Panerai: Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT Watch Includes 3D Printed Titanium Case

Panerai Manufacture is known for their luxury watches, still giving way to numerous imitations around the world. The Florentine company was founded by Giovanni Panerai in 1860, and they have been famous for their combination of Italian design and Swiss production ever since.

Obviously, the high-end company is not afraid to use the latest technology even when creating and manufacturing their most classic timepieces. We see evidence of this with a new twist in accenting the Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT model with a 3D printed titanium case, and the P.2005/T Skeletonised movement with Tourbillon regulator.

Delving not only into 3D printing, but 3D printing with metal, Panerai is moving right along with the progression of the technology itself, as are so many other companies operating in a wide range of different industries, from aerospace to medical and far beyond. Panerai describes the Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT as one of their most ‘technical and surprising’ creations, and presented it last year with the new technology for the first time.

This new and improved version of the watch offers blue hands that are complemented by the metal of the 3D printed titanium case. Both the flange and the sewing on the leather strap are sportier too, which Panerai states on their website is ‘perfect for this creation with such a high level of technical content.’

The new Lo Scienziato is much more lightweight and offers technical features to include:

• Hours, minutes, small seconds
• GMT with am/pm indication
• Power reserve of six days
• Power supply notification on the back
• Tourbillon escapement

“The secret of its lightness lies in the ingenious work of minimalisation carried out by the Laboratorio di Idee at the Panerai Manufacture on the case and mainly on the sophisticated P.2005/T Titanium movement, to design a watch with the typical Panerai characteristics but with a substantially lower weight,” states Panerai on their website.

The 3D printed case is 47mm in diameter. Titanium is not only hypoallergenic but also much more lightweight and corrosion-resistant. The Panerai design team 3D printed the cases with a hollowed inside, presenting a complex geometry that also had to be durable enough for water resistance.

“All the main components of the P.2005/T caliber that equips this exclusive watch, such as the main plates and the bridges, are entirely made of Grade 5 Titanium,” states Panerai.

Although the use of 3D printing may begin with experimentation, in most cases the benefits become clear quickly—and on many different levels. While enthusiasts using desktop 3D printers at home enjoy ease in designing and refining their own prints which can be made when they want and usually affordably so, designers in more industrial settings experience the same benefits but on a larger scale. This usually means saving more on the bottom line and streamlining productivity.

Find out more about the Lo Scienziato Luminor 1950 Tourbillon GMT model with a 3D printed titanium case here.

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