The origins where it all began
For over a century, the Panerai family legacy has been intertwined with precision instruments made to accompany the Italian military in their exploits. Commissioned by the Royal Italian Navy to supply high-precision instruments, it was Guido Panerai’s Radiomir – a radiumbased substance that illuminates for visibility in the dark – that began it all when it was patented in 1916.
An archival receipt shows that the Radiomir prototype was presented in 1935, and over the years, the sandwich construction has been progressively adjusted and is currently made of only two superimposed plates. Other improvements include the crown-protecting device, and a new luminous substance, the Luminor. A watch produced strictly for the military, the forces used it until the early 1970s, with its designs protected by military secrets.
Officine Panerai leaped into the commercial watch market in 1992, launching three collections of ten references in limited editions – the 44 mm Luminor and Luminor Marina watches and the 42 mm Mare Nostrum chronograph, which were presented on 10 September 1993 at the La Spezia military harbor in the presence of Duke Amedeo D’Aosta, son of Sir Aimone di Savoia, the then supreme head of the Italian diving department. Radiomir was only made public in 1997 when the Vendome Group – today Richemont Group – acquired Panerai, introducing the first Vendome special edition in sixty pieces – the PAM 21 model in a platinum version.
The acquisition advanced Panerai’s history into contemporary developments from the reopening of the historic boutique in Piazza San Giovanni to the establishment of the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel where fine Swiss watchmaking meet innovation driven by an Italian soul. With a century of innovative instruments developed for performance in response to evolving technical needs, Panerai projects into the future via research, strategic partnerships, sustainability, and empowering modern heroes.
These initiatives include eSteel™, a next-generation metal obtained from pre-consumer recycled steel scraps (up to 95%) coming from different industries, preferably from Swiss watchmaking industry, whose production significantly reduces CO2 emissions, and a partnership with the IOC-UNESCO to develop solutions with the aim of building a more sustainable, equitable society.
A restyled limited edition true to its roots
As part of the Radiomir Officine family, Panerai introduces a limited-edition timepiece featuring restyled elements that brings its aesthetics closer to its roots than ever before. The Radiomir Officine PAM01385 pays tribute to many of the iconic elements of the 1935 Radiomir prototype while incorporating contemporary technical expertise to exude a universal appeal to watch lovers.
Set in a polished steel 45mm case with the iconic cone-shaped crown, the watch features a brown matte hollowed dial with indexes and numerals only at twelve and six o’clock while the beige Super-Luminova® illuminates in green in the dark. The hour hand is segmented in half – an emblematic feature of Radiomir from its inception. Matched with a brown leather strap, the timepiece’s monotone shade highlights the brown dial, a matte color style that features for the first time within the collection. The revamped and restyled elements include the pared-down dial that features only the ‘Radiomir Panerai’ inscription without the collection’s typical OP logo, as well as a case constructed from monoblock steel. Radiomir Officine PAM01385 is powered by a hand-wound P.6000 calibre with a three-day power reserve and is water resistant up to 10 bar – a depth of about 100 metres.
The strap is also interchangeable with selections from Panerai’s wide range of colors.
The Maison conveys all these characteristics as a coveted limited-edition inspired by an archival receipt dated 24 October 1935 that testifies to the birth of the first Radiomir prototype. To commemorate the milestone, this e-commerce exclusive will be launched on 24 October 2023 in a limited 300 pieces.
