Watches & Wonders 2023: Panerai Shines the Spotlight on the Legendary Radiomir Collection

For over a century, the watchmaker Panerai, founded in Florence by Giovanni Panerai, has been dedicated to the production of precision instruments developed primarily for the Italian navy and military. As early as 1916, Panerai, in collaboration with a lieutenant in the Italian navy, succeeded in developing a substance based on radium that glowed in the dark, thus laying the foundation for the Radiomir. In 1935, Guido Panerai, grandson of the company’s founder, presented the first prototype of the Radiomir, reference 2533, according to an archive document.

It was already equipped with many typical design codes that we still see today in Panerai’s Radiomir line, but was adapted and further developed over time. Perhaps most importantly, this included the sandwich dial, a hallmark of the brand, which today consists of two superimposed discs. Another crucial optimisation was the crown protection device. However, the sandwich construction was changed from using a radium-based substance between the double discs to a tritium-based luminous substance, which Panerai christened ‘Luminor’. Over the years, Panerai has launched a number of Radiomir models over the years. Now, the brand is back with four new additions to the collection.

Radiomir Annual Calender & Radiomir Annual Calender Experience Edition

Ref. PAM01363 & Ref. PAM01432

Panerai has long been known for developing movements that stand out for their clear and precise time display. This also applies to the two new models Radiomir Annual Calendar and Radiomir Annual Calendar Experience Edition. The name says it all, as these are the first models developed by Panerai to feature an annual calendar complication.

The case of the Radimor Annual Calendar & Radiomir Annual Calendar Experience Edition

The two new calendar watches are available in two case versions, one using a gold alloy and the other in platinum (Ref. PAM01363 & Ref. PAM01432). The gold case is another Panerai innovation: it is the first case to use a gold alloy with copper and platinum components (GoldtechTM) and showcases a particularly red hue. In contrast to the innovations, however, Panerai has retained several classic features. One example is the corrector on the left side of the case, which not only allows the month to be set, but also the day, thus underlining the originally functional character of the Radiomir collection. In addition to the cushion-shaped case with a diameter of 45 mm, other elements of the Panerai DNA can be found in the design with typical Radiomir details on the dial.

The Dial

This includes the sandwich dial, which graduates from the inside outwards with a sunburst finish, as well as Arabic numerals with a Super-LumiNova coating and the retained conical crown. The months, days and the name of the annual calendar complication (Calendario Annuale) are indicated in Italian on both versions. The Radiomir Annual Calendar has a blue dial, while the Radiomir Annual Calendar Experience Edition has a red dial. On both versions, the small second is at 9 o’clock, with the date and day of the week opposite at 3 o’clock. Next to it, also at 3 o’clock, a triangular marker also indicates the month via a moveable rhombus (raised rim on the dial). Switching between 30-day and 31-day months is automatic, following being set manually once a year, at the end of February.

The Movement

Both annual calendars are powered by the automatic calibre P.9010/AC, which is visible via the sapphire crystal caseback, and offers a power reserve of three days while beating at a frequency of 4 Hz. Both versions are water-resistant to 100 m.

Price & Availability

In addition, the Radiomir Annual Calendar is worn on a matte-blue alligator leather strap with a gold folding clasp, while the Radiomir Annual Calendar Experience Edition is worn on a matte-black alligator leather strap with a white-gold folding clasp. The Radiomir Annual Calendar costs 40,000 Euro, while the Radiomir Annual Calendar Experience Edition is offered for 90,000 Euro. The name of the Experience Edition, by the way, derives from the fact that every owner the timepiece is automatically invited to Rome. Here, participants will experience the brand’s craftsmanship first-hand at various events.

Radiomir California

Ref. PAM01349

The Dial

Another new model in the Radiomir range is the Radiomir California (Ref. PAM01349) with, as the name suggests, a California dial. The green California dial is characterised by alternating Roman and Arabic numerals, baton-shaped hour markers and a railway minute track. The beige hour indices of the California dial glow green in the dark thanks to the Super-LumiNova coating on the Roman numerals in the upper part of the dial and the Arabic indices on the lower part.

The Case

Meanwhile, the case of the watch is made of a recycled steel named `Brunito eSteel` and has a diameter of 45 mm, as well as a new finish that gives the case a vintage look through a custom finishing technique. Even though the case looks old-school, this Radiomir is anything but, offering water resistant to 100m. Furthermore, the vintage look of the dial and case is emphasised by metallic blue hands and a domed sapphire crystal. This curvature is said to be reminiscent of the Plexiglas glasses of the first Radiomir models, which were originally developed for the Italian army.

In addition, similar to the model with an annual calendar, the conical crown typical of the Radiomir has been retained. Another historical feature of the watch is the lettering `G Panerai e Figlio`, which recalls the inscription of the old Panerai workshop in Florence at the time.

The Movement

The Radiomir California is powered by the calibre P.5000 with manual winding and an eight-day power reserve that is typical of the historic Panerai models. Additionally, the watch’s sapphire crystal caseback allows a view of the calibre. The calibre has a frequency of 3 Hz.

Price & Availability

Finally, the Radiomir California is available for a price of 12,500 Euro exclusively at Panerai boutiques. The PAM01349 will be available with a calfskin strap with dark brown three-point stitching, ecru stitching and a pin buckle.

Radiomir Quaranta Goldtech

Ref.PAM01026

The Case

The Radiomir Quaranta GoldtechTM(PAM01026) from Panerai is a modern, yet more functional interpretation of Panerai’s first watch. The watch is also named after its 40 mm cushion-shaped case and, like all Radiomir models, has a conical crown. The watch also features an elegant design with a polished gold-tech case. With a case height of 10.15 mm, the Radiomir Quaranta GoldtechTM watch case is the slimmest offered by Panerai. In addition, Goldtech is a gold alloy patented by Panerai whit a higher copper and platinum content than conventional 18-carat gold, resulting in a warmer hue and greater resistance to oxidation. This alloy is also used for the aforementioned Radiomir with annual calendar. In addition, the Radiomir Quaranta is water-resistant to 3 bar, and even a case with increased water-resistance to 5 bar will also be available soon.

The Dial

The watch has a white dial with a sunburst finish. Keeping things very simple overall, the dial features beige Arabic numerals only at 12 and 6 o’clock. In addition, this Radiomir places has the small seconds at 9 o’clock and the date opposite at 3 o’clock. In addition, the hour markers and indices on the dial are coated with Super-LumiNova, thus glowing green in the dark.

The Movement

The watch is powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, the calibre P.900, which has a power reserve of three days and a date display. The calibre runs at a frequency of 4 Hz and can be viewed via the sapphire crystal in the caseback.

Price & Availability

The watch with a dark brown alligator leather strap and pin buckle will be available for an amount of 18,500 Euro.

Radiomir Otto Giorni

Ref.PAM01347 & PAM01348

The Case

Panerai has used the same patented finishing technique and recycled stainless steel (Brunito eSteel) for the two Radiomir Otto Giorni models (PAM01347 & PAM01348), which give the watch an old-school but individual vibe, just like the Radiomir California. These watches pay homage to the original Radiomir, which is the inspiration for many of Panerai’s modern designs. The vintage look of the Radiomir Otto Giorni is influenced by the first Radiomir prototypes from 1935, which were characterised by a relatively large case diameter of 47 mm and particularly good readability. But not only the vintage-looking case was adopted. Elements such as the slender wire lugs typical of the Radiomir were also retained. Another detail that has been taken over from the old Radiomir is the historically curved Plexiglas, which has been replaced by sapphire crystal. In addition, the case of the Radiomir Otto Giorni is water-resistant to a depth of 100 m. Of course, the conical crown and the cushion-shaped case have also been adopted, as with most Radiomir models.

The Dial

The small seconds is located at 3 o’clock on both versions of the Radiomir Otto Giorni. In addition, the dial with the inscription ‘8 giorni brevettato’ at 3 o’clock on both models is reminiscent of the Panerai watches of 1956, when this inscription first appeared on the Egiziano model. The difference between the two Radiomir Otto Giorni versions is solely in the sandwich dial. The PAM01347 has a brown dial, while the PAM01348 features a blue dial. On both dials, the colour changes from a lighter tone in the centre to a darker tone at the edges. This effect of the Radiomir Otto Giorni is also a tribute to the historical Radiomir watches, as their colour and appearance have changed over time due to the oxidation of the aluminium.

The Movement

The watch is powered by a hand-wound mechanical movement, the calibre P.5000, which again offers the eight-day power reserve typical of the brand. The calibre provides a frequency of 3 Hz and can be viewed via sapphire crystal caseback.

Price & Availability

The Radiomir Otto Giorni is worn on a calfskin strap in the respective colour of the dial with contrasting stitching in ecru. The Radiomir Otto Giorni is offered for a purchase price of 9,900 Euro.

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