The Radiomir, an instrument designed to support marine missions and which takes its name from the material patented by Guido fake Panerai to illuminate dials and sights, saw the light in 1936. The main features of this timepiece, namely the large coussin steel case, the luminescent indexes and the welded wire loops have remained largely unchanged from one generation to the next. By pure coincidence, also in 1936 a yacht that would become part of Panerai’s history also saw the light of day. We are talking about Eilean, designed by the famous builder William Fife III of the Scottish shipyard Fife, and which sailed for decades in the seas of Europe and the Caribbean, before falling into disrepair at the beginning of this century. Panerai bought the yacht in 2006, completely restoring it and bringing it back to its former glory. The new Radiomir Eilean thus combines the distinctive features of the historic Radiomir collection and Eilean’s aesthetic lineage. The 45 mm case, with proportions and characteristics that have not changed since the days of the first Radiomir, is made of patinated steel with a matte finish. The vintage-style golden hands span a sandwich dial and are combined with bar indexes and Arabic numerals (at the quarters) treated with beige Super-LumiNova with a green glow, characteristics that remain faithful to the appearance of the historical models. The details that reveal the special nautical heritage of the Radiomir Eilean are present in several elements: the surface of the dial features streaks and a variegated brown finish that evokes the yacht’s teak deck, while the caseback and strap are personalized with the inscription “Eilean 1936” , the same that is placed on the ship’s boom. In addition, the dragon emblem that decorates Eilean’s hull was reproduced in an engraving on the left side of the case. Made of leather produced in Tuscany, the region that gave birth to Panerai, the strap features stitching inspired by those found on Eilean’s sails. Made only by hand, this technique gives life to a strap that can withstand the most extreme conditions of use. The movement used is the P.6000 caliber (15 ½ lignes, 4.5 mm thick, 21,600 vibrations / hour, 110 components), mechanical with manual winding, with a power reserve of 3 days. Water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 10 atmospheres (about 100 meters deep). Finally, the Radiomir Eilean is available in only 449 pieces per year, a figure that recalls Eilean’s sail number fake watches.

Price: 7,800 euros.