This year at SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) Panerai debuted a new Radiomir from their Historic Collection. Dubbed the Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica 45mm this new Radiomir features a couple big steps for Panerai, most notably a ceramic case and in-house handwound movement featuring an astounding 8 days of power reserve. The movement is the Panerai P2002/3 calibre and uses three spring barrels to achieve its awesome power reserve. The movement has been around since 2006 and is the same as the p.2002, but doesnt have the GMT complication. Most mechanical movements feature 38-50 hours of power reserve so this movement is definitely an example of high end watch making. Even better than the movement is how the flat black ceramic case and sandwhich dial combine to make one of the best looking Panerai in recent history. Measuring 45mm wide and featuring a 2mm thick sapphire crystal the Ceramica is not overly large for a Panerai but thanks to the ceramic material used to make the case it should be nearly impossible to scratch or corrode.
Ceramic has been very popular in watch making of late and its exciting to see a high end brand run with the concept while still keeping with Panerai's traditional additude and style. The end result is a stunningly beautiful watch that has been one of the most talked about pieces shown at SIHH this year. The beauty, high end materials, and in-house technology will not come cheap, the Ceramica has an approximate retail price of $14,700.
Panerai Radiomir
Panerai is a company that every watch fan should know a bit about. Panerai is a small Florentine watch manufacturer that commands a big presence, both on your wrist and in the industry. The brands instantly recognizable features are the product of over 70 years of watchmaking experience. When Panerai first opened in 1860, the Florentine business made precision tools for sailors in the Royal Italian Navy. It was not until 1936 that they designed and built the Radiomir, a wristwatch named for the luminous material used to make it legible in the dark. The design ethic of the watch is nearly identical to the Radiomir available today. While the watch may have remained superficially frozen in time, the internal workings have not. In 1997, the company was taken over by Richemont and the watches moved upscale.
Panerai currently has two standard models, the Radiomir and the Luminor, that come in bevy of different collections but are all based on the same design ethics. The Radiomir is unique in its cushion-shape style and rung type connection between the strap and case. The Luminor is appreciated for its unique crown guard and classic Panerai sandwich dial. With Richemont at the helm, the production value increased greatly and Panerai watches garnered new respect in the industry. Unfortunately, for many years the movements were still not produced in-house and Officine Panerai relied on other franchises like Rolex and Jaeger-LeCoultre for the heartbeat of their watches. The company matured under leadership from Richemont, and in 2005 releases the calibre p.2002, a hand-wound mechanical movement with a GMT complication and an 8-day power reserve. Panerai began to be recognized by its peers and the purists in the market. The brand has grown very quickly in the past decade and commands a definitive presence in the watch community.
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