As precision instruments used for special missions and covered by military secrecy, some watches made by Panerai in the 1940s had no indication on the dial apart from the hour markers. But other models carried names referring to the luminous substance used on the dial —such as Radiomir or Luminor— or of the institution which had commissioned the watches, such as the Italian Navy. Inspired by these elements, the new Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces, features the inscription 'Marina Militare' on its dial. This new Panerai, features a 47 mm AISI 316L stainless steel case like that on the PAM 372 we reviewed here, and a stunning matte black sandwich dial with 'ecru' superluminova and gold hands. The 'Marina Militare' inscription is engraved on the dial following the design cues of the Luminor 1950 collection.
Distinguished by its pure lines and strict fidelity to the characteristics of the historic models. The classic black dial of the new Luminor 1950 3 Days PAM 673 is supremely clear and readable, thanks to its design and its sandwich structure with use of 'Grade A' superluminova.
The 47 mm case is all mirror polish finished and has the same proportions as the watch created by Panerai in the late 1940s, with its elegantly cusped caseband and the lever bridge device protecting the winding crown. Like the vintage models, which had crystals made of polymethyl methacrylate, the dial of the new Luminor is protected by a slightly domed plexiglas crystal, while the back has a large sapphire glass porthole enabling the Manufacture movement to be admired. The beating heart inside the new PAM 673 is the in-house calibre P.3000, a manual wound movement with a power reserve of three days thanks to its two spring barrels. Solid and reliable, the movement has three satin finished bridges protecting the movement and a fourth bridge with twin supports for the balance wheel. This calibre P.3000 powering the new Luminor 1950 3 Days 'Marina Militare' PAM 673 was slightly redesigned from its previous iteration, as the movement was originally fitted with only two bridges instead of three —please see the second picture below as seen on the PAM 372.
The calibre P.3000 also has the device for rapid time zone adjustment where a star wheel with 12 teeth and a small spring clutch enable the hour hand to be moved forwards or backwards in increments of one hour at a time without interfering with the movement of the minute hand or the running of the watch. The new Panerai Luminor 1950 3 Days 'Marina Militare' PAM 673 is equipped with one of our favorite Panerai straps, the 'Ponte Vecchio' —same strap that comes with the new PAM 662 and PAM 663 unveiled earlier this year at the SIHH 2016 as we featured it here and here. The 'Ponte Vecchio' strap is made and treated in traditional Tuscan leather workshops, with the OP logo embossed on it and featuring a contrasting beige stitching.
Inside the elegant pear wood box in which the watch is presented, the new PAM 673 is accompanied by a second rubber strap, a spare plexiglas crystal, a steel screwdriver and a personalized certificate with the serial number of this special Edition. This watch is water resistant to a 100 meters.
Sticker Price $10,200 USD. For more info on Officine Panerai click here.
