Since 2005, Officine Panerai has sponsored the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the main international circuit of races for vintage and classic yachts. From the union of Officine Panerai and the world of classic sailing the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio was born.
This is a chronograph with an automatic movement and a three-day power reserve, fitted with the Regatta countdown function, specifically created for yacht racing starts.
The remarkable simplicity of using the Regatta countdown function is evidence of the excellence of the technical innovation achieved by the new P.9100/R automatic chronograph calibre, the movement of the new Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio.
An orange push-button at four o’clock moves the central orange chronograph minute hand back one minute at a time, until it is at the correct position in relation to the length of the countdown.
On starting the chronograph, by pushing the chronograph stop/start button at ten o’clock, the relative hands begin to move, indicating first the minutes and seconds which remain until the start, and then, when the countdown has finished, the time elapsed since the start of the race.
The push-button at eight o’clock ends the time measurement, returning all the chronograph hands to zero. Alternatively, if it is operated while the hands are still moving, it activates the return-to-zero (flyback) function of these hands, thus enabling a new time interval to be measured immediately without having to operate the stop and reset buttons.
The black dial of the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio has the sandwich structure and the classic Panerai design distinguished by the large linear hour markers and figures, enriched by the elements enabling the indications of the chronograph functions to be read.
The chronograph hands are central and distinguished from each other by different, easily recognised colours, while the orange hand of the hours rotates within the small dial at three o’clock, mirroring the small seconds dial at nine o’clock.
The flange carries not only the scale of up to 15 minutes for the countdown to the start, with the five final minutes picked out in orange, but also the tachymeter scale expressed in knots which enable the speed of the yacht to be measured over a defined distance.
The Luminor 1950 case has the characteristic Panerai lever device for protecting the winding crown and it is 47 mm in diameter. It is made of brushed titanium, a material which is light, strong and non-allergenic, contrasting with the polished bezel.
On the back, a wide sapphire crystal window reveals the P.9100/R movement, with its rotor which winds the springs of the two barrels while oscillating in both directions, providing a power reserve of three days. The open back also permits the admiration of other details of the sophisticated chronograph movement, with its column wheel and variable inertia balance which oscillates at 28,800 alternations/hour.
Water-resistant to 10 bar (about 100 metres), the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Titanio (PAM00526) is part of the Contemporary Collection. It comes with a rubber strap with strong sports connotations, using a patented Officine Panerai system enabling it to be easily replaced by means of the tool provided with the watch.
Technical details
Model: LUMINOR 1950 REGATTA 3 DAYS CHRONO FLYBACK TITANIO – 47mm
Reference: PAM00526
Movement
Automatic mechanical, Panerai P.9100/R calibre
13¾ lignes, 9.55 mm thick, 37 jewels
Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour
KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device
Power reserve 3 days, two barrels
328 components
Functions
Hours, minutes, small seconds,
Fly back chronograph, regatta countdown
Knots scale for calculation of boat speed, seconds reset
Case
Diameter 47 mm, brushed titanium
Engraved brushed titanium buttons for the chronograph functions at 10 o’clock and 8 o’clock
Brushed button and orange surface for the regatta function at 4 o’clock
Bezel: Polished titanium.
Back: See-through sapphire crystal.
Device protecting the crown: (protected as trademark) Brushed titanium
Crystal: Sapphire made of corundum, 1.6 mm thick. Anti-reflective coating
Water-resistance: 10 bar (~ 100 metres)
Dial
Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers
Chronograph hour counter at 3 o’ clock, seconds at 9 o’clock, central chronograph seconds and minutes hands
Strap
PANERAI personalised rubber strap and trapezoidal brushed titanium buckle
Supplied with a second interchangeable strap, a tool for changing the strap and a steel screwdriver
