An Introduction to Panerai Watches

How can a luxury watch be minimalist yet robust and rugged at the same time? How can it be modern yet vintage-inspired in aesthetics? Not every luxury watch brand can achieve these parallels. It takes a manufacturer that has lived through two World Wars and developed some of the world’s best military tool watches to tell the tale of evolution from a tool watch to a luxury collectable. If you’ve been considering a Panerai watch for some time, now is the perfect time to invest in one. Jura Watches stocks a full array of designs from the iconic Radiomir watch to the military-inspired Luminor watch, plus a selection of incredible water-resistant tools from the Submersible collection. Here is your introductory guide to Panerai watches, outlining everything you need to know about the brand before making your purchase with us today.  

A Brief History of Panerai

Panerai’s history plays an important role in the company’s current catalogue. The modern timepieces you see here within our collections today, tell a story of the brand’s origins and how these first military tools came to be one of the most iconic collectibles of all time.  Panerai’s story began back in 1860 when the business began as a workshop, sourcing Swiss parts and assembling them to sell to the Italian market. The brand used the expertise of Rolex for some of its parts and began supplying instruments to Italian Frogmen who needed a legible, comfortable and accurate tool for carrying out important missions. For many decades, these Panerai watches were exclusive to the military. It was not until the early 1990s that the brand opened up its offerings to the public. During this time, the distinctive aesthetics of a Panerai watch caught the eye of Hollywood actor, Sylvester Stallone. He wore a Panerai in the making of “Daylight”, shot in Italy in 1996. It brought international visibility to the brand and attracted the attention of Richmond Group who purchased the brand the following year. Panerai was re-launched in 2001 where it now offers four main collections; the Radiomir, Luminor, Luminor Due and Submersible.

The Best Panerai Collections

If you’re in the throes of working out which Panerai watch is best for you, this quick overview of the key Panerai watch collections should help.

The Panerai Radiomir

Many Panerai watches carry a similar aesthetic, but one way to differentiate the Radiomir from all others is its lack of a crown guard. The crown guard protection system, which features an innovative locking mechanism, was launched much later, with the release of the Luminor watch. Instead, the Radiomir boasts a very simple and pared-back design. It sports the iconic cushion-shaped case, legible dial with large Arabic numerals at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o’clock, and promises plenty of luminous material. If you’re looking for a dress watch, the Radiomir watch could be the better option for you. Its once flared crown has evolved into a cylindrical shape over the decades, while its wire lugs became much thicker in design. The Radiomir takes its name from the radium-based material that was used for its legible dial back in the 1940s – a material that has since been replaced with a much safer lume.

The Panerai Luminor

The Panerai Luminor arrived in the 1990s and followed a similar aesthetic to the Radiomir. Its dangerous, radioactive luminous material had already been replaced, however. It had been swapped both on the Radiomir watches and the Luminor models for a photoluminescent tritium-based material. The watch had also been given a large crown guard that protected the crown from snagging but also looked incredibly eye-catching. The oversized crown bridge is a great match for the unique cushion-shaped profile of the Luminor watch’s case. It is still one of the most popular designs today and has branched out further into several sub-categories, each with its own distinctive features.

The Panerai Luminor Due

The Panerai Luminor Due watch is most definitely the Luminor’s dressier counterpart. It features a thinner and more refined case that sits better underneath the cuff of smart or professional attire. Having said that, it does compromise on some of the water-resistant capabilities of the Luminor watch. The dial, beautifully proportioned is bold and simple still. It features a small second sub-dial at 9 o’clock, housed inside a smaller case diameter of 38mm.

The Luminor Submersible

The Panerai Submersible watch began life as part of the Luminor family but grew into its own collection in 2019. The watch, primed for underwater pursuits, is equipped with a 1000-meter water-resistant capability and features a unidirectional rotating bezel for measuring elapsed time underwater. It also features an instantly recognisable cushion-shaped case and crown-protecting guard. This is the only model within Panerai’s catalogue that is technically a dive watch, offering all the key features you need in a robust tool for water submersion.

Panerai’s Partnerships

As well as forging a deep-routed trust with the Italian military, Panerai has worked with multiple sporting bodies and created many fruitful partnerships over the years. Since 2019, the watchmaker has been enjoying a partnership with Luna Rossa – an Italian sailboat racing syndicate that competes in the America’s Cup. As a result, the brand has released several timepieces in celebration of the partnership, one of the latest of which you can check out here.

The Popular Culture of Panerai Watches

Panerai watches are defined by their bold dials and their imposing cushion-shaped cases that create a huge wrist presence. These watches are for those collectors who like to get noticed and enjoy the dynamics that a large-wearing case brings to an outfit. Panerai watches are popular with the younger generation of watch enthusiasts but also those circles of collectors who love vintage-inspired tool watches and diving watches. The combination of the bold lume-lit features on the dial of a Panerai watch and the crown protection bridge has become a design language associated with complete luxury and sophistication.

Hopefully, having read this guide, you can appreciate the love shared by Panerai enthusiasts more than ever before. Without needing any more excuses to indulge in a watch from this prestigious Italian watchmaker today, get in touch with our sales team at Jura Watches on 01335 453453 or email us at help@jurawatches.co.uk