinary minute repeater, for a time of 10.28 hours, will resonate with 10 chimes for the hour, another chime for the quarter hour, and 13 individual chimes for the minutes.
"In many ways, this is an art of watch making," says George. And a melodious art, it sure is.
Through the history of Panerai, the Radiomir has occupied the pride of place. "Panerai, founded in 1860 by the Panerai family, had a watch making school and workshop in in Florence, and they collaborated with the Royal Italian Navy in the early 20th century, developing nautical instruments such as the compass," says Milvin George, managing director, Officine Panerai India and West Asia. Frogmen commandos of the Royal Italian Navy were the first to use the Radiomir during World War II. "Between 1938 and 1993, we produced 300 of these watches just for the navy, so it was a military secret," says George. "People saw the brand being worn by family members of the navy officers, but no one could buy the watches unless they found their way to the auction house.
But what makes this watch a real headturner is its naval heritage, which is clear in the special, harmonious tones of the chimes evoking the striking bell of a ship that was used to summon sailors or even to warn of danger. Instead of the traditional two hammers found on other minute repeaters, the Radiomir is equipped with three hammers that allow for a combination of three different sounds, so that the carillon can play a melody like a bell. A push-piece at 8 o'clock on the 49 mm, polished red gold case sets the chimes in motion, the first gong with the lowest tone identifying the hour and the last with the highest tone for the individual minutes. The unusual feature is that the second gong sounds triple chimes of an intermediate note, each triple chime indicating ten minutes instead of the traditional quarter hour. For example, an ordinary minute repeater, for a time of 10.28 hours, will resonate with 10 chimes for the hour, another chime for the quarter hour, and 13 individual chimes for the minutes.
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In the Radiomir, it will chime 10 times for the hour, two triple chimes (the two ten-minute intervals), and eight single chimes. On top of the chiming marvel is the fact that the repeater function can be activated for both local time and a second time zone, indicated on the dial by the central arrow hand, and the am/pm indicator on the counter at 3 o'clock. And to really crown it all, the new calibre also has the Panerai tourbillon regulator, which can be seen from the front and back of the case, because of its "skeletonisation". Here, the balance cage rotates on itself on a perpendicular axis, every 30 seconds, ensuring an extremely high degree of accuracy.
"In many ways, this is an art of watch making," says George. And a melodious art, it sure is.