Close Up: Officine Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT Ceramica

Officine Panerai’s new 2014 Collection was finally delivered to the brand’s Moscow boutique, so fans of the brand can feel free to come and see it at their convenience! While you’re there, don’t forget to ask the staff to show you the Luminor Tourbillon, which also recently arrived at the boutique.

The PAM00396 LUMINOR 1950 TOURBILLON GMT CERAMICA was presented during Baselworld 2012 and is part of a Limited Release; it’s rare to find one of these, so we could not resist devoting it a few lines!

But don’t gape at the dial surmounted by a domed sapphire crystal, you won’t find a tourbillon there; it’s seen from the caseback. The tourbillon cage rotates not in the horizontal but in a vertical plane (this position is optimal for wristwatches), driven by the device which is extrinsic for the tourbillons and similar to an auto-differential gear, the mechanism makes a full rotation per 30 seconds instead of one per minute (which provides greater precision). So if you are looking for a rare beast of prey, the PAM 396 is made for you.

The 48mm black ceramic case features a titanium caseback. The bridges have been blackened to harmonize with the color of the case. Under the tourbillon is set a tiny mirror, which reflects light and provides a better view of the carriage.

The hand-wound caliber has three barrels, providing a power reserve of six days. Level spring tension is displayed on the retrograde power reserve indicator, located over one of the bridges on the back.

Since the tourbillon is located not on the front side but on the rear side, the company marked it with a very special indicator on the small seconds dial. This timepiece also features a second time zone hand (in these photos its sharp end peeks out slightly from behind the hour hand), as well a day/night indication. It is priced at 4,554,000 rubles (approximately US$130,000).

Photo credit: Chronoscope.ru