Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic
Originally created for the specialist underwater forces of the Royal Italian Navy, the Radiomir is recognized today for its pure design that has withstood the test of time. Now, the Radiomir 1940 is presented for the first time with an all-new automatic movement, the P.4000 caliber, which is the latest creation of the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. The new movement features an off-center oscillating weight, sometimes called a micro-rotor. This construction incorporates the rotor into the movement, rather than placing it outside the movement as a separate (and usually thick) layer, making the movement much thinner. Panerai’s new P.4000 caliber is just 3.95 mm thick, and it has been developed to integrate perfectly with the proportions of the Radiomir 1940 case. The result is the 45 mm Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic. This new Officine Panerai timepiece is available in steel (PAM00572) or in red gold (PAM00573). The steel model features a tungsten winding rotor, and the gold model’s rotor is fashioned from 22k red gold. With two spring barrels connected in series, the P.4000 caliber has a power reserve of at least three days. It is also fitted with a stop-seconds the device for precise setting.
The Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic is priced at $11,600 in steel and $25,800 in gold.
Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare 3 Days Acciaio
The design of the Radiomir 1940 represents the intermediate stage in the transformation of the cushion case of the first Panerai watches, created in 1936, to the more robust shape of the Luminor 1950. The Radiomir 1940’s case measures a substantial 47 mm in diameter, the standard size for watches made for Navy commandos to be worn over their wet suits. The case is milled from a block of 316L stainless steel, and the reference, PAM00587, is engraved between the lugs. The large “sandwich” dial, with its central Super-LumiNova disk, provides excellent visibility in low light. In another nod to tradition, the crystal is not sapphire, but Plexiglas. The hand-wound, in-house P.3000 caliber is visible through the sapphire crystal back. Twin spring barrels provide a three-day power reserve. The practical setting mechanism allows the hour hand to be adjusted independently, in one-hour jumps, so as not to affect the timekeeping.
The Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare is a Special Edition of 1,000 pieces and it is supplied with a brown leather strap with ecru stitching and hot-stamped with the “OP” logo. The fine pear wood presentation box also contains a spare Plexiglas crystal. The Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare is priced at $10,100.
Special Edition Set – Luminor Black Seal and Luminor Daylight
Among Panerai enthusiasts, the phrase “pre-Vendôme” has acquired an almost mystical significance. Panerai has announced a Special Edition Set of two new models inspired by two of the best-known watches from that period. Panerai’s pre-Vendôme era was a short one. It began in 1993, the year of the first collection not made exclusively for military use, and ended in 1997, the year Panerai was acquired by the Vendôme Luxury Group, which was majority owned by Richemont. (Richemont acquired the remaining Vendôme shares in 1998). During that four-year period, Panerai created just a few hundred watches, and today, they are cult objects for many collectors. Two of the most famous were made to order for Sylvester Stallone in 1996, when he was involved with the film Daylight. They are the Luminor Black Seal and the Luminor Daylight. Recreations of these two watches, produced in limited editions of 500 units each, are now offered exclusively as part of the Special Edition Set. This set is delivered in a pear wood box and it includes a model of the Siluro a Lenta Corsa, or slow-speed torpedo, mounted on a teak base. Also included is a rare publication about the military equipment of the special forces of the Royal Italian Navy, naturally including Panerai watches and instruments.
Each Luminor watch case measures 44 mm in diameter, and though the design of the new Luminors faithfully follows that of the 1996 watches, the movements represent significant upgrades. Each watch is powered by the hand-wound, in-house caliber P.5000 that is entirely designed and made in the Panerai manufacture at Neuchâtel. Twin spring barrels provide an eight-day power reserve, and the rugged movement design includes broad bridges that cover most of the wheelwork. Each watch also features a new strap inspired by the originals. It is made of brown leather, with contrasting ecru stitching and a buckle coordinated with the case, sewn onto the strap itself. The Special Edition Set includes two spare straps identical to the original, along with a screwdriver.
The Special Edition Set, which bears reference PAM000785, is priced at $20,900.
Radiomir 1940 Tourbillon GMT Oro Rosso – 48mm
This is not a traditional tourbillion, but one featuring a unique design that Panerai claims better compensates for timekeeping inaccuracies. In Panerai’s P.2005 caliber, the tourbillon cage containing the balance and escapement rotates on an axis that is perpendicular to the balance instead of parallel to it, and a rotation is completed in thirty seconds, rather than the traditional one minute. The tourbillon’s rotation can be viewed through the sapphire window set in the back. In addition to the tourbillion, the caliber P.2005 also has the GMT 24H function, which indicates the time in a second time zone by a special central hand, with a.m./p.m. indication on an auxiliary dial at three o’clock. The system for adjusting the local time display enables the hour hand to be moved in one-hour increments without interfering with the minute hand, so timekeeping remains unaffected. With three spring barrels connected in series, the power reserve of this hand-wound movement is a good six days, and the remaining power reserve is visible through the back of the watch. The 48 mm Radiomir 1940 case is made entirely of 5Npt red gold, a special alloy with a high percentage of copper that gives the gold a warm tone, and a percentage of platinum that helps to prevent oxidation. The case is water resistant to about 50 meters.
The Radiomir 1940 Tourbillon GMT Oro Rosso – 48mm (PAM00558) is supplied with a brown alligator strap, closed by an adjustable red gold buckle, personalized Panerai.
Offered as an exclusive Special Edition of just 30 pieces in red gold, the retail price is $141,900.
Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso – 47 mm
The new Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso is a Special Edition of 200 pieces that pair a deep blue dial with a case made of 5Npt red gold. This alloy owes its warm color and resistance to oxidation to its high proportion of copper combined with a percentage of platinum. The case has the historic 47 mm diameter and 50-meter water resistance. The dial features the traditional sandwich structure and satiné soleil finish. The dial is otherwise plain, apart from the classic seconds counter at 9 o’clock and the date window at 3 o’clock. The sapphire caseback allows a clear view of the P.3001/10 caliber, entirely developed and produced in-house at the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. This hand-wound caliber has the GMT function, useful to anyone needing to know the time in two time zones. An indicator on the back of the timepiece tracks and reports the status of the three-day power reserve. The movement also features skeletonized bridges and spring barrels, with all edges chamfered and polished.
The new Radiomir 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso – 47mm (PAM00598) is a Special Edition created in 200 units. The retail price is $30,200.
