Panerai Luminor Composite Marina Automatic 44mm (PAM 386)

The Panerai Composite is a special in-house synthetic ceramic created by the Officine Panerai watch brand. In 2011, the company takes out this special material and uses the Panerai Composite in its line of novelties that was introduced in the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) 2011 convention last January. The Panerai Composite is remarkable for its lightness and strength and has been widely used in the aeronautics industry as well as in the auto and motorcycle industry for the creation of high-performance and high-strength components. It is harder and lighter than the usual zirconia-based ceramics commonly used in the watch-making industry and even harder than common metals such as aluminum, steel or even titanium. It is also reportedly lighter than titanium, steel and zirconia. The Panerai Composite is also synthesizable to various colours, which along with its durability and lightness, makes it an extremely usable material in watch-making, an industry that requires excellence in both technological innovation and artistic creativity.

First introduced in 2010 with the Radiomir Composite® Marina Militare 8 Giorni, the Panerai Composite is a special synthetic ceramic produced through the watch brand’s special in-house aluminum ceramisation process. The Radiomir Composite has since become one of the watch brand’s most popular Panerai models of 2010. The watch brand follows up its success in 2011 by re-introducing the material with the Panerai Luminor Composite Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic 44mm.

Like the other watches in Panerai’s 2011 Novelties collection, the Luminor Composite Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic 40mm features an automatic mechanical movement using the latest Panerai P.9000 calibre created exclusively by Panerai. The movement is 13 3⁄4 lignes or approximately 31 millimeters in size and features a 3-day, 2-barrel power reserve. The watch uses a third-party Glucydur balance to increase accuracy as well as a third-party Incabloc anti-shock device to enhance durability. A total of 28 jewels and 197 components were used in the creation of this watch. The Luminor Composite Marina 1950 carries Panerai’s signature simplistic style with a simple hour display, minutes, small seconds and date display on the dial. The dial itself is a dark chocolate brown with Arabic numeral hour markers and indices made of a lighter brown super-luminova luminous material. A discreet submerged date display is at the 3 o’clock position, and a small seconds sub dial is at the right of the 9 o’clock hour marker.

The watch channels its vintage look with a regular-sized 44mm diameter case made of a dark brown Panerai Composite material with an integrated bezel and a protected crown also made of the same material. The dial is protected by a 2.6mm thick clear sapphire crystal made of corundum with anti- reflective coating. The same sapphire covers the case back to proudly display Panerai exclusive P.9000 calibre movement and surrounded by an external ring also made of Panerai Composite.

The Panerai Luminor Composite Marina comes with personalized two-tone light brown leather strap with white stitching completed by a large buckle also made of Panerai Composite. The Panerai Luminor Composite Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic 44mm model may be released in a limited edition.

Specification of Panerai Luminor Composite Marina Automatic 44mm  (PAM 386)

Price: N/A, Around €7000
Movement: Panerai P.9000 Calibre, automatic, 197 parts, 31 mm in diameter, 7.9 mm thick, 28 jewels, two mainspring barrels, 28,800 vph, in-house
Functions: Hour, minutes, small seconds, date
Power reserve: 72 hours (3 Days)
Case material: Ceramic
Bezel material: Ceramic
Case shape: Cushion
Case size: 44.0 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Black
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Steel, black
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Brown leather strap with large composite buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, AR-coated
Case back: Sapphire

Official website about Panerai Luminor Composite Marina Automatic 44mm (PAM 386)

Bernhard Willhelm x MYKITA Franz 24K Gold Sunglasses

Designer eyewear label Mykita link up with fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm on a new addition to their seasonal lineup of limited edition sunglasses. Taking inspiration from the Winter Games, Willhelm crafts an uber-lightweight sheet metal aviator frame in three distinct athletic colorways including a blue, yellow, and red hue.

To celebrate the global success of model Franz, the metal aviator sunglasses stemming from the collaboration with German avant-garde fashion designer Bernhard Willhelm, MYKITA presents the Franz 24k. The Franz 24k limited edition is equipped with flash mirrored golden sun lenses coated in 24-karat gold, produced by Christian Dalloz Sunoptics.

A shape originally designed to accompany Bernhard Willhelm’s winter collection inspired by the 1976 Olympics, Franz 24k is showcasing Mykita’s extraordinary ability to mix the past with the present.

In addition to the all gold version, a highly polished golden frame with the matching 24-karat gold-mirrored lenses, this limited edition collection sees Mykita introducing a black Franz version. The matt black hand-lacquered frame enhances the gold-mirror lenses’ stand out effect even more, and plays with contrasting golden hinge detailing. 

The Franz 24k comes with a specially designed black glasses case, as well as a hand numbered box and certificate of authenticity. 

The unabashedly luxurious Franz 24k edition is, as all Mykita frames, made by hand in the Mykita Haus located in the heart of Berlin. They are limited and are going for US $775.

Offical website about Mykita

Patek Philippe Celestial Grand Complication 5102J

 SKY MOON CELESTIAL, The Patek Philippe Celestial Grand Complication 5102J is a very special timepiece. Introduced at the 2002 Basel Fair, the Celestial depicts the night sky as it appears over Geneva Switzerland. The astronomical display utilizes a system of rotating sapphire plates, which turn at different speeds and are layered, to reproduce the relationships of the various celestial bodies at various times. The watch also indicates moon phase. Patek Philippe reports calculating 25 trillion "ratio combinations" to arrive at the most accurate possible system for measuring the movement of the stars. I could go into the mechanics of the watch, but suffice to say that building a mechanism to animate such an amazing cosmological microcosm was a feat uniquely suited for Patek's master watchmakers.

Case is 18k yellow gold with dimensions of 43mm wide by 10mm thick. The case sides are embossed with the Calatrava Cross, to very nice effect. Sapphire crystals front and back. Crown at 2 o'clock sets the time and winds the watch. The crown at 4 o'clock is for setting the astronomical display.

Dial is blue and displays the aforementioned information. There is an elliptical window which is marked with the cardinal directions for orienting the celestial display to true north. There is a roman numeral elaborated minutes and hours chapter at the dial's edge. Skeletonized "Feuille" style hands.

Movement is the automatic winding Patek Philippe Caliber 240 LU CL with 45 jewels and 301 individual, hand-finished parts. Every tooth, on every gear wheel, was hand polished on a rotating hardwood disc. Patek requires several months to produce each Celestial caliber, and it's no wonder when one considers the innumerable steps and man hours required to produce such a machine. The caliber is stamped with the Geneva Seal, as would be expected.

The Celestial is one of Patek's many crowning achievements. Production is very low.
Price is $229,000.

Official website at http://www.patek.com/