Whether it is the fruit of the ingenuity of a maestro or whether it is born almost spontaneously from the function for which it is intended, a design classic is immediately recognisable for the strength and the naturalness with which it imposes itself on the collective imagination.

Officine Panerai’s Radiomir 1940 has the authority of a classic of modernity. Its simple, quintessential form tells the story of the years in which it was designed while maintaining its unchanging up-to-date character. Its design stands out for its functional rigour and the simplicity of its lines, free of decorative excess: features which in 1940 were related to a new way of life and a world of evolving values which in the following years would lead to the international recognition of Italian industrial design.

Created to satisfy the demanding requirements of the specialist underwater forces of the Royal Italian Navy, the Radiomir 1940 today still has the characteristics of solidity, endurance and reliability that are the hallmarks of a timekeeping instrument designed for military use. The design of the case and dial have the same overall quality and the identical iconic power as the original, demonstrating the great versatility of a classic which is today enriched with the highest technical content of luxury contemporary watchmaking from the Officine Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel.

RADIOMIR 1940 MARINA MILITARE 3 DAYS ACCIAIO – 47mm

The details of a Special Edition of strong vintage appeal recall the historic links between the Italian Navy and Officine Panerai.

The story of the Radiomir 1940 is the story of the development of the design of Officine Panerai watches. Its essential lines recall the intermediate stage in the transformation of the cushion case of the first Panerai watches, created in 1936, to the more robust shape of the Luminor 1950. The new Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare presents the pure design of this case, combined with a series of historic details demonstrating the fidelity of the new model to those created for the Italian Navy.

The case is 47 mm in diameter, the standard size for watches made for the commandos of the Navy, because they had to be worn over a wet suit. It is made of AISI 316L stainless steel, an alloy particularly resistant to corrosion that is perfect for a watch water-resistant to ten bar (around 100 meters). Engraved between the lugs, milled from the steel block of the case, are the reference of the watch (PAM00587) and the number of the case, while the inscription “Marina Militare” appears on the dial. Apart from the engraving, the design of the black dial is of absolute simplicity with only the large linear markers and the Arabic figures at the cardinal points. All the elements on the dial are perfectly visible in very poor light, thanks to the large size and the typical Panerai structure of the dial, consisting of superimposed discs with Super-LumiNova® between the, visible through the holes corresponding to the hour markers. To protect the dial, the crystal is not made of sapphire crystal but slightly cambered Plexiglas®, as in the period examples in which the crystal was made of polymethyl acrylate. The hands too, slender and pointed, have been designed to match those of the period Panerai watches.

Visible through the sapphire crystal back of the case is the in-house P.3000 calibre, a hand-wound mechanical movement with a power reserve of three days achieved with two spring barrels. Clearly visible through the crystal back are the oscillation of the balance wheel and the wide bridges, satin finished with blue engraving, which cover much of the wheelwork. The mechanism for adjusting the time with the winding crown is extremely practical because it enables the hour hand to be adjusted independently of the other hand, in jumps of one hour at a time so as not to interfere with the running of the minute hand.

The Radiomir 1940 Marina Militare is a Special Edition of one thousand units and it is supplied with a brown leather strap with ecru stitching and hot-stamped with the OP logo. In the fine pear wood box in which it is supplied there is a spare Plexiglas® crystal.