MASTER MECHANICS

powers the tourbillon (which rotates perpendicularly
to the axis of the balance and completes
two rotations per minute instead of one),
small seconds, am/pm indicator and second
time zone.The collection is limited to 30 pieces.
Museo Galileo
In addition to the Jupiterium, exhibition and
two limited editions, Panerai is also sponsoring
the Institute and Museum of the History of
Science which was recently reopened under
the name of Museo Galileo, after two years of
extensive refurbishment. The company has
generously donated its Jupiterium clock to the
museum so it can continue to be admired by
everyone. “We were offered two million Euros
for the Jupiterium,” explains Bonati “but it
wasn’t manufactured to sell, it was created to
convey our watchmaking skills”.
The new Galileo Museum is an incredible collection
of five centuries of scientific instruments
JUPITERIUM
LO SCIENZIATO
that were put together by Florence’s Medici and
Lorraine families. The star of the exhibit is
Galileo’s original, 400 year-old telescope that
he used to discover Jupiter’s moons in 1610.
Preview of a new
movement – 3000P
News from the brand doesn’t stop there, however,
a new family of in-house calibres joins the
ranks at the base of the Panerai movement
pyramid.This 3000P hand-wound movement is
5.3mm thick and has a diameter of 16 1/2 lines.
Other features include a three day power
reserve, 21 jewels, 21,600 alternations per
hour, Incabloc® anti shock devices and two
spring barrels connected in series.The construction
is solid with a large bridge next to a smaller
bridge that covers the majority of the mechanical
parts and which is fixed to the bottom plate
by a series of thick screws. This robust structure
doesn’t sacrifice the aesthetic side though, with
brush-finished bridges and chamfered angles.
The 3000P sits next to Panerai’s smaller P.999
calibre, which was a response to the Asian market
for a smaller movement.
Brand boutiques in abundance
Thanks to the increasing number of in-house
movements that the brand is mastering, and
the fact that the company’s case manufacture
is now owned by the group, there should be a
constant flow of timepieces in the future. This
will be important for the brand as it initiates
its strategy of opening 40-50 brand boutiques,
europa star SIHH 47
and the same number of additional franchises,
over the next two years.As a reminder, Panerai
already has 18 flagship stores worldwide.
“Boutiques are extremely important in emerging
markets,” notes Bonati. “Rapid evolution
in China and the Far East is very different from
the rest of the world with its malls instead of
traditional stores. If you don’t have a flagship
store, you are just not visible.”
Star gazing
Panerai has always strongly promoted its link to
the sea and its collaborations with the specialist
forces of the Italian navy, so this year of
Galileo tributes and star gazing may seem
strange to some. But the connections between
the Tuscan scientist and Panerai are many,
with both scientist and brand coming from
the city of Florence, historically recognised for
its connection to both art and science. In
addition to Galileo’s many inventions and
astronomical discoveries, he is also credited
with discovering that the oscillations of a
pendulum are isochronous. “To pay tribute to
3000P movement
Galileo conveys our technical image through
science,” notes Bonati. “Today’s companies
must support museums, especially in Italy
where many risk closing down.” Whatever
the reason for such a partnership, the fruits of
this year of tributes certainly haven’t disappointed
Panerai’s fans who are as fervent for
the brand’s timepieces as ever. O
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