Panerai is returning to its roots this year with the launch of new Radiomir collections at Watches and Wonders 2023, in a modern rethink of the military watch originally presented in 1935.
‘The history of Panerai is an authentic journey full of value and pioneering innovations developed for performance in response to evolving technical needs,’ says Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué. ‘This year’s launch of the Radiomir collection defines where it all began for us. It was the invention of the radiomir substance for the Italian Navy that set in motion Panerai’s legendary story, and a Radiomir was the first ever Panerai watch made. As we are projecting into the future with advances in sustainability and new materials, it is more important than ever for us to remember our origins, leveraging our undisputable heritage.’
New Panerai Radiomir watches
It is a philosophy encompassed in new models this year, which pay tribute to the watch’s distinctive sandwich construction, luminescent dial and conical winding screw-down crown, while experimenting with new materials and designs. ‘Merging our innovation in materials while staying true to the Radiomir DNA, we are proud to say that we’ve introduced many innovative elements that spotlight our capability in reinterpreting an icon and its vintage aesthetics in a contemporary key to appeal to connoisseurs,’ Pontroué adds.
‘The leather straps of the watches exude that unmistakable vintage style. With the Brunito e-Steel case, every timepiece is hand-finished one by one to create a seasoned look, rendering each watch uniquely different. The Radiomir Quaranta collection is offered in a 40mm size instead of the conventional Radiomir 45mm size to give it a more universal appeal, while we’ve also made available various Radiomir models in precious materials.’
The creation of e-Steel is a conscious move by Panerai to reduce the environmental impact implicit in watchmaking. ‘For a steel watch, the steel case accounts for about 30 per cent of this impact. We worked closely with our steel supplier and we came to the conclusion that the best way to incorporate the recycled content was in the main lever. With this, we were able to go from an average use of e-Steel of 50 per cent to 95 per cent. The main challenge lies in organising the collection and quality control of the steel scrap. We pay the utmost attention to our steel quality to ensure it is compliant with our high standards.’
Available from watches-of-switzerland.co.uk
