Panerai/Rolex

• Rolex cal. 618 manual winding nickel lever movement, 17 jewels, some carried in chatons • sandwich dial, baton and Arabic indexes, blued steel luminescent hands • large stainless steel case, fixed wire lugs, domed crystal, inscribed screw down case back, bezel and crown • dial signed Panerai, case signed Oyster Watch Co.

The Royal Italian Navy began commissioning pieces such as the present lot from Panerai in the mid 1930s.  The firm then developed the Radiomir Type B, ref 3646 for the Navy's frogmen, who specialized in under water military missions.  The exceptional reference 3646 could withstand extreme elements while simultaneously keeping accurate time.  The company utilized Rolex movements for these watches, as Rolex had already perfected the waterproof wristwatch with their Rolex Oyster.  Radiomir Type B models were all produced under Oyster Watch Co, and bear a small stamp of the brand on the inner case back.

The present lot was acquired by Captain John Maxted Coltart, a member of the Black Watch Regiment and the Gordon Highlanders of the 15th Scottish Regiment. He participated in the critical crossing of the Elbe in April 1945, and upon completion of his duties he returned with several souvenirs from the war. The back of the present Panerai 3646 is thusly engraved commemorating the last battle Coltart took part in. The watch survives with an intense darkening of the sandwich dial numerals and all the original parts of its complex screwed-in case.