The iconic Panerai Tourbillon ‘Lo Scienziato’ is back with a bolder look and dressed in a green highly contrasting look. First released in 2016 as the Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanium PAM 578, the new Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT Titanium PAM 768 is a skeletonized tourbillon, dedicated to the Tuscan genius Galileo Galilei, who with his discoveries laid the foundations for the development of mechanical timepieces. This watch is the result of in-depth research and development carried out by the Laboratorio di Idee within the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel.
The Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT Titanium PAM 768 is a special edition light as a feather and which for the very first time, combines a sandblasted titanium case with a carbotech bezel. With a total weight under 80 grams, the PAM 768 is very sporty, light and attractive looking. The green accents on the dial and flange make for a very interesting color combination that plays nicely against the black woodgrain look of the carbotech bezel.
Things to Know About the Watch
The case is made using a very innovative technology which enables it to be hollowed out internally, forming an extremely complex geometrical cavity. The technology used to build the case is called Direct Metal Laser Sintering: this process builds up the case layer by layer by means of a fiber optic laser using powdered grade 5 titanium. The successive layers merges together and become completely solid and reducing the total weight by 40% compared to traditional titanium.
The ultimate lightness of the watch is both the result of the fine skeletonization of the bridges, plates and spring barrels and of the absence of a traditional dial that enables the fascinating details on both sides of the watch to be admired, such as the winding and unwinding of the spring inside each barrel, the intricate interconnection of the wheel work and in particular the rotation of the tourbillon cage. The skeletonized dial features a night and day indicator for the GMT function at 3 o'clock, a power reserve indicator at 8 and a running seconds indicator at 9 o'clock. The main difference between this new model and the previous iteration of the ‘Lo Scienziato’ is that the PAM 768 now features a power reserve indicator on the dial side, rather than on the back of the movement.
The Movement
Powering the Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT Titanium PAM 768 is the in-house Panerai manual wound calibre P.2005/T. This movement is the first Panerai tourbillon calibre in titanium with fine skeletonized bridges and plates. Thanks to the lower density of this material —about half that of the brass of which these components are normally made of— the overall weight of the movement is 35% less than that of the P.2005/S skeletonized version. The long power reserve of six days is achieved by the three spring barrels connected in series, and the power remaining is shown by a special indicator on the back of the movement.
All this fine work of skeletonization enables the fascinating details to be admired, such as the winding and unwinding of the spring inside each barrel, the intricate interconnection of the wheel work and in particular the rotation of the tourbillon cage, which, in the version patented by Panerai, is fundamentally different from the normal arrangement. In order to compensate more precisely for the effects of gravity on the escapement, thus achieving more accurate operation, the tourbillon cage rotates on an axis which is perpendicular, not parallel, to that of the balance, and it makes a complete rotation every 30 seconds instead of once a minute.
The movement is composed of 277 components, fitted with 31 jewels and provides a power reserve of 6 days when fully wound while beating at a frequency of 28,800 vph.
On the Wrist & Price
On the wrist, the Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT Titanium PAM 768 watch wears extremely light and very comfortable. The watch wears true to its size and with a very sporty look that could very well be tied to motorsports. The skeletonization of the titanium movement is flawless and very intricate. A tourbillon made for true Paneristi.
Sticker Price $149,000 USD. For more info on Officine Panerai click here.
