Simply Abu Dhabi XXXI

1 3 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I T he Florentine luxury sports watch-maker Officine Panerai is another world-renowned brand with a rich heritage based around the oceans. Panerai’s connection for the sea dates back to 1936 and its military history in the Mediterranean. Famously, the commandos of the Italian Navy tested Officine Panerai’s first ever military diving watch. This was the beginning of a fascinating and evolving history and the Italian-designed, Swiss-made watchmaker continues to innovate and create world class timepieces. The Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC Regatta 3 days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio was designed by the brand in Neuchâtel in order to give yacht racing enthusiasts a watch that is capable of accurately measuring the countdown at the start of a race. The automatic mechanical P.9100/R calibre has a three-day power reserve and seconds reset, flyback chronograph and regatta countdown. A push-piece at 4 o’clock moves the gilded central chronograph minute hand back one minute each time it is pressed, to the position required in relation to the duration of the countdown. Pressing the push-piece at 10 o’clock starts the chronograph: the relative hands begin moving, first indicating the minutes and seconds remaining until the start and, once the countdown is finished, recording the time elapsed from the start of the race. The push-piece at 8 o’clock stops the measurement and returns all the chronograph hands to zero or, if operated when the hands are still moving, it activates the return to zero (flyback) function, thus immediately starting themeasurement of a new time interval without needing to activate the stop and reset mechanism. As well as the scale of 15minutes for the countdown, the flange is also marked with the tachymeter scale in knots which enables the average speed of the yacht over a particular distance (one nautical mile) to be measured by the chronograph minute hand. Since 2005, Officine Panerai has been the title sponsor of the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge—a global series that has grown to 11 classic yachting regattas and pays tribute to the Brand’s historic ties to the sea. The caseback inscription on this stunning watch says Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge with an etching of a classic yacht with its sails deployed. In the words of Officine Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati, ‘Our commitment to safeguarding and fostering classic sailing is both unparalleled and unprecedented on an international level.’ PANERAI LUMINOR 1950 PCYC REGATTA 3 d A Y S C H R O N O F L Y B A C K A U T O M A T I C T I T A N I O