Panerai watch: big build with big wisdom

　　Big build with big wisdom. Just like such a "big build" of a watch from Panerai, it not only has an outstanding size, but also extraordinary performance and craftsmanship. As one of the most popularN Factory Watchesof them, let's talk about Panerai with everyone today!

　　Following the usual routine, let's start with history.

　　Panerai originally dates back to 1860, founded by Giovanni Panerai in Florence, Italy, at the Grazie bridge, opening a watch shop which of course combined a shop and a factory, and was also the first watchmaking school in the city.

Panerai Radiomir series PAM00505

　　First stage RADIOMIR

　　As early as the beginning of the twentieth century, Panerai began supplying various military instruments to the Royal Italian Navy. According to military requirements, Panerai created Radiomir, a radium-based luminescent material used as luminous paint on the dial. This strong luminescence effect could effectively help divers complete various tasks such as reading time and data underwater. After this, Panerai made further improvements to it and launched the new Radiomir watch: a double-layer dial, with the upper dial featuring hands and numeric hour markers to enhance the legibility and luminescence of the radium coating; the wire loop strap attachments were also more robust and durable, with metal bars at both ends welded to the middle of the case.

Panerai Padiomir1940 series PAM00512

　　Second stage RADIOMIR 1940

　　Due to the even stricter requirements of the Royal Italian Navy for military instruments, watches had to be able to withstand the long-term test of harsh underwater conditions. Therefore, this type of watch needed to have extremely high fatigue resistance. Consequently, starting in 1940, Panerai further reinforced the strap attachments on the basis of the original Radiomir and adopted a unibody cast case construction to improve water resistance to meet the stringent requirements of the Royal Navy. Today's Radiomir 1940 models all adopt a cushion-shaped case, with more pronounced edge contours on both sides, general dimensions of various components modified, and the winding crown changed to a cylindrical shape.

Panerai Luminor1950 collection PAM00441

　　Phase three LUMINOR 1950

　　Unlike the Radiomir collection, Luminor is self-illuminating, which replaced the original radium-based paint. Because it adopted a tritium-based compound and was patented on 1949 1 11, the trademark became "Luminor". From this point, Panerai completed the evolution from Radiomir to Luminor. After the end of the Second World War, Panerai further refined the Luminor; the new Luminor watches were unique due to their crown-protecting bridge, the wire lugs were correspondingly strengthened, and the case continued the cushion-shaped case and flat, wide bezel of the Radiomir 1940 models.

　　Initially, Panerai did not produce its own movements, but instead purchased movements from brands such as Rolex to house in their cases for sale. This is why the exterior design, waterproofing patents, and the ratio of luminescent materials of these vintage diving watches are Panerai's most important assets.

　　In 1993, the Panerai brand began selling its various timepieces to the public. By 1997, the Richemont Group brought Panerai under its umbrella, subsequently designing an authorised distribution network in Italy. Over the following years, Panerai emerged as a prominent name in the international luxury watch market.