The Italian luxury watchmaker revives the Radiomir California with a few distinctive firsts.
The Panerai Radiomir California PAM01349 hits all the right notes with fans of the brand, especially those who love a good vintage Panerai. At once, its weathered good looks make a statement – the burnished steel case enclosing the deep green California dial with beige numerals echoing patina that usually comes with age.
Making an appearance once again, is the Panerai California dial inspired by the defining Ref 3646 from the archives of the Maison. Characterised by the top half of the dial (hours 10, 11, 1, and 2) marked by Roman numerals, while the bottom half (hours 4, 5, 7, and 8) features Arabic numerals, the California dial dates back to the 1930s and was known as the “error-proof dial”, due to its readability in low-light combat conditions. Historically produced in 47mm, this is the first time Panerai is crafting a California dial in 45mm.
The textured dial in a charming shade of deep green is enclosed by a cushion-shaped, hand-finished steel case purposefully made to take on an antiquated look. Made from Brunito eSteel™- a brand-new finishing and first-ever in the history of Panerai, every case goes through the PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process and is then individually hand-polished, giving each piece its own character, which many watch collectors would appreciate.
Adding to the weathered look are the iconic California indexes in beige Super-LumiNova®, which illuminate in green in the dark, metallic blue hands with a domed sapphire crystal that harks back to the Plexiglas® crystal used in early versions of the Radiomir developed for the Italian military. The finishing touch on the case is the signature Radiomir cone-shaped crown that provides great tactility on top of distinguishing it from other timepieces from Panerai.
Another exclusive feature can be found on the raw cut calf leather strap with contrast stitching – the hot printed inscription of ‘G. Panerai e Figlio’, the exact same phrase found on the signage of the original Panerai workshop in Florence, Italy.
Powering up this vintage-looking beauty is the hand-wound P.5000 calibre that boasts an eight-day power reserve, a long power reserve used historically by Panerai, and visible through the open case-back in sapphire crystal. A distinctive element and DNA of the brand – that ties back to the Panerai family legacy of supplying precision instruments for the Italian military – the long power reserve ensured reliability in the most extreme conditions for underwater commandos of the Italian Navy.
Explore the Panerai Radiomir California PAM01349, exclusively available in Panerai boutiques.
Images courtesy of Panerai, artwork by Curatedition.
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