Panerai Radiomir Titanium 47mm Limited Edition Watch

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed)
Dec 28th 2009 at 12:01PM

As retro themed timepieces go, this is an interesting one for sure. This Special Edition Panerai Radiomir Titanium PAM00349 is based on a design from the 1930s. It features an interesting design on the dial called a "California dial." This is where the top half of the numerals are Roman, and the lower half are Arabic. The dial is also sterile, which means it has no text or branding. While the timepiece is attractive, its clear homage to an older watch and lack of Panerai branding mean that it is almost exclusively a collector's item. The fact that Panerai is making only 12 of them further makes this point obvious.

The 47mm wide cushion shaped case is in titanium (clearly a modern element). Case is water resistant to 100 meters. The lugs are removable so that you can change the strap. On the dial you have rose gold hands covered with lume and a classic style of Panerai subsidiary seconds dial. Around the dial is a thin toothed chapter ring that has always look nice and adds depth to the look. Some people are going to love the dial, while others find it too bare. I would have preferred the hands be a bit longer. Notice the turnip shaped crown that is easy to operate, and where you can finally see some Panerai branding.

The watch movement is apparently in-house made, based on a Minerva movement. This might sound odd, but Minerva is owned by Montblanc, which is itself owned by Richemont, which is the parent company of Panerai. So there is some connection. The movement is the Panerai caliber OP XXVII that is hand-wound and visible through the caseback of the watch. With a very niche appeal and interesting vintage look, the Radiomir Titanium 47mm watch will only be found at select Panerai boutiques. Price is apparently a whopping $25,000 - $30,000.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch review site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: 00349, 349, california dial, CaliforniaDial, limited edition, LimitedEdition, pam, pam0349, panerai, radiomir, titanium, watch