REACHING FOR THE MOON
Eight long years after launching its first L’Astronomo, Officine Panerai has followed up with an impressive assortment of complications, including an uncommon moonphase
PANERAI’S FIRST L’ASTRONOMO commemorated 400 years since Galileo Galilei published the first celestial observations made through a telescope in 1610. It was not only beautiful but powerful as well. After all, it was Panerai’s first to combine a tourbillon regulator, calendar, equation of time and sunrise/sunset display.
In the new L’Astronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation of Time GMT Titanio, these same attributes have been augmented by a day/night indicator showing the phases of the moon (rare for a Panerai watch). This works by rotating two superimposed discs: on the upper disc, the 24hour passage of time is presented as a sunlit sky that progresses to a starry night heaven, in the middle of which is a tiny round window that reveals the moonphase indicator, which rotates at the exact duration of one lunar cycle (an average of 29 days, 12 hours, 44 minutes and three seconds). Since this is made to order, every movement is built according to the client’s preferred coordinates, with the indicators of the moonphase and sunrise and sunset times following suit.
Another fascinating feature is the patentpending polarised date system, with a special borosilicate glass date disc and numerals with laser-modified optical properties. This renders the numbers virtually invisible on the dial unless they’re aligned exactly in the date window, ensuring that the skeletonised movement is beautifully exposed.
Visible from the sapphire case back is the hand-wound manufacture P.2005/GLS calibre – the initials honour Galileo Luna Scheletrato, one of the most significant visionaries of astronomical history. It features the patented tourbillon regulator system with the balance cage rotating once every 30 seconds on an axis perpendicular to the balance.