The Panerai Radiomir Quaranta Collection
The brand direction of Panerai has taken an interesting turn in recent years. Historically, you'd find their product range to be largely sized, aesthetically simple, no-nonsense and directed to a small target audience who admired its rich history with the Military. Fast-forward to today, and you'll find that Panerai have found success in gearing their watches to a younger audience with smaller wrists, looking for historic designs with modern twists.
The release of the Panerai Radiomir Quaranta Steel has created quite a surprising buzz in the industry. It's a collection that features 4 dial options: Black (PAM01294), White (PAM01292), Blue (PAM01293) and Green (PAM01386). The reference we'll be looking at today is the PAM01386.
Introducing the Radiomir Quaranta PAM01386
The PAM1386 Radiomir Quaranta is the only dial variation sold as an online exclusive and is currently limited to a production of 500 pieces. It's therefore been a reference quite slow to gracing the second-hand market, as very few can be sold with discount from RRP (£5,200).
I was fortunate to own the PAM1386 earlier in the year, so the rest of this review will be showcasing the reference using my own images.
The first feature that stands out to me is the glorious green sunburst dial. Rather than opting for a matte deep or sharp green, it's a subdued sunburst hue that compliments the gold hands and cream luminescent markers extremely well. Depending on the lighting, there can be quite a contrast of green hues.
I imagine it's not one of the favourites to the purists of the brand. It's simple yet stands out with its sunburst dial, having all the classic Panerai details in a stylish design meant for everyday wear. The brown alligator leather strap is a nice OEM choice, but of course it can be swapped out for a strap of your preference.
The PAM01386's wearable and slim dimensions are proving popular
The PAM1386 has a 40mm case diameter in polished steel, a typical finish for their Radiomir "wire-lug" cases. The introduction of a slim 40mm Radiomir with a modern twist has proven popular globally, blending the vintage design with a wearable size that today's global fans of Panerai will appreciate. The new Radiomir is not a small watch by traditional means, but it is by Panerai’s definition, and that’s exactly what its customers love.
A breakdown of Panerai's P.900 Calibre
The watch features the P.900 caliber, a thin automatic movement at 4.2mm thick. This movement is the first of this size that also includes the date, a three-day power reserve, and can handle water resistance up to 50 metres (yikes...).Clearly, this watch is made for everyday use with a mix of style and practicality.
The P.900 is one of the luxury group Richemont’s three-hand “in-house” movements. This is quoted because it's closely inspired by a movement crafted by ValFleurier. There's nothing inherently flawed with this movement. It's a proven and reliable choice, found in various Richemont brands and even some outside the Richemont family. This translates to more readily available parts, potentially lower servicing costs, and a larger pool of skilled watchmakers. The term 'in-house' is thrown around by each brand, but it's worth noting that they are mostly part of the Richemont group.
In summary, the PAM01386 is a well-designed reference and will likely prove to be popular for those looking for a Panerai at a more wearable size for their wrists. The green sunburst dial coupled with the gold features throughout are admittedly captivating, and it's a smart piece that would no doubt gather a few compliments!
To make this reference more accepting to the watch community, Panerai could consider increasing the water resistance across all collections to minimum 100m, regardless of the watch's purpose. The irony is, it's likely a similar water resistance to the original Radiomirs produced...
I'm not certain if any remain available, but the link to the PAM01386 on Panerai's website is here.
