In terms of dive watch lore, Panerai has been around since the start of man’s mid-century race to the deepest floor of the sea and they have a number of vintage timepieces that they made for the Royal Italian Navy as evidence.
One such example is the original Radiomir, which proudly displayed its patented (“Brevettato”) design on its distinctive, 12-sided bezel, just in case navy divers wanted to imitate it. Since Panerai became a commercial brand, they have been digging into its archives to reproduce The Panerai Radiomir 3 Days Acciaio Brevettato PAM685, a very cool blend of military-grade sturdiness and sleek Italian design.
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With this Panerai Radiomir 3 Days Acciaio Brevettato, Panerai is trying to keep the precise proportions and vintage appearance of the original. Meanwhile, for the dial, Panerai provides the watch with the beige illuminated cutout and a black face.
The rest of the watch is an exact recreation of the original Radiomir with its 47mm case diameter, Plexiglass crystal, wire lugs, time-only display, and, of course, the oversized onion crown. But, unlike the original one, Panerai includes a spare crystal in the packaging. This is because Plexiglass scratches much more quickly than sapphire.
The new Radiomir is equipped with detachable wire lugs to make it easier to switch out the stitched leather strap that is supplied. Although these lugs aren’t simply welded to the case like the original model, the fact that Panerai chose full wire lugs over spring or screw bars in favour of ease of changing straps, speaks a lot about their adherence to the original design.
Inside the case, this Panerai Radiomir 3 Days Acciaio Brevettato is powered by the manual-winding P.3000 calibre, an in-house time-only movement made by Panerai. It is distinguished by its convenient quickset hour, 72-hour/3-day power reserve. The sapphire caseback, which is sealed by a similar 12-sided rear bezel allows for a clear view of the movement.
This watch reproduces all the fundamental characteristics of these vintage watches, respecting their identity and giving collectors the opportunity to appreciate a fascinating chapter in the Panerai story. Remarkably simple and minimalist, this is the perfect watch for you that really values history and classic design.
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