The history of the Panerai Radiomir
Daniel PintoIn 1916, while developing its diving instruments, the company discovered a very special compound, which it called Radiomir, a fine radium-based compound that provided an incredible glow in the dark.
At the beginning of the 20th century, with the World Wars looming, Guido Panerai , Giovanni 's grandson, took over the family watchmaking business in Florence. Panerai focused his efforts on the production of precision instruments, such as underwater torches, depth gauges, and compasses.
In 1916, while developing its diving instruments, the company discovered a very special compound, which it called Radiomir , a fine radium-based compound that provided an incredible glow in the dark. Despite being highly radioactive and causing anemia and necrosis in those exposed to it, the new material was key to enabling Panerai's instruments to glow in the absolute darkness of the ocean floor, and earned the company a contract with the Italian Navy to produce a highly luminous watch.
In 1936, this secret watch was introduced, with a 47-millimeter case, lugs welded to the case, and Rolex hand-wound movements, considered the most reliable of the time. Its name would be that of this special compound: the Radiomir .
As the war progressed, the Radiomir became more sophisticated. The lugs became a single part of the case, the dials became more legible, and we began to see the first prototypes with the distinctive crown guard that would later debut on the Luminor model.
To this day, the stories of the divers of the Regia Marina ("Royal Navy"), on their Siluro a Lenta Corsa (underwater torpedoes guided by a pilot and co-pilot) remain legendary and remembered by all who love the brand, including some high-profile clients such as Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger .
Find this Radiomir – with the Siluro on the dial! – and other incredible dive watches at LOFT:
| PANERAI RADIOMIR 48 MM PAM00577 |
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REFERENCE : PAM00577 |
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FUNCTIONS : Hours, Minutes |
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MOVEMENT : Manual winding mechanical Panerai caliber P.3000 |
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CASE : Diameter 48 mm, black ceramic |
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WATER RESISTANCE : 100 meters (10 bar) |
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CRYSTAL : Scratch-resistant sapphire |
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BRACELET : Ponte Vecchio Calfskin Dark Brown |
