On the occasion of the SIHH 2016 exhibition, the house of Panerai has unveiled a couple of special editions. Among them, the Radiomir 1940 and Luminor 1950 hold a very special place.
The new Offcine Panerai special editions are fitted with brown dials, to tell a story of the brand that revolutionized the legibility of wristwatches in low light conditions. The names of these models, which today identify the cases, originally denoted the two luminous materials. Radiomir was a powder based on radium, the same one that was used on the dial of the first-ever Panerai watch from 1936. The first Radiomir watches were specifically designed for military use, and they were exclusively worn by the Italian frogmen force "Gamma". For a long time, the recipe for this special luminous material – a mix of zinc sulfide and radium bromide - was a closely guarded military secret, and only 350 pieces of Radiomirs were produced.
In those days, people were unaware that radium is one of the most radioactive elements, and it was not before the 1940’s that people started to be concerned about the radioactivity of radium powder. In 1946, Panerai patented Luminor, the luminous substance based on tritium, which was far less toxic than radium. Interestingly enough, there were clients who preferred the incomparable visibility of Radiomir even after the invention of Luminor, so Panerai kept using it even in the 1950s. The full effect of the radium- and tritium-based powders became visible after several decades, as the color of the dials of some vintage watches transformed from original black to a distinctive brown.
Two new Panerai Special Editions - Radiomir 1940 3 Days (PAM00662) and the Luminor 1950 3 Days (PAM00663), each available in a limited series of 100 exemplars - draw inspiration from this detail. The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days is a faithful replica of the historical Egiziano Piccolo model from 1956, which was originally designed for the Egyptian Navy. No more than 30 to 40 pieces of the Egiziano Piccolo were produced, making it one of the most wanted vintage Panerai watches. In its modern rendition, the Radiomir 1940 3 Days features a case in the historic size of 47 mm, which is now made of AISI 316L stainless steel with a polished finish. The lugs are formed from the block of the very case, while the crown has a cylindrical profile.
The new Luminor 1950 3 Days looks very much alike the Radiomir. It features the same brown-colored dial, fitted in a Luminor 1950 case, which is immediately recognizable by its crown-protecting device. The bridge-shaped device protects the crown from accidental shocks, and helps ensure that the watch is water resistant. According to the brand, the device had been invented and used even during the late 1940s, but the patent application was filed as late as 1950, probably because of the military secrecy imposed by the Italian Navy. The new special edition measures 47mm in diameter, and it features a case made of AISI 316L stainless steel.
Another interesting detail regarding new watches is that the crystals protecting the distinctive brown dials are not made of sapphire, but of lightly chambered Plexiglass, as in the vintage models the crystal was made of polymethylacrylate. The hands are sculpted like those of the period Panerai watches, while the OP reference is engraved between the lugs, just like it was in the historic models. The case-backs feature the sapphire porthole, allowing the wearer to admire the in-house made hand-wound P.3000 calibre. The movement has two spring barrels, thanks to which the watch is able to accumulate a power reserve of three days. It beats at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour, and has a quick - setting device which enables adjustments of the hour hand, without disturbing the motion of the minute hand.
Two new Panerai Special Editions, Radiomir 1940 3 Days and the Luminor 1950 3 Days, are mounted on a Ponte Vecchio strap in brown leather with ecru stitching. The watches are delivered in special wood presentation boxes, with a spare Plexiglas crystal. Both models are water resistant to 100 meters.
Author: Marina Milojevic Pinterest
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