The Tourbillon We All Dream About: Inside the Panerai Tourbillon PAM768

Venturing into the world of tourbillon is one of the highest challenges in horology. Very few have dared, and even fewer have succeeded in creating a watch that features a tourbillon while also offering authentic aesthetics, full functionality, and long-term reliability. Panerai is one of those rare companies that has managed to do so. Before delving into the details of their flagship PAM00768 watch, it is vital to understand the origins, history, and essence of the tourbillon. All of this is necessary to fully grasp the level of challenge involved in crafting one and incorporating it into a wristwatch, which remains a truly daunting task even for the most innovative and technologically advanced watchmakers like Panerai.

What is a tourbillon and how does it work?

In a nutshell, a tourbillon is a mechanical watch complication in the shape of a rotating cage containing a balance wheel and an escapement. The reason is the need to counter gravity's drag and minimize its impact on the smaller parts of the escapement and balance wheel in certain positions. The end goal is to secure the utmost accuracy of the caliber.

A tourbillon achieves this by continuously rotating the escapement through a 360-degree ellipse, usually at 1 RPM. The effect that is produced is a counteraction of the impact of gravity on elements of the watch, particularly the hairspring, balance wheel, and pallet fork, in certain positions of the watch. This may seem a bit too much for wristwatches, but when the time and circumstances of the horological era when the tourbillon was invented are taken into consideration, it all makes perfect sense.

Semi-formal and casual settings are where Panerai Tourbillon PAM00768 also feels at home. That is particularly true when it is matched with a Pam Collection, Dark Brown Italian Leather Watch Strap.

The historical background of the tourbillon

Tourbillon was patented in 1801 by Abraham-Louis Breguet. He was a Swiss watchmaker, mathematician, and physicist. It's his background in natural sciences that inspired him and enabled him to see it through to the end. Although it is now deemed a complication, the tourbillon originally had an utterly practical purpose. How come?

At the start of the 19th century, wristwatches hadn't yet been invented. People used pocket watches and usually wore them in their waistcoats, where they would be kept for extended periods in a fixed, upright position. That left the balance and escapement vulnerable and exposed to gravity, affecting their accuracy and reliability.

Not the first thing that comes to mind when discussing potential clothing styles that go with it, but Panerai Tourbillon PAM00768 looks great with a blue denim setting. Here it is paired with a Gunny X MT Denim Blue Washed Canvas Watch Strap

Why are tourbillons considered prestigious complications?

There are several reasons for this. However, they all stem from one crucial thing: it takes exceptional skill and dedication to craft them. Tourbillons are highly complex mechanical devices and require substantial time to craft, as they are handcrafted. A single tourbillon mechanism consists of 40 plus pieces, often of almost microscopic size, and takes hundreds of hours and months to assemble.

Enormous dedication, craftsmanship, and specialized tools are needed to complete each tourbillon, and it comes as no surprise that they are considered to be a pinnacle of horological craft. Although their original purpose was to improve accuracy, tourbillons are nowadays typically used in prestigious, high-end wristwatches as a status symbol and, very often, an authentic work of art that elevates a watch's aesthetics.

Talking about ultimate elegance and class all over: Panerai Tourbillon PAM00768's high-class style and presence further elevated by pairing it with a Pam Collection Black French Crafted Barenia Leather Watch Strap

Now, let's go into the details of the Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT "Lo Scienziato" PAM00768 and what makes it special among other tourbillon watches.

Brief history of the Panerai "Lo Scienziato" family

The first family member, Panerai Radiomir Tourbillon GMT PAM00350, was released in 2010. The timing was not accidental, just like nothing is when it comes to Panerai. This particular year was chosen to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's discovery of Jupiter's four largest moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto in 1610.

An anniversary of such a groundbreaking moment in human history deserved a one-of-a-kind watch to mark it. And Panerai honored it with grace and ingenuity, reaffirming its status as an innovator and authentic watchmaker. Continuing on that premise, two equally remarkable watches followed in the next couple of years.

The second watch in the "Lo Scienziato" family, the Panerai Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Titanio PAM00578, was introduced in 2016. It's a skeletonized tourbillon GMT, and one of the high-end mechanical watches, with the case made using a 3D-printing method called direct metal laser sintering.

Finally, the featured member of this intriguing family—the Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT PAM00768—was introduced in 2018 and adds additional novelties to the family line, which will be discussed in detail in the lines that follow.

Panerai Tourbillon PAM768, made from 3D laser printing, now comes with green accents

Technical specifications of Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT PAM00768

Let's start with the case. A 47mm-diameter, 17.66mm-thick case is made of sandblasted grade 5 titanium and carbotech, the latter used for the bezel, winding crown, and safety lock lever. Although of imposing appearance given its diameter and dark monochrome color, the case of PAM00768 is surprisingly light, weighing only 18 grams. The dial and mechanism are shielded by a sapphire crystal front and back, allowing a clear view of the watch's operation. Military green used as a flange and subsidiary color adds a subtle touch of masculine elegance.

The powerhouse behind PAM00768's flawless operation is the in-house P.2005/T titanium movement, comprising 277 parts and featuring a tourbillon and GMT complication. Despite being skeletonized and ultra-light at only 23 grams, it's highly powerful, boasting a six-day power reserve. The power reserve indicator is shown on the dial side of the PAM00768 for the first time on a Panerai watch, alongside the central display of the hours and minutes, a night/day indicator, and the second time zone tracked by the GMT complication.

The skeletonized design allows for a clear view of Panerai PAM00768's  intricate mechanics

Uniqueness of Panerai PAM00768 tourbillon

Now, a little bit about a feature that makes this great watch truly special, its tourbillon complication. The rotation axis of a standard tourbillon's cage is typically parallel to the balance wheel's axis and the dial plane, and the cage makes a full rotation in 60 seconds. This is so since tourbillons are primarily designed to counteract gravity when the watch is in a vertical position. However, the tourbillon of the Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT PAM00768 is entirely different.

Panerai Tourbillon PAM00768 not only defies gravity, but also all rigid normatives when it comes to watch strap pairings of high-end watches. It radiates a fairy tale vibe when matched with a Gunny X MT Coral Blue Handmade Leather Watch Strap, which in the end comes naturally to a watch so unique.

Tourbillon on PAM00768 is unique. Unlike standard tourbillons, it rotates on an axis perpendicular (at a 90-degree angle) to the balance wheel. That position is better suited to wristwatches and improves the tourbillon's functionality.

The ultimate purpose of the tourbillon is to enhance accuracy by averaging out errors caused by gravity. Having that in mind, Panerai engineers made the PAM00768 tourbillon even more unique and efficient by shortening its rotation. Full rotation of Panerai Luminor Tourbillon GMT PAM00768 takes 30 seconds, twice as fast as that of a standard tourbillon. As a result, positional accuracy errors caused by gravity are averaged out more rapidly, too.

In Summary

Luminor Tourbillon GMT PAM00768 is Panerai's flagship watch, no doubt about it. The time and expertise invested in brainstorming and implementing the original tourbillon approach, and the level of craftsmanship required to bring it to fruition, are awe-inspiring. To complete the exclusivity and high-end package, PAM00768 is limited to 150 pieces, and the list price was set at $149,000 USD.

Although so uniquely designed, the Panerai Tourbillon PAM00768 is surprisingly capable of even the boldest strap combinations. When paired with a Q.R. Firewave Resilient Curved End FKM Black Rubber Watch Strap, it becomes an equally memorable addition to a sporty fashion style and informal occasions, just like it is to any other.

This is a genuinely masculine watch of dominant size, yet, due to carefully chosen materials, it is surprisingly lightweight. Finally, thanks to its discreet design and increased transparency on both the front and back, it can be combined with various straps suitable for all occasions and settings.