into the night

A journey to the Arctic Circle with a gang of serious Panerai collectors

- NICK SULLIVAN

ON THE ARCTIC ISLANDS OF SVALBARD, IN MID-February, the sun still hasn't groped its way out of its four-month winter hibernation. At most, an eerie half light hangs over Longyearbyen, the northernmost town in the world, for a few hours. Temperatures hover around zero degrees Fahrenheit but frequently drop much lower. This is a place in deep freeze-not the usual habitat for die-hard watch fans.