PANERAI LUMINOR 1950 PCYC 3-DAY FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH

The story behind this Panerai Luminor 1950 PCYC

Since 2004, Panerai has sponsored the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, a regatta series open to wooden or metal sailing yachts built before 1976 and their replicas. For the 2017 season, the brand is dedicating three Luminor 1950 chronographs to the series. The Luminor 1950 PCYC 3 Days Chrono Flyback, reference PAM00653, is the 44 mm stainless steel version with a black dial, presented alongside a variant with an ivory dial and a 47 mm titanium Regatta model featuring a regatta countdown timer. Its dial is modelled on a navigation instrument, featuring a nautical tachymeter scale calibrated to 1 NM (1,852 metres), which converts the time taken by a boat to cover this distance into knots. Each timepiece bears an engraving of a sailing yacht and its serial number on the caseback, a nod to the origins of this Florentine brand, which was long a supplier to the Italian Royal Navy.

Case, movement and strap of this Luminor 1950 PCYC

The 44 mm cushion-shaped case in polished steel retains the lever-style crown guard, made of brushed steel and engraved with ‘REG. T.M., which presses the crown against the case. On the left-hand side, two pushers control the chronograph; the one at 8 o’clock activates the flyback function, which resets the hands to zero and restarts the timing with a single press. The black dial features large beige luminescent Arabic numerals, a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o’clock and a chronograph hour counter at 3 o’clock, whose orange hand synchronises with the central seconds hand. The polished hour and minute hands are fitted with luminescent inserts. At its heart beats the self-winding in-house calibre P.9100, with two mainsprings providing a power reserve of three days at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Its chronograph mechanism is based on a column wheel and a vertical clutch. With a sapphire crystal and solid case back, the watch is water-resistant to 100 metres. It is fitted with a brown velour leather strap with cream topstitching, fastened by a Panerai-signed steel folding clasp.

Why this Panerai watch

This Luminor 1950 PCYC is aimed at enthusiasts seeking a Panerai chronograph with a in-house calibre and flyback function, in the 1950 case and featuring its characteristic lever-type bridge. Limited to 500 pieces for the 2017 T series, it is no longer available in Panerai boutiques and can now only be found on the second-hand market. The nautical scale and engraved caseback evoke classic sailing without compromising readability, whilst the black dial with beige numerals retains the crisp clarity of a ship’s instrument. The second strap supplied, with a green velvet upper, gives it a more casual look than the original brown leather one.

Contents and condition

The watch is supplied in its wooden Panerai case, accompanied by its outer box and a second leather strap with a green velvet upper, fitted with a pin buckle. It is sold without documentation. The polished case and bezel show virtually no signs of wear, and the dial is crisp. The chronograph and flyback function have been tested and are working normally. The black velvet lining of the case shows slight wear, which does not affect its condition or the protection of the watch.

Warranty and delivery

The Swiss Collector guarantees the authenticity of this watch, which is covered by a 24-month warranty. We accept returns within 10 days in accordance with our terms and conditions. As Switzerland’s leading second-hand retailer, backed by the largest network of shops, we offer online booking for a fitting and collection in-store, or fully secure international delivery.