Watchonista: Volume 05 Exclusive Preview – Panerai’s Latest Wave

There is little doubt that the loyal Paneristi out there will be thrilled by the recent releases from this storied watchmaker. And there is a good reason for that.

The way we figure it, once you factor in their intriguing movement innovations, next-generation materials, and some apt real-life applications, it means that the 2023 models from Panerai all have something going for them beyond their pretty faces.

There’s a lot to go over, so let’s get to it!

In 1916, watchmaker Guido Panerai applied for a patent for using radium-based illumination. This started the brand’s well-known association with the Royal Italian Navy. But it was the Radiomir prototype in 1935, with its sandwich dial, when Panerai began supplying watches to the military.
 

While radium is no longer used, the PAM1363 Radiomir Annual Calendar 45mm is still notable for the Panerai-developed gold alloy used for its case, indices, hands, and crown. This alloy, called GOLDTECH, includes a mixture of gold, platinum, and copper to create a reflective red-gold presentation. Then its sun-brushed dial transitions from a lighter blue at the center to a darker blue at the flange and the color-matched small-seconds indicator at 9 o’clock bring some of that pure Panerai panache to the outside.
 

But let’s take some time to focus on the incredible movement inside because, believe it or not, the new P.9010/AC calibre, with its three-day power reserve, is officially Panerai’s first annual calendar.

Panerai’s inclusion of such a classically sophisticated complication on such a sleek, recognizable design required some serious rethinking and apt visual reduction to end up on the Radiomir Annual Calendar’s dial. For instance…