Grand Panerai’s show – “Time and Space – a Tribute to Galileo Galilei”, which presents brand’s most renowned timepieces and instruments from its historical and contemporary collections, takes place in Shangai, until 31st of May 2011.
The highlight of the show at the Shanghai Sculpture Space is the exhibition of the “astronomical” watch triptych that the Officine Panerai dedicated to Galileo Galilei to celebrate the 400th anniversary of his first celestial observations.
The original version of the exhibition that had a premiered in Florence, in September 2010, has been enriched by the Panerai watches from the 2011 edition and reflects three stages. Using timepieces from the brand’s Museum, the first stage shows company’s first days as a Florentine workshop, as well as its development trough the long-lasting partnership with the Italian Navy.
The second stage explores the 14 years of the Panerai’s international glory, which have come after the the Richemont group had taken over the company in 1997. Most famous models from the period, including re-editions of iconic watches, the Luminor and Radiomir and the complete range of in-house mechanisms recall the golden ages of the Italian brand.
This stage also presents most the new Panerai 2011 collection, including models with the new hand-wound mechanical P.3000 calibre and the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo – 47 mm.
The third section is directly dedicated to Galileo Galilei, featuring an “astronomical” triptych, formed from three complicated Panerai watches: L’Astronomo (Luminor 1950 Equation of Time Tourbillon Titanio – 50 mm), Lo Scienziato (Radiomir Tourbillon GMT Ceramica – 48 mm) and the planetarium clock Panerai Jupiterium.
I am a great admirer of Panerai watches and Radiomir is my favourite one. Wonder if this exhibition is going to take place somewhere where I could see it, cos China is obviously too far away.