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AS YOU
READ THIS,
MIKE HORN’S
PANGAEA
EXPEDITION
IS CHANGING
THE WORLD
BY M A R I E A . P I CO N
Explorer Mike Horn and
his Panerai PAM 307
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Photos by tk
THe WORLd iNHAbiTed by CeLebRATed
SOUTH AfRiCAN AdveNTUReR mike
HORN, captain of the Pangaea and creator of
the Pangaea expedition, is a long way—in both
spirit and distance—from that populated by the
group of Panerai enthusiasts who gathered
aboard the boat at marina del Rey, Calif., in late
may for a chance to meet the living legend. it
was a rare North American stop for the global
traveler, and Officine Panerai, a major sponsor
of Horn’s, hosted a series of events in his honor.
Although few can fully fathom his explorer’s lifestyle, many find it inspiring, and
rightly so. A bundle of pure energy, Horn
quickly demonstrated his formidable ability
as a motivational speaker in an apparently
impromptu presentation about the many
amazing adventures that preceded his current expedition. The mesmerized audience
hung on every word: stories of surviving
“PANERAI GIVES ME THE FREEDOM
TO DO WHAT I DO.” —MIKE HORN
solo expeditions on the Amazon River and
circumnavigations at both the Arctic Circle
and the equator without motorized transport; stories of hunting for food without
weapons, surviving for days in the Arctic
with only a blanket and a lamp, and falling
through the thinning ice at the top of the
world. Throughout, Horn emphasized the
conviction that seemingly impossible tasks
are absolutely possible when we take a fresh
and informed approach.
by the end of his brief talk, he had the
mostly-thirty-something crowd ready to
trade in their affluent West-Coast lifestyles—
if not one or two of their prized Panerais—for
a bunk aboard Pangaea. Unfortunately, none
was eligible. The Pangaea was designed by
Horn and built to his specifications to serve
as the home base of the Pangaea expedition,
open exclusively to young people ages 15–20
through Horn’s own young explorers
Progam (yeP). founded upon the motto
“explore, Learn, Act,” the program seeks to
ignite and develop the spirit of exploration
in a new generation.
MARITIME
HERITAGE
The goals of the expedition are environmental and educational. Having personally witnessed dramatic and disturbing changes in
the environment over two decades of traveling the world, Horn believes that the best
hope for natural preservation is to tap the
younger generation—which he calls the
world’s most powerful energy source—and to
help them discover solutions to environmental problems. “The true value of taking
young people on these adventures is that
they will find a way to continue the work and
to take it further,” says Horn. “i know we’re
making a difference; we are creating a wave
that people want to be a part of.”
Mike Horn photos © 2010, Chase Jarvis
NATURAL RESOURCE
While Mike Horn travels the globe, inspiring a generation, Officine Panerai
generates funds to support his mission
by continuing on its own mission: building stylish and sturdy timepieces reflecting its unique Italian identity and
maritime heritage. Panerai wristwatches
with crowns positioned on the left first
appeared in the 1940s, produced for the
commandos of the Italian Navy. One of
the brand’s latest interpretations of this
style is the special edition Luminor 1950
Left-Handed 8 Days Titanio 47 mm
(PAM 368), featuring manufacture Caliber P.2002/9.
The brown sandwich-construction dial
with luminous hands and markers and
the antiqued brown leather strap add a
distinctive character to the 47-mm titanium watch, and the position of the
crown with its trademark crown protector enhances functionality and comfort
for anyone who prefers to wear a watch
on the right wrist. The standout features
of this timepiece, however, are all found
in its mechanical movement.
A member of the P.2000 family of large,
sturdy movements completely designed
and produced by Panerai in its Neuchâtel
manufacture, this manual-winding caliber
achieves its eight-day power reserve (with
remaining power indicated on the back)
by means of three spring barrels connected in series and designed to deliver
constant force between windings. The
barrels unwind simultaneously, and,
together, they create an even supply
of power to the balance to keep
amplitude constant and ensure
greater accuracy. A slipping
spring in the third barrel
prevents overwinding.
P.2002/9 also features a special seconds reset device,
which adjusts the seconds hand to zero for
ease of synchronizing
with a reference time signal. The device is activated
when the crown is pulled out to
the second position, and the seconds hand restarts when the crown
is again pushed in.
Production of the Panerai Luminor
1950 Left-Handed 8 Days Titanio 47 mm
is limited to 1,000 pieces.
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THE EXPEDITION
YEP 1: Antarctica—discovering the
glacial continent
YEP 2: New Zealand—exploring the
ice-cut fjords of the South Island
YEP 3: Malaysia—exploring the biodiversity of the Indonesian Seas
YEP 4: India—cultural exchange
YEP 5: Himalayas—trekking in Nepal
YEP 6: Mongolia—exploring the
Gobi Desert
YEP 7: Kamtchaka—studying Arctic
biodiversity in Siberia
YEP 8: North Pole—discovering the
retracting ice cap
YEP 9: Canada—discovering the Inuit
culture in Nunavut
YEP 10: USA—trekking the nature
reserves of the Colorado River
YEP 11: Amazon—exploring the forests
of the Amazon River basin
YEP 12: Africa—aiding developing
communities in East Africa
ering techniques using the latest technology.
The 12 young adventurers who are ultimately
selected are exceptional young men and
women, indeed.
MAKING IT POSSIBLE
Officine Panerai has been a supporter of
Horn’s for 10 years, funding his 2002 Arktos
expedition and his 2006 North Pole Winter
expedition. in addition to providing financial
backing for Horn’s expeditions, the italian
company has produced a special edition
timepiece for each of these adventures. for
the Pangaea expedition, Panerai created a
professional dive watch, which Horn has been
putting to the test since Pangaea launched
in 2008.
The Panerai Luminor 1950 Submersible
depth Gauge reflects its maker’s heritage in
both its diving capability and its depth gauge—
both features for which Panerai is famous. The
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Expedition photos by Dmitry Sharomov, courtesy of Mike Horn
The Pangaea expedition is a four-year project, visiting every continent on earth and involving young adventurers at each step along
the way. Culled from every continent, 12 exceptional students join Horn on each of the expedition’s 12 adventures (each lasting 10–12
days). That’s a total of 144 youths who will have
the experience of living, working and challenging themselves alongside Horn before the
program concludes. The hope is that each one
of them will carry on planet-preserving initiatives of their own and, in turn, inspire many
others to do the same.
To this end, Horn seeks out the best of the
best. entry into the yeP is competitive, and the
selection process is rigorous. Those candidates who make it to the final elimination
round attend a Selection Camp in Chateaud’Oex, Switzerland, where they undergo physical fitness and endurance testing and practice
survival skills, sailing, climbing and data-gath-
“I KNOW WE’RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE; WE ARE CREATING
A WAVE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO BE A PART OF.” —MIKE HORN
the gauge displays depth (up to 120 meters)
in real time and remembers the maximum
depth reached. This watch is available
through Panerai boutiques and the brand’s
authorized dealers.
BEYOND THE HORIZON
The Pangaea expedition continues through
summer 2012, concluding with an excursion
to east Africa to aid developing communities. following the expedition, and wishing to remain unhindered by material
possessions, Horn plans to have the
boat dismantled and recycled before he
moves on to his next adventure.
And what might that be? for the
moment, Horn remains silent on
this. but there’s no doubt that, for
this man of action, backed by trailblazing Officine Panerai, no earthly
pursuit is out of the question.
877.PANERAI, panerai.com,
mikehorn.com
+
PANGAEA SPECIAL EDITION
Panerai Luminor 1950
Submersible Depth Gauge
(PAM 307)
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SHIP SHAPE
Designed by Mike Horn and built to his
specifications, the 115-foot, aluminumhulled sailing vessel known as the Pangaea
is both the home base and the main
means of transport for the 12 excursions
of the Pangaea Expedition. Because the
expedition’s mission is an environmental
one, the boat, which sleeps 30, is designed
to be largely self-powered. There are the
three sails, which harness wind power;
there is also a solar-powered electrolyser,
which charges a hydrogen fuel cell to provide electricity on board. And for extreme
situations—such as traveling through sea
ice in the polar regions—there are lowemission engines. Large nets allow the
crew to trawl for trash and remove polluting plastic bottles and bags from the
ocean for recycling as they travel.
The boat is also well equipped with communications technology and navigation instruments. And in the cockpit, a
complement of Panerai instruments—a hygrometer, thermometer and barometer—in
teak and steel provide reliable information
on weather conditions.
Expedition photos by Dmitry Sharomov, courtesy of Mike Horn
watch’s COSC-certified mechanical movement is housed in a 47-mm titanium case
with unidirectional dive bezel and mike
Horn’s Pangaea expedition logo on the solid
caseback. for the utmost in safety and reliability, Panerai chose an electronic depth
gauge, controlled by a pushpiece at 10 and
indicated on the dial by a yellow-tipped
hand. Activated at the beginning of a dive,