Panerai might sound like a new name, but that’s not true. Panerai is a watch brand with a rich history. However, it isn’t well known or recognized as one of the giants in the watch industry. But you can call it the dark horse.
So, let’s talk about everything you need to know about this glorious watch brand:
It Is Guaranteed For Over 50 Years
Even the most premium and expensive luxury watch brands aren’t guaranteed for over 50 years, but Panerai does. From a historical standpoint, many enthusiasts regard the original Radiomir design as the greatest Panerai watch. However, the greatest Panerai watches are those from the brand’s current age in terms of technological developments.
The Panerai Lab-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech, initially shown in 2017, is among the most revolutionary Panerai models. This watch will not require maintenance for 50 years, as per its promise, thanks to a mix of tantalum-based ceramic, carbon, and just four pivot points in the movement with traditional jewels.
To say that these watches are spectacular is an understatement, and we, along with many other Paneristi, are eager to see them deliver on their promise.
It’s Been Operational Since the 1860s
Panerai, unlike many other premium watch companies, is Italian rather than Swiss, and Giovanni Panerai launched the company in 1860 in Florence. On the other hand, Panerai currently manufactures its timepieces in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. If you’re lucky enough to possess a Panerai, you’ll see the words ‘Swiss manufactured’ on the dial, confirming this.
On Ponte Alle Grazie, Panerai’s store and the factory also functioned as Florence’s first watchmaker college. Even though the shop was accessible to the public, Panerai had secured contracts with the Royal Italian Navy by the early twentieth century and had become a specialist in naval timepieces and supplies.
The Destructive Watches Of Panerai
Radiomir, a radium-based paint that glows in the dark, was patented by Panerai in 1916. This was crucial in developing Panerai’s trademark luminous index, which was meant to be simple to read underwater for Italian navy commanders.
The bright substance used in Panerai’s indicators included radium, which most users were unaware of at the time. Radium is now known to be one of the planet’s most toxic and deadly chemical components. While research teams took measures when examining it, it wasn’t recognized as noxious or especially devastating at the time.
The radioactive material used in Panerai watches is still radioactive today, and they will also remain radioactive for a long period, as radium has a half-life of more than 1600 years.
The Time Of Instruments
Panerai continued to make wrist-mounted watches until the entrance of Dino Zei, filling the gap between the postwar period and the introduction of Dino Zei. The company’s wrist-mounted depth gauges and compasses were still in limited supply even if diving devices were still a few years away.
Of course, these big liquid-filled devices emitted a large amount of bright material, to the point that a cover had to be constructed to avoid being seen by enemy forces until the combat divers achieved a good depth to be out of view during the conflict.
