Meet the High-Tech Panerai LAB-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech Watch

At SIHH this year, Panerai surprised and delighted us once again with the unveiling of the super high-tech LAB-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech watch. The bold timepiece is crafted in Carbotech — a composite material based on carbon fiber.

Rarely used in watchmaking, Carbotech has matte black appearance offering a unique finish every time. The material is made using sheets of carbon fiber that are compressed, joined with a polymer substance known as PEEK and bonded at high temperatures. The result is an ultra-strong, ultra-durable case. The “LAB-ID” part of the watch’s name stands for Laboratorio di Idee, the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchatel, Switzerland.

Making the watch even more alluring is the fact that the dial utilizes carbon nanotubes to achieve a deep black color, said to be the blackest of blacks. The top of the dial is coated with these nanotubes that absorb light, reducing reflections. A lower dial is coated with Super-LumiNova in an electric blue hue that glows in the dark. Referred to at SIHH as the 50-50-50 watch, it is offered in a limited edition of 50 units each retailing for 50,000 Euros, with an incredible 50-year warranty. It is powered by the  P.3001/C hand-wound in-house movement with a semi-skeletonized design. The movement parts are all treated so they will not need lubrication for at least 50 years or more.

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A Look at the Stricter 2017 Guidelines on ‘Swiss Made’ Watches

The Swiss Federal Council recently approved a partial revision of its “Swiss made” ordinance for watches, effective as of January 1, 2017. The revision strengthens the label requirements for watches and movements and aligns them more with the new “Swissness” legislation that has been updated since its 2013 adoption by the Swiss Parliament.

Any watch bearing the indication “Swiss” or “Swiss made” must be backed by Swiss watchmaking expertise. According to the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry, a number of studies have shown that consumers are willing to pay up to 20% more for Swiss watches, in general, and up to 50% more for certain mechanical watches. The revision of the “Swiss made” ordinance for watches is designed to strengthen the link between “Swiss made” watches and Switzerland, and to counter any possible abuse of the label.

The “Swiss made” ordinance for watches fine-tunes the “Swissness” legislation, stating that from here forward at least 60% of the production costs of a finished watch must be Swiss based. At present, only the cost of its movement is taken into account in determining the Swiss origin of a watch. The movement will still enjoy pride of place, however, as Swiss-made components must continue to represent at least 50% of its value, while at least 60% of its production must be generated in Switzerland.

Additionally, the new rules of the “Swiss Made” ordinance state that the technical development of a “Swiss made” watch and movement must be executed in Switzerland.

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