A modified Rolex 6152/1 with Panerai dial and crown-protecting device is a rarity in itself. Just around 100 pieces have surfaced so far. One better would be to find a 6152/1 with Carabinieri matriculation number. This could be considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience… one would think. But brace yourself cause the same bloke who happened to find the Carabinieri Panerai I presented in July 2017 has just found another one. Or let’s better put it this way, the watch found him.

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I checked the watch thoroughly and it’s nothing short of amazing, especially due to the low matriculation number. This fantastic piece belonged to none other than Commander Gianfranco Allegretti, a founding member of the Carabinieri frogman unit (Centro Subacqueo dell’Arma dei Carabinieri) in the city of Genoa. The Arma dei Carabinieri is a militarily organized police force that reports to the Italian Ministry of Defense. Its frogman unit, whose instructors were trained by the Marina Militare, is responsable for recovering evidence such as arms, ammunition, corpses, wrecks, etc. that was hidden or dispersed in the sea or in the many lakes and rivers of Italy.

Commander Allegretti passed away a few years ago. According to his daughter, who was the sole heir, her father wore the watch when ever possible. This precious family heirloom is now for sale.

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The Luminor dial is in a fantastic condition. The intricate dial construction becomes visible in this macro shot. The tritium-based lume is sealed behind a layer of clear plastic with an extraordinay precise fitting. Nobody has figured out yet what kind of process and material was used to achieve this perfection.

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This watch is equipped with thin double-pencil hands that have developed an extraordinary beautiful patina over the years.

The following picture shows the sought-after Carabinieri matriculation number that makes this watch so special. C.C. No. 3. High-ranking officers got the first numbers. This is the ninth watch with Carabinieri engravings.

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A side view of the crown-protecting device. The whole watch has clear signs of use.

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A detail view on the iconic crown-protecting device. The Rolex 6152/1 cases had to be machined in order to get a flat seating for Panerai’s patented crown guard. This bridge protects the crown against hits while the lever applies pressure against the spring-loaded crown, pushing it against a rubber gasket and thus sealing the watch hermetically.

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Panerai filed an Italian Patented for this device in November 1955. It was also registered in the United States as “Tight Seal Device” one year later. BREV. ITAL. stands for Italian Patent. The number 1 is possibly a fitting indication.

The streamlined case designed by Rolex is a thing of beauty. Ref. 6152/1 is an evolution of Ref. 6152 from 1953. Ref. 6152 was the first “Panerai” watch with solid lugs carved out of the same block of steel as the case.

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The next picture shows the movement of this watch. It’s a Cortebert 618 specifically made for Rolex. Although the train gear bridge says 15 Jewels, it actually has one more, 16 Jewels in total. The reason for this is pretty simple. A 15 Jewels movement has a simple rubi on the escapement wheel bridge whereas this movement also has a capstone (polished cap on the smallest bridge). The patina on the bridges is matching, making it very likely that this movement left the Panerai workshops exactly like this.

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This movement is equipped with a typical Breguet overcoil hairspring which was installed exclusively on movements made for Rolex. It has no Incabloc, which is nothing uncommon for 15 Jewel movements.

Ref. 6152/1 was delivered with an antimagnetic cover made of soft iron in order to protect the movement from magentic fields emited by limpet mines. The caseback shows the typical Rolex hallmarks and reference number.

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Included in the set is also the strap that came with the watch. This is not the orginal “Panerai” strap. It can be assumed that Commander Allegretti had to replace the strap at some point and decided to have it made by a different strap maker.

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This strap has undoubtedly years of wear and cannot be used anymore. The buckle is very interesting though. It’s made of brass and doesn’t stand out as much as a regular vintage GPF buckle, making it more confortabe to wear.

What an amazing watch! Another fantastic piece of Panerai history has surfaced. Its experiences and history are clearly imprinted onto every single part of it. Its hands are super sexy. Additionally, this watch has the second lowest Carabinieri matriculation number after C.C. No 2. It also comes with a provenance letter signed by the daughter of Commander Allegretti.

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If you want to know more about this watch, please get in touch with Alessandro Bruschi de Simone on Instagram:

Contact: o.n.watches on Instagram

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The Panerai Time Machine

The following timeline shows the true history and evolution of Panerai watches. Please click the graphic to download the highres version.

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This timeline is available as a high quality print in two sizes:

• 120 x 68 cm (47 x 26 inch): EUR 85.00 (plus shipping)
• 150 x 85 cm (59 x 33 inch): EUR 120.00 (plus shipping)

Printed with HD Inkjet on heavy synthetic paper, laminated.

Limited edition: 50 pieces, numbered and signed by Maria Teresa Panerai in Giuseppe Panerai’s very own laboratory at the historical site of the Villino Panerai (Panerai Villa) in Florence: Sold out

More information: The history of Panerai watches at a glance

Follow: Perezcope on Instagram

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