Officine Panerai to Sponsor Ferrari Challenge

Speed Channel To Broadcast First Airing of Ferrari Challenge Series on July 7th

   An Insider's Look at the Extraordinary World of Ferrari Owners' Racing

Ferrari North America,
Inc., has announced that the Speed Channel Network will broadcast two of
the brand's final 2007 North American Ferrari Challenge events, showcasing
its owners' racing program and overall weekend Ferrari festivities. The
first Challenge event to be shown, previously recorded this past May at
Virginia International Raceway, is scheduled to air July 7th at 7:30 pm
EDT, July 8th, at 3:00 pm EDT, and again July 18th at 1:30 pm EDT.
 The final U.S.-event for the Series will be recorded the weekend of
August 10th at California Speedway and is scheduled to air October 13th and
14th, 2007.
 Now in its 14th racing season in the U.S., the Ferrari Challenge Series
(utilizing race-prepared 430 Challenge vehicles) offers Ferrari owners who
are not professional racers the opportunity to compete against other
Ferrari owners in a highly competitive racing series at world-class venues
throughout the U.S. and Canada, and is regarded as the longest-running
series of its type in North America.
 "The Speed Channel network will allow our 430 Challenge owners a proper
extension of the exciting and challenging involvement they've had in
Ferrari racing," said Maurizio Parlato, president and CEO of Ferrari North
America. "For more than 60 years the Ferrari brand and its racing efforts
have been synonymous with the very same passion that our owners, Formula
One drivers and worldwide fans all experience as they watch any level of
Ferrari competition. We are proud to continue showcasing this tradition."
 The Ferrari Challenge program is a co-production of Laguna Niguel,
Calif.- based Baker Productions, and Winding Road Films of Crystal Lake,
Ill. Both Ferrari Challenge segments will be anchored by noted automotive
authority and TV personality Bill Baker, host of the Outdoor Channel series
"Ride to Adventure." Baker will be joined by ESPN Sports personality Yomary
Cruz and Road and Track magazine's Editor-At-Large, John Lamm, one of the
world's leading automotive photo/journalists and Ferrari experts.
 The remaining North American Ferrari Challenge event in Fontana will be
open to the public, and tickets will be available on site at California
Speedway. The Ferrari Challenge 2007 season extends through a total of 7
races, including two within Canada (the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, which
coincided with Montreal's annual Formula One race, this past June 8-10th;
and Mont Tremblant, Quebec, which was held June 15-17, at the home track of
Ferrari's North American driving school). The season's World Finals will be
held October 25-28 in Italy.
 The Ferrari Challenge is one of the numerous "exclusive" experiences
that Ferrari offers its customers -- and whether owners are actually racing
in the series, dining in the luxurious VIP hospitality tents, participating
in weekend driving clinics or socializing with those that share their
enthusiasm for Ferrari, the weekend festivals provide a unique atmosphere
an incomparable experience. General public can enjoy the races, peruse the
paddock areas, and enjoy the overall Ferrari-festival type of atmosphere.
 The Challenge Series is one of the many assets Ferrari provides
exclusively for its owners, and together with experiences such as the
annual Ferrari Rally (http://www.ferrarirally.com), and Ferrari's North
American Driving School in Mont Tremblant, Quebec
(http://www.experienceferrari.com ), the company continues to provide
environments where owners can enjoy their cars in the manner for which they
were intended -- with top performance and through unique opportunities and
venues.
 The Ferrari Challenge Series is organized by Ferrari North America,
Inc., and sanctioned by the Grand American Road Racing Association.
Sponsors for 2007 include Motorola, Shell, Pirelli, Sabelt, Officine
Panerai and Piaggio Aero. Complete Challenge information can be found on
http://www.ferrarichallenge.com . Tickets for California Speedway Ferrari
Challenge weekends can be purchased directly at the track.
 Ferrari North America, Inc. is headquartered in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.,
and is the exclusive authorized North, Central and South American importer
of Ferrari vehicles including the 599 GTB Fiorano V-12 sports coupe, F430
Berlinetta, F430 Spider convertible sports car, and 612 Scaglietti (luxury
performance 2+2). For more information please visit
http://www.ferrariusa.com.

Panerai Submersible Chronopassion Left-handed Limited Edition

Panerai Submersible Chronopassion

Left-handed Limited Edition

TheWatchProfessionals.com - June 14th, 2006

This is a real event for all the Panerai community. The famous Officine has just delivered the first of its ultra-limited edition (75 examples) of the left-handed Panerai Luminor Submersible “Chronopassion” to the Paris store of the same name. A world first, since Panerai has never before produced an exclusive piece in response to a request from one of its retailers. Here at The Watch Quote we felt we had to share the event with you.
Calling all collectors!

Panerai Luminor Submersible
“Chronopassion”

A truly limited edition

At a time when a number of watch-making brands have succumbed to market temptations and brought “limited editions” of up to 4,000, 5,000, or sometimes even more examples, the Panerai Luminor Submersible Chronopassion, issued in just 75 examples, can only gain in value, in our opinion and course that of collectors, by respecting the criteria of genuine exclusivity.



After months of negotiations between Panera and Laurent Picciotto (Chronopassion Paris) an exclusive series, the “Left-handed Luminor Submersible” has just appeared; a collector’s item given the name PAM00239, that Panerai did not accept to bring out purely by chance.

Worldwide, Laurent Picciotto has to be one of the brand’s distributors who best know Panerai clients, as well as being one of those to whom the brand owes its success. From 1993, when Panerai was only known through private distribution, Laurent Picciotto was one of the first to fall for the Italian Naval combat swimmers’ watch and put it on the market. Since then, he has never ceased to ensure that Panerai is advertised to a prestigious French and international clientele, and Panerai now pays homage to one of its most faithful partners, by signing for Chronopassion a leisure and pleasure watch which will thrill sports watch lovers as well as aficionados of every kind.

Specifics

As well as the features common to all known Panerai Luminor Submersibles, a Luminor Submersible has been produced in a “left-handed” version for the first time, with the legendary Panerai-patented protected winding crown on the left side of the case.

Main characteristics

Case in polished stainless steel AISI 316L Ø 44mm
Lunette in satin-finish stainless steel, unidirectional anti-clockwise swivel with graduated scale to calculate immersion time, and once-per-minute release mechanism
Screwed-in stainless steel back, engraved and numbered.
Mechanical movement with automatic rewind, exclusive Panerai caliber OPIII
Date (at 9 o’clock)
Small second hand (at 3 o’clock)
Water-resistant to depth of 300 meters
Luminous hands



Another important detail: unlike the Luminor Submersible PAM00024, PAM00170, PAM00025, PAM00106 and PAM00199 models, equipped with round luminous indices (appliquéd or painted, depending on the model and production years), the black varnished dial of the PAM00239 is decorated with very attractive appliqued luminous “rod” indices, like those of the second generation Panerai Luminor Submersibles 1000M PAM00087.



A last detail about size: the watch is sold on the Panerai adjustable diver’s bracelet in black and yellow Velcro, that adapts to equally well to the wrist or wetsuit, giving it a fun-loving yet professional character. It also comes with a second exclusive Panerai rubber bracelet with large steel-tongued buckle (pre-Vendôme type), a magnificent adaptation in 44mm of the model originally produced for the limited edition of the Submersible 2500M 47mm PAM00194 of 2004 (Prize for Sports watch of the Geneva year 2005).



All delivered in a superb “Limited Edition” box with the Panerai certificate numbered XX/75.