Anthony Tsai's 2007 Comprehensive Panerai Write-Up:  CLICK HERE

Anthony Tsai's 2007 Panerai PHOTO Showcase:  CLICK HERE  

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SJX's 2007 Panerai Write-Up:

Panerai presented a 2007 collection that leans towards high horology. It is significant that a company which built its fame and sales on mid-range, military-inspired watches is going decisively upmarket.

This year sees the introduction of 3 new in-house movements, consisting of a 10-day automatic, a chronograph and one that has raised a few eyebrows, a tourbillon. Unfortunately I was only able to get photos of the new tourbillon, for photos of the rest of the 2007 Panerai collection, see Anthony Tsai’s excellent and comprehensive coverage on HOME.

Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT

Housed in the 47mm Luminor 1950 case, this watch contains the new in-house cal. P.2005 movement, featuring a tourbillon escapement, second timezone indicator and a 6-day power reserve. Although I personally find the concept of a Panerai tourbillon quite bizarre, it is a handsome watch. Panerai made the right call in confining the tourbillon to the back of the watch, a hole in the dial showing the tourbillon cage would have ruined the no-nonsense design. The movement finish is also surprisingly good, the cal. P.2005 is not elaborately decorated but it appears meticulously polished.

Cal. P.2005

The cal. P.2005 tourbillon movement is unusual because the tourbillon cage rotates twice a minute on an axis which is at right angles with the axis of oscillation of the balance. In most conventional tourbillons, the tourbillon cage and balance share the same axis and the tourbillon rotates once per minute. Naturally, Panerai claims this endows the watch with superior timekeeping because this layout better compensates for the positional errors of the balance (hmmmm…). More interesting is the small mirror cleverly set below the tourbillon cage so the owner can watch both the tourbillon and its reflection - the ultimate in vanity?

Because of the unorthodox style of the tourbillon, the seconds hand is not linked to the tourbillon cage as in conventional tourbillons, thus a blue dot on dial that rotates twice a minute serves to reassure the owner that the tourbillon is running as it should. On the opposite side of the dial at 3 o’clock, lies the night and day indicator for the second timezone.

Only 10 tourbillons will be made each year.

Close-up of the tourbillon in action

Another close-up