SIHH 2016: 3D Printing For The Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor

Yes, indeed, it did ultimately become reality faster than anyone thought. And it is Panerai that opened the first front with 3D printing in small series. But it was expected, because the company, which rides a wave of variations on its historic models, dared slip from the grip of traditionalism by venturing into the avant-garde of watchmaking technology. A few years ago, it was a pioneer in the use of ceramicized aluminum. This year, the Italian company, which produces its watches at its new manufactory in Neuchâtel (we'll discuss the manufacture at a later date), presented the Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT titanio 47 mm. This timepiece, which pays homage to the genius of Galileo, comes with a P.2005 tourbillon movement offered for the first time in titanium.  And because beauty has no limits, the mechanism comes in a titanium case developed and manufactured using a 3D printing process.

Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT titanio 47 mm

The future on the move

Did we hear that correctly? Did the man presenting the watch really say that? Because even if it was obvious that watchmakers were one day going to adopt 3D printing on an industrial scale, everyone was convinced it would take some time. In fact, the future is already here, since Panerai has just presented us with the Luminor 1950 in a special 47-mm diameter edition requiring special machining for its titanium case. The material is already light from the start, but was given special treatment to make it even lighter. To complete the job, it was first shaped using innovative technology that allows for a case whose structure includes geometric cavities of great complexity right at the heart of the material without compromising the water-resistance (guaranteed to 10 atm), or its resistance to tension and torsion.

Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT titanio 47 mm

To achieve this result without needing to melt the metal at high temperatures, Panerai's engineers resorted to a process known as laser sintering directly on the metal. This machining system allows one to construct a 3D object layer by layer using a fiber-optic laser and titanium powder. The layers of 0. 002 mm are fused under the impact of the laser and become perfectly solid, which creates full and hollow shapes, lighter, but without losing any of their mechanical properties. The craziest thing is that this result, which could not be made by traditional means, is that the case has a perfectly classic look.

Panerai Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT titanio 47 mm backcase

A result that leads to other developments

 In one's hand, the timepiece is of amazing lightness. And there is no way you will notice that the case was made of titanium powder worked over by laser. Fascinating and disconcerting at the same time, this construction method will become more widespread in months and years to come, given the evidence and the results. Obviously it is difficult to see the process being used for large series, but the manufacture nevertheless managed to produce 150 units of this ultra-light case. By succeeding in offering this ultra-complicated, skeletonized watch made using a technology everyone though was reserved for prototyping.

Panerai Calibre P.2005 Tourbillon