Maybe Panerai really had a good reason for naming their newest tourbillion the Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon GMT. Whatever the reason is, that’s a really long name that, we guess, is only appropriate because this is also the most complicated timepiece the outfit has ever put together.
Drawing inspiration from a naval ship’s bell, the watch comes with a chiming system that’s initiated using the pushpiece at the 8 o’clock position. Once triggered, the timepiece will chime the hours, the number of quarters past the hour, and the number of minutes past the last quarter hour, with the sounds coming courtesy of three hammers striking a trio of gongs fixed to the movement and the case. And, yes, the sound supposedly mimics the bell tones on traditional marine vessels, so you can feel like you’re on a boat while slaving away in a cubicle at work.
The Panerai Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon GMT uses the outfit’s in-house caliber P.2005 tourbillion movement, a hand-wound mechanical complication made up of 633 components (including 59 jewels) and storing a four-day power reserve. That movement is housed inside a 49mm polished red gold case, which is topped with a red gold bezel and sapphire crystal. The skeleton dial comes with a second timezone, which can be read using a central arrow hand and an AM/PM indicator at the 3 o’clock position, along with a seconds counter at the 9 o’clock position. Even more impressively, the chiming repeater function can be activated for both the local timezone and the second timezone, so this doesn’t just look unique – it comes with functions you just won’t find anywhere else, too.
Pricing for the Panerai Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon Tourbillon GMT starts at $400,000.