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.
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 colour 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 mono-block 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 colours.
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.
Technical Specifications:
Radiomir Officine
PAM01385
Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, P.6000 calibre, 15 1/2 lignes, 4.5 mm thick, 19 jewels, 21,600 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. One barrel. 110 components.
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Power Reserve: 3 days
Case: Diameter 45mm, AISI 316L Polished steel. Polished steel bezel. Steel case back. Sapphire crystal formed of corundum.
Dial: Brown with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers
Strap: Dark brown Scamosciato calf leather, beige stitching, 27/22 taper, standard length. Trapezoidal polished steel pin buckle.
Waterproof: 10 bar (~100 metres)
Price: Upon request
For more information please visit Panerai