PANERAI, SPLIT-SECONDS RADIOMIR, PAM 000214, REF. OP 6642

The Panerai Radiomir is the original Panerai model. The Radiomir was designed to be a diver’s watch created specifically for the frogmen commandos of the First Submarine Group Command of the Italian Royal Navy. The name ‘Radiomir’ comes from a powder-based substance of the same name patented by Panerai during the creation of the timepiece; the invention allowed for the numerals on the dial to be luminescent and legible underwater. The uniquely large size of the Panerai casing was born from these diving necessities as the watch had to be strong and sturdy enough to withstand great underwater pressure. The present lot, a contemporary iteration of the Radiomir first conceived in the late 1930s and early 1940s still maintains many of the original features that made the model such an inventive and distinctive design: the cushion steel case, luminescent numerals and indices, and welded wire lugs. Additionally, this model houses a split-seconds chronograph. The Panerai Radiomir offers a svelter alternative to the Luminor while still offering the robust elegance that makes the Panerai aesthetic so appealing and inimitable.