The history of this brand is quite unique that makes it all the more interesting. Things truly started to take off in the 1930s when Panerai was approached by the Royal Italian Navy for large and legible underwater watches. The rest, as they say, is history. Let’s us find out more about these watches.
Panerai is a pretty well-known watchmaker with some of the most iconic watches ever made in its catalogue. Its Luminor 1950 and Radiomir watches are arguably the most recognizable watches to ever set foot in the Haute Horlogerie industry. The history of this brand is quite unique that makes it all the more interesting. Things truly started to take off in the 1930s when Panerai was approached by the Royal Italian Navy for large and legible underwater watches. The rest, as they say, is history. Let’s us find out more about these watches.
Panerai Luminor
The Panerai Luminor 1950 is the star of the team. As the name suggests, the watch was released in 1950 and it was an instant hit. Although it was not made available to the public at first, the news of a new Panerai watch did spread rather quickly.
The timepiece used the same cushion case as seen in the earlier Radiomir along with a bunch of other stuff. But at the same time, it implemented a few new details that helped it build a completely new image for itself. The bulky crown protector is one such element. The crown was added as a functional tweak which was patented six years after the watch’s release. The Luminor was also widely accepted in the Italian Navy at first and then the general public because it used a luminescent that was not lethal. Its progenitor, the Panerai Radiomir used a radium based illuminant that was later found to have radiation poisoning. The Panerai Luminor 1950, on the other hand, was made of tritium, a rare hydrogen isotope that is not as radioactive as radium. The material radiates beta particles which can't even penetrate the surface of the skin.
The Panerai Radiomir
The Panerai Radiomir is a cult classic that originated in the late 1930s. The story of this watch is as fascinating as it is intriguing. When Panerai received the order for dive watches from the Italian Navy, it simply did not have the resources to make one. So it did the obvious and reached out for help to its Swiss counterparts. Rolex answered as it already had a watch in its catalogue that was not that successful. Hard to believe, right? This large-sized California dialled timepiece was converted into a Radiomir prototype and Panerai delivered what was asked.
The timepiece will always hold a significant value in the history books of the Swiss watch industry. Its significance can simply be realized by the fact that Panerai would not even have existed today if it wasn't for the Panerai Radiomir.
These watches have stood the test of time and are today icons of the luxury watchmaking industry. Their tool watch status is somewhat of a controversy as they might not display as much function as one would want. However, Panerai made up for it and launched a new Submersible line of watches to offer watch enthusiasts with a tool watch that featured immense amounts of functionality.