The origins where it all began

For over a century, the Panerai family legacy has been intertwined with precision instruments made to accompany the Italian military in their exploits. Commissioned by the Royal Italian Navy to supply high-precision instruments, it was Guido Panerai’s Radiomir – a radium-based substance that illuminates for visibility in the dark – that began it all when it was patented in 1916.

An archival receipt shows that the Radiomir prototype was presented in 1935, and over the years, the sandwich construction has been progressively adjusted and is currently made of only two superimposed plates. Other improvements include the crown-protecting device, and a new luminous substance, the Luminor. A watch produced strictly for the military, the forces used it until the early 1970s, with its designs protected by military secrets.

Officine Panerai leaped into the commercial watch market in 1992, launching three collections of ten references in limited editions – the 44 mm Luminor and Luminor Marina watches and the 42 mm Mare Nostrum chronograph, which were presented on 10 September 1993 at the La Spezia military harbor in the presence of Duke Amedeo D’Aosta, son of Sir
Aimone di Savoia, the then supreme head of the Italian diving department. Radiomir was only made public in 1997 when the Vendome Group – today Richemont Group – acquired Panerai, introducing the first Vendome special edition in sixty pieces – the PAM 21 model in a platinum version.

The acquisition advanced Panerai’s history into contemporary developments from the reopening of the historic boutique in Piazza San Giovanni to the establishment of the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel where fine Swiss watchmaking meet innovation driven by an Italian soul. With a century of innovative instruments developed for performance in response to evolving technical needs, Panerai projects into the future via research, strategic partnerships, sustainability, and empowering modern heroes.

These initiatives include eSteel™, a next-generation metal obtained from pre-consumer recycled steel scraps (up to 95%) coming from different industries, preferably from Swiss watchmaking industry, whose production significantly reduces CO2 emissions, and a partnership with the IOC-UNESCO to develop solutions with the aim of building a more sustainable, equitable society.

A ground-breaking first for the Annual Calendar complication

Seconds, minutes, hours, days, and now, each month of the year – the intricate time-telling elements that form a precious new in-house movement for Panerai, the Annual Calendar. Developed specifically for the Radiomir collection it is the first annual calendar complication of Panerai.

Even if the Annual Calendar is notoriously a sophisticated complication, Panerai has always been famous for developing movements with a clear and immediate readability. In fact, the dial clearly allows to display the complete information needed. Date is displayed at 3 o’clock with the day & the date through two dials openings. The current month is displayed on an external moving disc, indicated by a fix arow at 3 o’clock. Every month change, a cam in the movement allows the turning disc in one go, making the information change instantaneously.

Moreover, change from 30-day and 31-day months is done automatically by the mechanism. A setting must be done only once a year, at the end of February. Always taking care of the easy readability and functionality, after setting the month and the date, a corrector on the left side of the case allows to change the day click by click. Powered by the automatic P.9010/AC caliber, the Annual Calendar is an automatic movement reflecting Panerai’s DNA in crafting complications in addition to their Italian style and flair, with Swiss watchmaking expertise.

A sapphire crystal open-back case showcases a fascinating complication while the sandwich dial features distinguishing codes of the Maison – the months, days, and the name of the complication, Calendario Annuale, are written in Italian.
Emblematic Radiomir details shape its design, its cushion-shaped case, signature gradient sunbrushed sandwich dial filled with Super-Luminova® cone-shaped crown, and a 45mm case.

The Annual Calendar collection is a boutique exclusive.