Panerai Radiomir

The Panerai Radiomir has been accompanying divers for over 80 years. Officine Panerai, the company's full name, developed the first models in 1936 and delivered them to special units in the Italian Marines. Today, the once-military watch is an iconic timepiece, enthralling celebrities such as Heidi Klum, who owns a red gold version. The watch's main features are a cushion-shaped case, delicate wire loop attachments for the strap, and a cone-shaped crown. Unlike the famous Luminor, the Radiomir doesn't have a crown-protecting bridge. It received its name from the luminous material used, which included radium; Panerai patented the luminous material in 1916. The self-illuminating, radioactive material was also used in other diving instruments, such as depth gauges and compasses.

There are also models with small complications in the Panerai Radiomir collection. Small complications include automatic winding, a small seconds, a date display, or a GMT function. The Radiomir 10 Days GMT Automatic has a GMT function, as its name suggests, and is a highlight in this series. It features an additional central hand to indicate the time in another time zone. A small 24-hour hand on a subdial at nine o'clock indicates whether it's currently day or night in the second time zone. Panerai also utilizes this subdial for the small seconds. Directly across at three o'clock is the date window, and the power reserve display is located above the six o'clock position. Thanks to the three barrels, the in-house caliber P.2003/6 can run for an astounding 10 days . Pre-owned models with reference number PAM000323 cost at least 7,000 euros; new, this 47-mm wristwatch costs around 8,500 euros.

If you don't need a GMT function, but you still want a long power reserve and a date display, then the PAM00384 would be a good fit. The Radiomir 8 Days Ceramica has a 45-mm ceramic case, an 8-day power reserve, and a power reserve display. Pre-owned timepieces cost around 7,500 euros; new, you should plan on spending at least 8,500 euros.

Upon first glance, the timepieces in the Radiomir 1940 collection look like any other Radiomir watch. However, if you look closer, you'll recognize subtle differences in the design. The year in the name represents the diving watches developed in 1940 for the Italian Marines. For this reason, current models in the Radiomir 1940 series have similar features to the watches from the 1940s. Instead of the delicate thin wire loop strap attachments, which could break under high amounts of pressure, the original timepieces had lugs resembling horns. In order to achieve a more stable construction, the manufacturer created the case and lugs at the same time using a single piece of steel. Also typical of this watch was its cylinder-shaped crown, which replaced the cone-shaped one.

Today, the Radiomir 1940 series has many different manual and automatic timepieces. If you're looking for a clean dial and a classic 47-mm case, take a look at PAM00514 with a small seconds and date display. The large men's watch with the in-house caliber P.3000 costs less than 5,000 euros pre-owned. New versions of the watch cost around 5,400 euros.

One highlight of the collection is the Radiomir 1940 10 Days GMT Automatic Oro Rosso, which is made of 18-karat red gold and features a GMT function. It has a power reserve of 10 days, or 240 hours. A linear power reserve display indicates how many days' worth of energy the watch has remaining. Its blue, sunburst dial is incredibly eye-catching and goes perfectly with the case and matching blue alligator leather strap. This timepiece (PAM00659) costs around 30,000 euros.