The best of Panerai antiques at VO Vintage

Ready, set, go! The next edition of VO Vintage will take place from 17 to 20 January 2025 in the lounges located on the upper floor of the pavilions of Vicenzaoro – the number one ‘show’ in Europe for the B2B gold and jewellery industry and a flagship event for Italian Exhibition Group – a company listed on the Euronext Milan market of Borsa Italiana and a global reference in the organization of trade fair events in Italy (Vicenza, Rimini and Arezzo), the USA, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China, Mexico, Germany, Singapore, Brazil.

VO Vintage – this is worth highlighting – is instead dedicated to the end customer (with free admission): enthusiasts and collectors of high-end vintage watches and jewellery. The event, now in its sixth edition, confirms itself as the Italian reference for the safe purchase of vintage watches and jewellery, thanks to the quality of its traders (Stefano Mazzariol, Elvio Piva and Andrea Foffi among many others), pieces on sale and number of exhibitors (almost fifty).

VO VINTAGE 2025 AND PANERAIS MADE IN ITALY 

The highlight of VO Vintage 2025 is definitely the Panerai exhibition, ‘Panerai, una storia italiana’. In fact, we are in front of 20 unmissable and very rare pieces produced from 1935 to 1997, divided into ‘Historical’ and ‘Pre-Vendôme’. All these models have truly made watchmaking history. Above all, as the title of the event reveals, they are the ultimate representation of the Italian savoir faire in this field, which makes us duly proud.

Alongside the exhibition, we should also mention the talk of the same name, equally unmissable (to register: https://www.vovintage.com/it/). Moderated by Stefano Mazzariol (a super Rolex and Panerai expert), it features the most important Panerai connoisseurs in the world: Carlo Maria Ceppi, director and head of Heritage Panerai; Mario Paci, at Panerai from 1983 to 1999, first as quality manager and then, from 1993, head of the watch division; and Loris Pasetto, author of the book ‘Panerai, una storia Italiana’, the guide par excellence for Panerai collectors.

‘HISTORICAL’: MILITARY PANERAI 

Diving into the details of the pieces on display, as mentioned, they will represent the first two phases of the Florentine brand’s history (of three, with the third phase being the current one under the Richemont Group’s leadership).

The first phase is the ‘Historic’ one, which indicates all that was produced exclusively for the armed forces (first and foremost the Regia Marina Italiana), with watches that were covered by military secret until the mid-1970s. From this time period, we will be able to see three different configurations of the Ref. 3646, also known as Radiomir (due to the radioactive luminescence of the numerals and indexes), with a 47 mm diameter cushion steel case, wire lugs welded to the case and a high quality manual mechanical movement (at the time the Cortebert-derived Cal. Rolex 618 was used). There will also be as many as six different Ref. 6152-1s on display, with a mono-block cushion case and more pronounced lugs, and a symbolic crown-protecting bridge – an element that still distinguishes the brand today. The last historical piece is the Ref. GPF-2/56, also known as ‘the Egyptian’ because it was created for the Egyptian Navy (with the Italian Navy’s authorisation), with a 60 mm diameter case, Angelus movement with an 8-day power reserve and a crown-protecting device.

‘PRE-VENDOME’: MODELS FOR CIVILIANS

The second phase runs from 1993 to 1997 and is called “Pre-Vendôme”, that is, before the company was acquired by Vendôme – the Richemont Group’s name at the time. This equally legendary phase coincides with the launch of three collections on the civilian market –ten models in numbered and limited editions.

Panerai-lovers from all over the world adore the models’ names – Luminor and Luminor Marina 44 mm, and the Mare Nostrum chronograph 42 mm – inspired by historical models, including prototypes (such as the Mare Nostrum). We will have the opportunity to see ten different Ref. 5218 on display. In conclusion: a truly unmissable edition of VO Vintage!