It is a strongly sporting heart which beats within the Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Ceramica, the new Officine Panerai watch in which the classic quality of the design is masterfully integrated with the sophistication of the P.9100 manufacture chronograph movement and with the remarkable technical quality and design of the black ceramic case. The essential lines of the case and dial are faithful to the unmistakable Panerai identity, being unaffected by the existence of the flyback function, which instantly zeroes the chronograph hands and restarts them without it being necessary to stop and zero them first. In the P.9100 caliber the blue chronograph seconds hand and the rhodium-plated minute hand are centrally mounted, so that the dial carries only the continuous small seconds counter at nine o'clock, symmetrical with the date window. The push-pieces which control the chronograph functions are positioned at 8 o'clock (flyback, reset) and 10 o'clock (start, stop), thus leaving intact the outline of the lever device protecting the crown which helps make the case of the Luminor 1950 water-resistant to 10 bar (equivalent to a depth of about 100 meters).
The material of the Luminor 1950 case, 44 mm in diameter, is a synthetic ceramic based on zirconium oxide, which is up to five times harder than steel but substantially lighter in weight, as well as exceptionally resistant to scratches, corrosive agents and high temperatures. Technologically it is a very advanced material which is complicated to synthesize. It is created by a long, delicate process which transforms zirconium powder into a black ceramic, with a matt finish, remarkably even and pleasant to the touch. – SG
