The modern Panerai watch as it is recognised today began in 1936 with the Radiomir, an instrument devised to support marine missions and named for the material patented by Guido Panerai to illuminate dials and sights.
Its outstanding features: a large, cushion-shaped steel case, luminescent numerals and indexes and welded wire lugs, have passed largely unchanged from one generation of the Radiomir collection to the next, a testament to the stature of the original.
Coincidently, a yacht that would become a part of the Panerai story was also created in 1936. Eilean, designed by preeminent boat builder William Fife III of Scotland’s Fife boatyard, sailed the seas of Europe and the Caribbean for decades before falling into disrepair in the early 21st century. Panerai acquired the yacht in 2006 to fully restore its splendour.
The Radiomir Eilean couples the hallmark features of the historic Radiomir collection and the aesthetic lineage of Eilean. Its 45mm case, with proportions and features that have endured since the time of the first Radiomir, is composed of patina steel with a matte finish that reflects light with a softer, warmer lustre than highly polished metal. Within the case, vintage-style golden finish hands mark the time on a signature sandwich dial featuring numerals and indices in beige Super- LumiNovaTM with a green glow, features that remain faithful to the appearance of early models.
Details that reveal the special nautical inheritance of the Radiomir Eilean are apparent from every vantage. The surface of the dial features striations and a variegated brown finish that evokes the teak deck of the yacht, while the case back and strap bear an inscription that reads “Eilean 1936” and is identical to one locatedon the ship’s boom. Likewise, the dragon emblem that decorates the boat’s hull was reproduced in an engraving on the left-hand side of the case. Made from leather produced in Tuscany, the Italian region where Panerai was born, the watch strap features painstaking stitching inspired by lacing found on the sails of Eilean.
Technical Specifications:
RADIOMIR EILEAN
PAM01243
LIMITED EDITION: 449 Pieces
MOVEMENT: Hand-wound mechanical, P.6000 calibre, 15 ½ lignes, 4.5mm thick, 19 jewels, 21,600 alternations/hour. IncablocTM anti-shock device. One barrel. 110 components
FUNCTIONS: Hours, minutes
POWER RESERVE: 3 days
CASE: Diameter 45mm. Engraved Patina steel case. Patina steel bezel and engraved Patina steel caseback. Polished steel crown, screw-down winding personalised OP. Sapphire crystal
DIAL: Brown with luminous Arabic numerals
and hour markers
STRAP: Cuoio Toscano calf leather dark brown with lateral stitching and “Eilean” logo embossed, STD, 27/22, BA. Trapezoidal Patina steel buckle
WATERPROOF: 10 bar (~100 meters)
PRICE: £7,000
For more information please visit https://www.panerai.com