The appearance of the Radiomir 1940 is of exemplary simplicity. Yet every detail reveals the complexity of the design, which aims to maximise the characteristics of reliability, robustness, ease of reading and visibility in the dark which have distinguished Panerai watches since their first appearance, on the wrists of the commandos of the Italian Navy in the 1930s. The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso (PAM00570) is Officine Panerai’s latest Special Edition, of which only 300 units are produced: it combines an apparent simplicity derived from its military origins with the sophisticated details and finish of contemporary high quality sports watchmaking.

The cushion case, 47 mm in diameter, is made entirely of 5nPt red gold, an alloy with a higher percentage of copper than usual and a small amount of platinum which helps to minimise the oxidation of the case. The polished red gold bezel surrounds the brown dial with satiné soleil finish, a treatment which catches the light, catching reflections which enhance the minimalist design of the characteristic Panerai dial formed of two superimposed discs. The seconds hand rotates in the small counter at nine o’clock, while the arrow-shaped central hand can be used to indicate a second time zone, hence the engraved letters “GMT” at six o’clock. All the indications on the dial, including the date in the window at 3 o’clock, are of the greatest clarity.

The back of the case is open to reveal the admirable finish of the movement. This is the P.3001/10 calibre, hand-wound with a power reserve of three days, with an indicator of the remaining reserve on the back. The indicator is connected directly to the spring of one of the two barrels, both of which are skeletonised, as are the bridges with brushed finish. The aesthetic effect is fascinating because the sophisticated workmanship of the skeletonised bridges enables not only the details and finish of the movement to be admired, but also the winding and unwinding of the spring itself, when the watch is being wound or while it is running. The movement also has the device for rapid setting of the hour hand, which can be moved forward or backwards in one-hour jumps of without interfering with the running of the seconds hand.

The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso is water-resistant to 5 atmospheres (a depth of about 50 metres) and it is supplied with a brown alligator strap secured by a red gold buckle.