This is a popular series in which the elite editors of Chronos Japan get their hands on a hot new model, use it to their heart's content, and write their review. The test watch featured this time is the familiar Panerai flyback chronograph. Their impressions focused primarily on ease of use, as well as the quality of the movement.
Panerai
Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Flyback Automatic Acciaio - 44mm
This review focuses on the new Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC 1 Days Flyback Automatic Acciaio - 44mm, just announced at SIHH in January 2017. While Chronos Japan would likely test the watch in various positions to measure its accuracy and stability, including maximum positional deviation, average daily rate, and average swing angle, as well as the error with the chronograph in operation, Web Chronos is not so strict. All we want to know and share is how Panerai's unique sports watch feels when used.
Let me confess first that I am a Panerai owner. However, I am not a Luminor, but a Radiomir with its delicate wire lugs, tapered case sides, and sturdy crown protector. To be honest, I had always shied away from the Luminor. Perhaps it was my preconceived notions that led me to believe this. When the person in charge handed me the 44mm Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Flyback Automatic Acciaio - 44mm, my first impression was, "Wow, this is a good size."
Here's a brief overview of the test watch. Two dials are available: ivory and black, but the one I had was the black one. It features beige indices that promise excellent legibility, a 12-hour counter at the 3 o'clock position, and a 60-minute counter hand coaxial with the chronograph hand in the center. As an aside, this is the first time a chronograph with a flyback function and a coaxial second and 60-minute hand has been seen since the Caliber 13Z, released by Longines in 1946. The coaxial arrangement and the inset 12-hour counter result in a simple, uncluttered dial layout.
A tachymeter scale is printed on the outer edge of the dial (face cover). However, this watch is a commemorative model for the Panerai Classic Yacht Challenge 2017, one of Panerai's most important classic yacht races. The scale is displayed in knots, not kilometers. This means that this special tachymeter scale and the chronograph minute hand can be used to measure the average speed of a yacht traveling a specified distance. For most people who love the sea but are not connected to the world of elegant yachts, this unique scale display will satisfy your collector's desire.
The size is the aforementioned 44mm. Most people with the preconceived notion that "Panerai is big" probably associate it with the next size up, 47mm. The natural calf leather strap, which seems to age nicely, is threaded through a pin buckle and placed on the wrist. Since I've been favoring lighter watches lately, I was initially struck by the impression that it was heavy, but the 44mm feels very comfortable on my wrist, even for my slender wrists. The head's center of gravity is low, and the balance between the strap and pin buckle is excellent. The crown protector, which isn't found on the Radiomir, doesn't get in the way when worn on the left arm, avoiding contact with the cuff of a shirt, and the watch has a striking appearance. I felt like I could somehow understand the desire for ostentatiousness felt by Luminor users.
Easy to use, visually appealing, and beautiful
Automatic winding (Cal. P.9100). 37 jewels. 8800 vph. Approximately 72 hours of power reserve. Stainless steel (diameter 44 mm). Water resistant to 10 bar. 130 million yen (excluding tax).
I decided to try using the chronograph right away. The caliber P.9100 it is equipped with is, first and foremost, equipped with a flyback function. Unlike a regular chronograph, which requires repeated start-stop-reset operations before it can take the next measurement, a flyback chronograph allows you to press the start button at 10 o'clock (in the test model) and then the button at 8 o'clock, and the chronograph hands instantly return to zero and restart. For example, this could be used to measure lap times in track and field events.
Due to the crown protector, the push button on the test watch is located on the left side. This makes it very easy to press and convenient when wearing it on the left wrist to repeatedly start, reset, and return to zero. The key feature is the lightness of the push button, which is neither too heavy nor too light, achieving an exquisite balance. However, the central coaxial chronograph counter hand seemed a little difficult to read in the dark. That said, the beige Super-LumiNova on the hour and minute hands provided ample illumination and excellent visibility. In actual use, I was impressed by the P.9100's high performance beyond the chronograph, including the ability to adjust the hour hand in one-hour increments by pulling the crown out one notch, and the ability to reset the small seconds hand at 1 o'clock by pulling the crown out two notches.
Even if you have no interest in yachting, you'll want this chronograph!
Equipped with the quintessential complicated mechanism of a chronograph, this watch offers excellent visibility and functionality. Moreover, at 44mm in diameter, it's not so large that it's considered "super" in today's luxury watch market. If you hold the Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Flyback Automatic Acciaio - 44mm in your hands, you'll be amazed at the basic strength of this mechanical watch, and your desire for self-expression will surely be fully satisfied.
