The Radiomir, an instrument designed to support marine missions and named after the material patented by Guido Panerai to illuminate dials and sights, saw the light of day in 1936. The main features of this timepiece, namely its large steel coussin case, luminescent indices and welded wire lugs, have remained largely unchanged from one generation to the next. By sheer coincidence, 1936 also saw the birth of a yacht that would become part of Panerai's history. We are talking about Eilean, designed by the celebrated builder William Fife III of the Scottish yard 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 to its former glory. The new Radiomir Eilean thus combines the distinctive features of the historic Radiomir collection with the aesthetic lineage of Eilean. The 45 mm case, with proportions and features that are unchanged since the first Radiomir, is made of patinated steel with a matt finish. Vintage-style gilded hands sweep across a sandwich dial and are paired with bar indices and Arabic numerals (at the quarters) treated with beige Super-LumiNova with a green glow, features that remain true to the appearance of the historic models. Details revealing the special nautical heritage of the Radiomir Eilean can be found in several elements: the dial surface features streaks and a variegated brown finish evoking the yacht's teak deck, while the case back and strap are personalised with the inscription 'Eilean 1936', the same as on the ship's boom. In addition, the dragon emblem that decorates Eilean's hull has been reproduced in an engraving on the left side of the case. Made of leather produced in Tuscany, the region where Panerai was born, the strap features stitching inspired by that found on Eilean's sails. Made only by hand, this technique creates a strap capable of withstanding the most extreme conditions of use. The movement used is the calibre P.6000 (15 ½ lignes, 4.5 mm thick, 21,600 vibrations per hour, 110 components), mechanical with manual winding and a power reserve of 3 days. Water resistance is guaranteed up to a pressure of 10 atmospheres (about 100 metres depth). Finally, the Radiomir Eilean is available in only 449 pieces per year, a figure that recalls Eilean's sail number.
Price: 7,800 euro.
