The appearance of the Radiomir 1940 is of exemplary
simplicity. Yet every detail reveals the complexity of the
design, which aims to maximise the characteristics of
reliability, robustness, ease of reading and visibility in the
dark which have distinguished Panerai watches since their
first appearance, on the wrists of the commandos of the
Italian Navy in the 1930s. The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days
GMT Oro Rosso (PAM00570) is Officine Panerai’s latest
Special Edition, of which only 300 units are produced:
it combines an apparent simplicity derived from its
military origins with the sophisticated details and finish of
contemporary high quality sports watchmaking.
The cushion case, 47 mm in diameter, is made entirely of
5nPt red gold, an alloy with a higher percentage of copper
than usual and a small amount of platinum which helps
to minimise the oxidation of the case. The polished red
gold bezel surrounds the brown dial with satiné soleil
finish, a treatment which catches the light, catching
reflections which enhance the minimalist design of the
characteristic Panerai dial formed of two superimposed
discs. The seconds hand rotates in the small counter at
nine o’clock, while the arrow-shaped central hand can be
used to indicate a second time zone, hence the engraved
letters “GMT” at six o’clock. All the indications on the dial,
including the date in the window at 3 o’clock, are of the
greatest clarity.
The back of the case is open to reveal the admirable finish
of the movement. This is the P.3001/10 calibre, handwound
with a power reserve of three days, with an indicator
of the remaining reserve on the back. The indicator is
connected directly to the spring of one of the two barrels,
both of which are skeletonised, as are the bridges with
brushed finish. The aesthetic effect is fascinating because
the sophisticated workmanship of the skeletonised bridges
enables not only the details and finish of the movement
to be admired, but also the winding and unwinding of the
spring itself, when the watch is being wound or while it
is running. The movement also has the device for rapid
setting of the hour hand, which can be moved forward or
backwards in one-hour jumps of without interfering with
the running of the seconds hand.
The new Radiomir 1940 3 Days GMT Oro Rosso is
water-resistant to 5 bar (a depth of about 50 metres) and
it is supplied with a brown alligator strap secured by a red
gold buckle.