Panerai Radiomir California, eSteel, Brunito

The history of the legendary Panerai watch is defined by four significant dates. In 1916, Giovanni Panerai's workshop filed a patent for a luminescent material called Radiomir, utilizing radium. This breakthrough ensured exceptional luminosity. In 1935, the workshop presented the first prototype of a military diver's watch featuring a distinctive cushion-shaped tripartite case measuring 47mm in diameter. Later in 1949, radium was replaced by tritium, improving the watch's luminosity further. Finally, in 1997, the Radiomir was officially launched in the market.




Adding to this chronology, a fifth date emerged in 2023, marking a special year dedicated to this iconic collection. The standout timepiece is the Radiomir California (PAM01349). Crafted from eSteelTM, an alloy comprising 95% recycled scrap steel, the 45mm case possesses a slight patina effect achieved through PVD treatment, known as Brunito. The case ensures water resistance up to 100 meters. Within, the hand-wound P.5000 caliber with a soft frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour and two barrels provides an impressive 8-day power reserve.




Inspired by Panerai's heritage piece, the reference 3646, the watch exudes an elegant vintage aesthetic. Its delicately textured dial features a green hue ranging from olive to khaki, complemented by vanilla-colored Super-LumiNova® coating, known as California. The dial is adorned with alternating Arabic numerals in the lower half and Roman numerals in the upper half. Geometric indexes mark the cardinal points. A copper-tinted minute track gracefully curves through the center, while blued baton-type hands indicate the hours and minutes.



Photo credit: Panerai