92nd Auction
2015/11/14
Lot 27
Officine Panerai Brevetee "Radiomir", Rolex SA-Genève, Suisse, 31 Victoires, Haute Precision, Case No. 260606, Ref. 3646 / Type D, Rolex Cal. 618 / Type 1, 47 x 47 mm, circa 1944
A diver’s important Germany navy watch. So far less than 80 watches of this type are known to exist.
Case: steel, screw back, "Brevet Plus" winding crown. Dial: black, "sandwich" type, luminous Arabic numerals/indexes, luminous baton hands. Movm.: bridge movement, nickel-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, chatoned, 17 jewels, monometallic screw balance.
In 1944 the original owner of this Panerei watch took part in a special training course in Bad Toelz ("combat diver training 702"); the local barracks had one of the most modern indoor pools of the time, where the would-be undersea divers were trained in secrecy at night.
Described in detail in "History2" by Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann, pages 654-662 and 792-793.
Radiomir Panerai
Because of the 1914 invention of the luminous material "Radiomir" - a mix of zinc sulfide and radium bromide - the Panerai dials could be read well at night and in deep water. Panerai made use of this advantage in his watches and was commissioned to produce the first diver's wristwatches, called "Radiomir". The first prototypes were still produced at Rolex, the later watches and their cases were produced at Panerai according to Oyster standards. In 1936 the Panerai Radiomir became a part of the secret naval equipment.
Source: "Armbanduhren Klassik Katalog", Koenigswinter 2005, page 146.
With the kind support of Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann, www.vintagepanerai.com, the highly recommended website for vintage Panerai watches.
A diver’s important Germany navy watch. So far less than 80 watches of this type are known to exist.
Case: steel, screw back, "Brevet Plus" winding crown. Dial: black, "sandwich" type, luminous Arabic numerals/indexes, luminous baton hands. Movm.: bridge movement, nickel-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, chatoned, 17 jewels, monometallic screw balance.
In 1944 the original owner of this Panerei watch took part in a special training course in Bad Toelz ("combat diver training 702"); the local barracks had one of the most modern indoor pools of the time, where the would-be undersea divers were trained in secrecy at night.
Described in detail in "History2" by Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann, pages 654-662 and 792-793.
Radiomir Panerai
Because of the 1914 invention of the luminous material "Radiomir" - a mix of zinc sulfide and radium bromide - the Panerai dials could be read well at night and in deep water. Panerai made use of this advantage in his watches and was commissioned to produce the first diver's wristwatches, called "Radiomir". The first prototypes were still produced at Rolex, the later watches and their cases were produced at Panerai according to Oyster standards. In 1936 the Panerai Radiomir became a part of the secret naval equipment.
Source: "Armbanduhren Klassik Katalog", Koenigswinter 2005, page 146.
With the kind support of Ralf Ehlers & Volker Wiegmann, www.vintagepanerai.com, the highly recommended website for vintage Panerai watches.
Sold
estimated
80.000—110.000 €
Price realized
70.000 €