ReviewPanerai Luminor 1950 Regatta
The most popular and interesting watch from Panerai in the last decade
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One of the most intriguing watches that Panerai has launched in the past decade is the Panerai Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio Watch. The name of this watch is long but it explains the watch rather well. Let’s start with what a regatta is:
What in the world is a regatta?
A Regatta is a series of yacht (other boats as well but in the case of Panerai its yachts) races. In a regatta, audible and visual clues are given 5 minutes and ten minutes before the event starts. Obviously no yacht is allowed to cross the starting line during this time.
In a normal watch a chronograph starts at Zero (or the 60 minute mark). In a regatta it can be setup to start before the zero hour. For example it can start 5 minutes before zero in the form of a countdown and when it crosses the zero it becomes a normal chronograph to record time. All of this done without any battery or electric power is fascinating.
The Panerai Regatta 3 Days, is activated by pressing the pusher located at 4 o’clock. It pushes back the Orange hand in one minute increments. The pusher at 10 o’clock is the start stop pusher which activates the countdown/chronograph. The orange hand marks the minutes and the blue hands marks the seconds. To stop it, one must push the 10 o’clock pusher again.
What about the Flyback?
To reset a normal chronograph one must first stop the chronograph. In a flyback chronograph, one can simply press the flyback button to restart the chronograph. This helps when one needs to record laps or repetitive timings. A digital watch may do it better but there’s lack of style in that. In the Panerai the reset button is located at 8 o’clock.
Luminor 1950, Titanio, 3 days?
The Panerai belongs to the now famous Luminor collection. Work on the luminor collection completed in 1950. The luminor was characterized by the crown-protecting bridge present in the case. A new self-luminous substance, Luminor also superseded the radium-based paste, Tritium.
The Panerai Regatta has a 47 MM titanium case which gives the watch the name – Titanio. It also features a lovely see through caseback which gives us visibility of the movement.
The P.9100/R is no conventional chronograph movement, offering dual barrels supporting 72 hours of power reserve alongside a column wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch. Comprised of 328 pieces with 37 jewels, the P.9100/R even incorporates a KIF Parechoc anti-shock system.
So the name explains it all – The 3 days power reserve movement, The titanium case, The regatta, The fly back and, Best of all is the history, engineering and quality that the name Panerai stands for.
