Panerai LUMINOR 1950 EQUATION OF TIME Mode D'emploi page 12

THE LUMINOR 1950 EQUATION OF TIME
8 DAYS ACCIAIO WATCH
The history of time measurement arose from the human need to arrange
events on a dimension which was not solely spatial and, since ancient times,
man has found the answers to this need through the study of astronomy. The
length of one day is derived from the period of one rotation of the Earth and
the length of one year corresponds to the period of one revolution of the Earth
around the Sun, and for centuries timepieces have been used to place events
in a timeframe defined by these phenomena, establishing the universal
convention which is time.
There is, however, a difference between convention and reality. Because of the
elliptical orbit of the Earth round the Sun and the axial tilt of the Earth's rotation
in relation to the equator, the duration of a day measures exactly 24 hours on
only four occasions in one year, while on all other days there is a difference
between apparent time (solar time) and conventional time (mean time) which
varies between being up to about 15 minutes ahead or behind, depending on
the time of year. This difference, the measurement of which is one of the
classic complications of high quality watchmaking, is called the "equation of
time" and it is displayed by a linear indicator on the dial of the new Luminor
1950 Equation of Time 8 Days.
T
HE CASE
The Panerai Luminor 1950 Equation of Time 8 Days Acciaio has a case of 47 mm
in AISI 316L steel.
AISI 316L stainless steel is highly resistant to corrosion and hypoallergenic, making
it ideal for contact with the skin. The Panerai watches created for the Italian Navy
were made of austenitic stainless steel, a solid, reliable material, which was also
resistant to the extreme environmental conditions in which the commandos
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operated. Officine Panerai uses the low-carbon variant of the AISI 316L alloy: the
lower amount of carbon improves its welding qualities. In the construction of the
case, Panerai has made use of techniques involving many complex working
operations, which ensure an exceptional aesthetic finish and the best resistance in
terms of shock absorption. To optimise the reliability of the watch over a long
period, the winding crown incorporates a special element with a threaded ring
whose function is to control the degree of force with which the winding crown is
locked by the device protecting the winding crown, which protects it from shocks
and accidental breakage and helps to ensure the water-resistance of the case.
The moving lever is mounted in the bridge fixed to the case which is engraved
with the letters REG. T.M. (Registered trademark). The lever is terminated by a
small rotating cushion-like component, which avoids wear at the end of the lever
in contact with the crown, allowing the most effective setting of the axial pressure
between the two parts.
The crystal is of sapphire, obtained from corundum, a very hard material (second
only to diamond), free of impurities, transparent, abrasion resistant and with anti-
reflective treatment.
The screw-in back has a sapphire crystal window, enabling the mechanism to be
admired as well as the haute horlogerie finish of the bridges and the plate. On the
back of the case are engraved the case number, the sequential number of the
watch with the number produced, the material and the maximum depth of use.
The water-resistance of your watch, indicated on the back by the symbol
is guaranteed to a pressure of 10 bar which corresponds to the hydrostatic
pressure exerted by a column of water on 1 square centimetre at a depth of 100
metres under normal conditions. In these circumstances your watch is therefore
water-resistant to a depth of about 100 metres.
T
HE DIAL
The dial is the characteristic Panerai "sandwich" type consisting of two
superimposed plates, the upper one is perforated with numerals and hour
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