Panerai New Novelties...

Well, there is more details on the Panerai PAM587 on the Panerai website. Here are the links:

Panerai

and...

Panerai Watches&Wonder 2014

The Panerai PAM00587 Radiomir 1940 3 Days Marina MilitareAcciaio.

Photographs: Panerai

Best news? Screws are back...

There are also other Special Edition pieces to be launched in Watches&Wonder 2014 but the other interesting model or set is the Panerai PAM00785. 

The PAM00785 is a box set of two watches, a Luminor Black Seal 8 Days Acciaio DLC 44mm and a Luminor Daylight 8 Days Acciaio 44mm. This is a Limited Edition box set of 500 pieces. Both watches will feature Panerai in-house P.5000 8 Days movement. Both watches are inspired by Panerai PreV watches from 1993 to 1997. I understand the set will retail around USD 20,000. 

The Panerai PAM00785.

The watches...

Photographs: Panerai

Will update once I have more information.

New Panerai watches...

Looks like it will be a busy week for Panerai and its collectors in the coming Watches&Wonder Exhibition. I understand the Panerai PAM00572 will be released or launched at the event. 

The Panerai PAM00572. The retail for the watch is expected to be around USD12,000. It is 45mm in diameter.

The watch will feature Panerai new in-house movement the P.4000 with micro rotor. The basic specifications:

3.95mm thin

Diameter 31mm

31 jewels with 203 parts

28,800 vph

Power reserve of 3 days

Micro rotor: Tungsten or gold

The other watch that is expected to be launched in Watches&Wonder is the Panerai PAM00587. Not much is known other then it is 47mm in diameter, features an acrylic crystal, powered by Panerai in-house P.3000 movement and is water resistant to 10 ATM. 

The retail price in Taiwan, I understand is around NTD312,000 or about USD10,000. It is a Special Edition of only 1,000 pieces. Oh, yes, it has the Marina Militare on the dial.

This watch comes hot on the heels of the Russian Special Edition PAM00622. You can read about it here:

Panerai PAM00622

The Panerai PAM00587. 

Photographs: Panerai

Omega Service...

Just a small update on my Omega SeaMaster Professional 300M Chrono which is in for a service. After about 5 weeks, I decided to give Omega a call to inquire about the watch and when is the expected completion of service. 

SIGH...

Evidently there is a part that Omega Taiwan Service Center needs that they don't have in stock. They have to order the part from Omega HQ and it will take sometime for the part to arrive. New expected delivery date? No, not the earlier 6 to 8 weeks, but now early November. 12 weeks....

Not impressed Omega. 

Anyway... will update if there is other news.... 

Zero Destro?

A good friend was asking into the possibility of modifying his PAM00000 or Zero into a destro or Left-hander. Interesting question indeed. I know that the Zero uses the Panerai OPI movement which is based on the ETA/ Unitas 64XX movement. Panerai has the PAM00219, which is basically a Left-handed base watch which the Zero and the PAM00112 are as well. The PAM00219 uses the Panerai OPX movement. The two movement are the same save for the decorations and the Swan neck regulator. 

So is it possible? 

The Panerai PAM00000.

The Panerai PAM00219.

Photographs: Panerai

The drawings of the ETA64XX...

From the pictures above (and below), it looks like it is possible as the dial feet is located at the same place when the movement is rotated. 

Pictures: ETA

But would it be historically correct? Was there ever a Zero in destro guise? Oppsss.. was there ever a 5218-201A in destro guise.

Evidently there is...

Photographs: 9Maiali

But is it real? Well, evidently the Panerai 5218-201A was never designed with a destro version, but there was one that was modified by Panerai (Mr. Mario Paci and Mr. Ferdinand Chellini). Interesting to note, Mr. Paci said that there were modification(s) made to the dial feet. I guess it is not as straight forward after all?

Ancon Military..

It looks like Ancon Watches has released a new range of watches. I can't seem to find it on their website. I have seen it being advertised by some of it's distributors....

The Ancon Military range of watches...

Mil001. Polished case.

Mil002. DLC case.

Mil003. Polished case.

Mil004. DLC case.

All the watches share the same basic spec..

Case:

Stainless Steel 316L case, 47mm diameter excluding crown, 56 mm from lug to lug, 15 mm thick, 26mm Lug, Stainless Steel 316L case back, Stainless Steel 316L screw-down crown, 8.5mm diameter, 3.5mm Domed Sapphire Crystal.



Movement:

Miyota 8215 automatic movement, 21 jewels, power reserve 42 hours up, 21,600 vibrations per hour.


Dial:

Black with Super Luminova luminous hour markers.



Water-resistance to 50 meters (164 feet).



The watch is expected to retail around USD 650. 

From my understanding, this range of watches were just launched by Ancon Watch. I also understand that there are two more watches in the collection. I will update once I have more information. 

I like both the DLC models.... :)

Next project...

Anyone who knows me will know that I am a sucker for watches, left handed. So when a friend showed me this photograph....

Photograph: shamelessly borrowed from the Internet

It is a Maranez Bangla, but with a twist. It is left handed. Is this possible? I know that Maranez have made (in collaboration with BWB, Bronze Watch Bros) a left handed before, but the movement in that watch is a Miyota and the watch was design from the onset as a left handed watch. 

So with a little of research, this is what I found out.

The Maranez Bangla is powered by the Seiko NH35. So can the dial be rotated? Will the dial feet holes accommodate this rotation? 

Based on the drawing above, the answer is a resounding YES. So, looks like a new project is in the making......

Zenith bracelet Part 2

Here are some photographs to show the proper tool being used to adjust the Zenith bracelet, or for that matter, any metal bracelet. 

No need to use hammer and punch. Just use the tool to push the pins out. No vibrations. 

The pin is out and ready for the next step. 

Needle nose pliers...

Ready to do its work..

Photographs: Prof. Dr. Alex

What the tool looks like.

Photograph: Shamelessly borrowed from the Internet

Now, remember how I posted earlier that I would not or hesitate to remove my bracelet from the watch. Well, on the new Rainbow Chronograph, it is very different. 

The new Zenith Stratos Flyback Chronograph. The latest iteration of the Zenith Rainbow chronograph. 

The metal bracelet and its end link. Or so we thought...

The bracelet removed. The end link stay with the watch. The bracelet is held by spring-bars. Can it be removed?

Yes, but not the conventional way... The end links are held by screws, two per end link. How cool is that. It is so much easier. 

The removed end links with the retaining screws. 

The holes on the case. 

How the watch would look like if mounted on leather...

Photographs: Watchionable

In fact you can read a review of the new Zenith Stratos Rainbow Fly-back here:

Zenith Stratos FlyBack Rainbow review

Bell & Ross BR 123 GMT 24H

In 2014, for the benefit of frequent travelers, Bell & Ross fitted the Vintage BR 123 with dual time zone display.

Dual Time Zone Optimal Legibility

The GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) function allows two time zones to be displayed simultaneously. The metal hands on the main dial display the time in the first time zone; the orange hand gives the time in the second zone, shown on the graduated 24-hour outer bezel. The large figures, the hands with photo-luminescent coating and the orange color of the GMT hand ensure perfect legibility both day and night.

The Vintage BR 123 GMT 24H model is the perfect tool for long-haul travellers.

Photographs: Bell&Ross

Technical features:

Movement: mechanical automatic.

Crystal: anti-reflective sapphire.

Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, 24-hour dual time zone (GMT).

Water-resistance: 100 m.

Case: 42 mm diameter, satin-brushed steel. Stationary graduated bezel. Sapphire case back.

Strap: patterned black rubber.

Dial: black. Appliqué metal numerals and index. The skeletonized metal hour and minute hands filled with Superluminova.

Clasp: pin buckle. Satin-brushed steel.

For more information:

Bell&Ross