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COVER STORY Panerai Lo Scienziato WatchTime India January 2018 24

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Page 1: COVER STORY Panerai Lo Scienziato

COVER STORY

Panerai Lo Scienziato

WatchTime India January 201824

Page 2: COVER STORY Panerai Lo Scienziato

January 2018 WatchTime India 25

Panerai continues marrying cutting-edge technology with traditional craftsmanship with its new, blue

version of the Lo Scienziato

BY NEHA S. BAJPAI

Future Ready

Page 3: COVER STORY Panerai Lo Scienziato

COVER STORY

Panerai Lo Scienziato

WatchTime India January 201826

wiss watches, for the longest time, have thrived on the romance of hand-craft. Generations of watchmakers here have spent long, dreary winters holed up in workshops, hunched over primi-tive tools, creating the most splendid timepieces by hand. From marketing campaigns to passionate presentations, top luxury watch companies have been spinning stories, for decades, around the minimal use of machines in making horological masterpieces.

However, the age of smartwatches and tech freaks is pushing traditional-ists to make space for high-tech gadgets in conventional ateliers. While the mag-ic of nimble fi ngers and delicate tools in high horology can’t be substituted with gizmos, a lot of brands are warming up to the idea of assisted technology to im-prove precision, perfection and produc-tion capacities.

Offi cine Panerai is one of the fi rst few companies in Switzerland to have married classic watchmaking know-how with cutting-edge technology. From having a robot at the assembly

line to swanky test gadgets, Panerai’s manufacture in Neuchâtel is the hep face of Swiss horlogerie.

Led by its dynamic CEO Angelo Bonati, Panerai has been turning over a new leaf in the luxury watch indus-try with avant-garde timepieces, year after year. Two years ago, the company unveiled one of its most awe-inspiring watches, the Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Titanio. The fi rst ever watch to use 3D printing for the case construction, the Lo Scienziato elevated Panerai’s status as a serious player in the upper echelons of haute horlogerie. Almost 40 per cent lighter than steel, this watch in titanium used the direct metal laser sintering tech-nique to hollow out the complex case from the inside and make it even light-er. While speculations on the use of 3D printing within the luxury watch indus-try were rife for a long time, Panerai was bold enough to take the leap.

This year, the brand is rolling out a new version of the Lo Scienziato with a tinge of blue. Priced at 1,39,000 eu-ros (approximately), the latest model retains all the technical characteristics of its predecessor, including the famed 3D-printed titanium case and the P.2005/T skeletonised movement with tourbillon regulator. “The new Lo Sci-enziato is sportier in appearance. The blue hands harmonise perfectly with the metallic tones of the titanium case.

FROM HAVING A ROBOT AT THEASSEMBLY LINE TO SWANKY TESTGADGETS, PANERAI’S MANUFACTURE IN NEUCHÂTEL IS THE HEP FACE OF SWISS HORLOGERIE.

SPECS

PANERAI LO SCIENZIATO LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT TITANIO – 47mm

Reference: PAM00767

Movement: Skeleton hand-wound mechanical, P.2005/T calibre, executed entirely by Panerai.

Functions: Hours, minutes, small sec-onds, second time zone, 24h indicator, power reserve indicator on the back, tourbillon.

Case: 47 mm, brushed titanium.

Power Reserve: 144 hours

Water-Resistance: 10 bar (~100 me-tres).

Price: 1,39,000 euros (`1.05 crore approx.)

S

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January 2018 WatchTime India 27

The new Lo Scienziato

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We have used the colour on the fl ange and in the sewing of the black leather strap as well. The 3D-printed titanium case makes the watch extremely light, yet solid and robust,” says Bonati.

Panerai has also patented the watch’s tourbillon system, which is engineered to compensate more pre-cisely for the effects of gravity on the escapement and ensure accuracy. This has been achieved by having the cage rotate on an axis that is perpendicular rather than parallel to that of the bal-ance. The cage also makes a complete rotation every 30 seconds, rather than once per minute as in more traditional tourbillons. The watch is also equipped

Panerai Luminor Submersible 1959 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio

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January 2018 WatchTime India 29

In the early 1990s, when Panerai started selling watches beyond the mili-tary circles, it was largely recognised for its rugged design and celebrity fans. The brand was then making around 2,000 watches annually. Bonati wanted to do much more. He wanted the brand to make its own movements.

By 2003, as the demand for Pan-erai watches far exceeded the supply, and there would be a two-year waiting period for fewer than 30,000 watch-es, Bonati fi nally got a sanction for a manufacture from the then Richemont chief, Johann Rupert. 

The brand introduced its fi rst in-house movement—the P.2002, a hand-wound calibre with GMT function and 8-day power reserve—in 2005. Until 2014, Panerai conducted its operations from a couple of disconnected build-ings around Neuchâtel. Then came the sprawling, state-of-the-art Manufac-ture 2.0, bringing all the production processes under one roof.  “Our new manufacture gives us umpteen possi-bilities to retain our exclusivity. It is not just linked with being able to upscale production. Adhering to strict quality control, unique design and innovation in movement creation is only possible when you have your own facility,” says Bonati, who added more than 100 peo-ple to his workforce within an year of the new manufacture’s opening.

OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES,PANERAI HAS RECORDED A METEORIC RISE, FROM BEING AFAVOURITE WITH FASHIONISTASTO COMMANDING HIGH RANKSIN COLLECTORS’ CIRCLES.

with a GMT indicator and a day/night indicator.

Over the last two decades, Panerai has recorded a meteoric rise, from be-ing a favourite with fashionistas to commanding high ranks in collectors’ circles, globally. The credit for this stu-pendous success goes to Bonati, who turned around a nondescript Italian brand into one of the most profi table ventures for the Richemont group in no time.

Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati

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Panerai Lo Scienziato

WatchTime India January 201830

tablished itself as a leader in modern watchmaking. Last year, the brand surprised everyone with the launch of the  Lab-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech 3 Days, one of its technologically most advanced watches, which runs with-out any oil or lubricant in the move-ment and comes with a guarantee of 50 years. The Calibre P.3001/C in this timepiece has its bridges and main-plates made from a tantalum-based ce-ramic with high percentage of carbon, which makes the movement lubrica-tion-free. The lever and escape wheels are made of DLC-coated silicon and do not need oiling. “Right from Bronzo, which adapts to the wearer’s lifestyle

brand’s image from being known more for design and assembly to being a con-sistent watchmaker now.  The special-ists at the Laboratorio di Idee work very closely with the design department based in Italy, which draws inspira-tion from the historical archives of the brand, thus ensuring that every new creation is consistent with the unmis-takable Panerai identity. Ninety fi ve per cent of our watches will soon be fi tted with in-house movements and we are gradually working towards that goal,” says Bonati.

With 26 in-house movements, ex-periments with new materials and technical innovation, Panerai has es-

From component production to pro-totyping to testing, Panerai is now fully equipped to make its watches in-house. The 250 employees at the manufacture include six specialised watchmakers who work in the high complication de-partment, creating super complications like the Lo Scienziato. The most signifi -cant department at Panerai’s Manufac-ture 2.0 is the the ‘Laboratorio di Idee’, or the research and development wing, where 50 people work on ideation and innovation across verticals. “The credit for the ingenious minimisation work on Lo Scienziato’s sophisticated P.2005/T movement goes to the Laboratorio di Idee. It has helped us turn around the

The Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel

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Inside the high complications workshop at the manufacture

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to the Carbotech, an extremely high-resistant material never been used be-fore in the world of watchmaking, we have been very active on the research and development front. Our focus is on high performance materials which are durable and aesthetically pleasing, and, of course, on the creation of in-house movements,” says Bonati. “This project is an experiment and if it continues to

give us satisfactory results, we would certainly work on some pathbreaking projects in the future. At the moment, we would like to see this watch work for 50 years.”

While Panerai always had an edge over others in terms of its iconic design, it lacked profi ciency in movements. With Bonati’s perseverance, the brand has overcome most of its shortcom-

Panerai Lab-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech 3 Days

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January 2018 WatchTime India 33

ings and is now playing strong in the US, Europe, Italy, Hong Kong and Ja-pan. “Panerai has a network of over 70 exclusive boutiques around the world and the distribution is well balanced between Asia, Europe, Middle East and the US. India is an evolving market and is signifi cant for the brand. The Indian luxury space is growing at a rapid pace and is a key market for brands,” says Bonati.

Over the last two years, most brands have been struggling to survive market fl uctuations and the drop in demand for luxury watches. However, Panerai has been consistently expand-ing its retail network, focusing on its best selling Luminor 1950 series. “The range has the highest offering of refer-ences. We launched the Luminor Due collection last year and we have seen a strong traction for these watches as well. The last two years have been dif-fi cult for everyone but this year, I am positive of good results. Our strategy is to produce fewer watches and we will continue to do so,” says Bonati, who has taken up the online retail route as well. “We developed our e-commerce network fi rst in the US and then in China,” he says. “Selective distribution channels have always been a focus for

Panerai. The evolution of the interna-tional market in the digital segment is facing a new era where qualitative e-commerce platforms are growing fast and building their own reputation. E-commerce represents a way to further expand international trading, which is rapidly changing. In order to be more accessible to our clientele online, we are also available on Mr Porter.”

Lo Scienziato was the show-stopper for Panerai two years ago and this year, too, Bonati is hoping to strike gold with the new version and its impeccable tech-nology. “The skeleton design and the lightness of the titanium case were the key highlights that were well received by watch afi cionados. While we have made titanium cases in the past, the Lo Scienziato received exceptional admi-ration from collectors. It has paved its way to become highly collectable and a grail watch for Paneristis,” says Bonati, who is looking forward to building  a strong bridge between the past and the future. “Look at our products—a link between strong Italian design from the past and current technologies!”

Light heavyweight

The unique 3D printed case of the Lo Scienziato was achieved with the

help of direct metal laser sinter-ing (DMLS), which creates three-dimensional layers of powdered

titanium through a fibre optic laser. The layers, each of which is only

.02 mm thick, gradually merge to become completely solid and create

a uniform surface appearance.

The DMLS technique reduces the weight of the titanium case, making it lighter than any similar titanium case made using traditional meth-ods. This makes for an extremely

light yet rigid structure with mini-mal fabrication waste and only a mi-nor need for secondary operations.

The overall weight of Lo Scienziato's movement is 35 per cent lesser than that the P.2005/S skeletonised ver-sion. The ultimate lightness of the watch is the result of fine skeleton-ising of the bridges, plates, spring

barrels and the bare dial.

THOUGH MOST BRANDS HAVE BEENSTRUGGLING TO SURVIVE MARKETFLUCTUATIONS, PANERAI HAS BEEN EXPANDING ITS RETAIL NETWORK, FOCUSING ON ITS LUMINOR 1950 SERIES.