SIHH 2012: Panerai Radiomir 1940 Special Edition
By The Editors, published on 8 February 2012
There is arguably no other watch brand that so polarizes opinion at Prodigal Towers. While one half of this outfit has bought into the Panerai myth completely, binding himself with multiple custom straps and Paneristi love-making sessions, the other has kept a healthy distance and voiced frequent skepticism over the brand’s design and colossal sizing.
We’re still duking this one out, but Panerai ain’t sitting still to see which one of us drifts to the seabed floor first. And so it was that the 2012 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie saw Panerai unveil a host of new models (and yes: evermore limited editions!), including the suitably strapping Radiomir 1940 in both stainless and rose gold.
Unlike the prototype and the examples which went into production at the end of the 1930s, a number of historic Radiomirs made in the 1940s had a distinctive case in which the strap attachments were not made of steel wires welded to the case, but instead were formed from the same block of steel as the case itself. Greater strength was an obvious benefit. We’ll make no comment about the mine-laying abilities of those who wore them.
The new Radiomir 1940 watches are offered in the, wait for it, “classic” case size of 47mm in diameter, also sporting a plexiglass crystal. protecting the dial, the round, cambered bezel, the cylindrical crown and the screw back. The two versions are distinguished by the different materials of the case, each combined with a different dial colour: the Radiomir 1940 (PAM00399) is made of stainless steel with a polished finish and black dial, while the Radiomir 1940 Oro Rosso (PAM00398) sports a very fetching brown dial inside a case of rose gold.
We have to admit that between our regular exposure to the exuberant offerings of the good folk at Slaets, particularly their rose gold pieces, and this latest offering from Panerai, we are starting to question our entrenched loyalty to stainless steel timepieces. Case in point? We give the Radiomir 1940 in rose gold the nod over its steel brother.
The bad news? Both the Radiomir 1940 models are produced in limited editions of 100 units each. But lest you be unable to take a decision either way, Officine Panerai has created 50 sets which consist of the two watches in an exclusive box, both pieces wearing the same production numbers (between 1 and 50). Turns out you can have it all.
While the debate rages on in here, we can’t deny that out there, Panerai continues to pump out an apparently infinite number of variations for an insatiable group of fans.
SIHH 2012: Panerai Radiomir 1940 Special Edition
We continue to argue over the pros and cons of Panerai, but there sure as hell ain’t waiting for us to finish. The 2012 edition of the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie saw Panerai unveil a host of new models, including the suitably strapping Radiomir 1940 in both stainless and rose gold. Fight on.
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2 Responses to “SIHH 2012: Panerai Radiomir 1940 Special Edition”
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Ordinarily, I would totally be with you. But they manage to pull that combo off quite nicely…
Alban Havidson
9 February 2012
Nice one but I am not convinced but the idea of a steel case with gold needles. Maybe it looks better in true life than in the picture.