Manufacturer: Panerai Year: 2005 Reference No: PAM00190 Case No: BB1151565 Model Name: Radiomir 8 Days Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Mechanical, OP XIV, 33 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Black Panerai crocodile leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Panerai buckle Dimensions: 45 mm. width Signed:Case, dial and movement signed, case further engraved H0175/1000 Accessories: With Panerai International Guarantee Certificate dated 11 June 2007, product literature, instruction manual, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
In production from 2004 until 2006, the present PAM190 features a 8 day power reserve mechanism that is powered by a Jaeger-LeCoultre movement. Panerai made 1000 examples with the 'H' series designation and the present watch is numbered 175. The power reserve indicator is beautifully displayed through its sapphire crystal case back. The watch was replaced by the PAM268 in 2007.
Known for its robust designs and large case sizes, Officine Panerai was established in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai in Florence, Italy. Around 1900, Giovanni's grandson Guido Panerai took over, and Panerai became the supplier to the Regia Marina — the Royal Italian Navy. After supplying the navy with high-precision instruments for a number of years, Officine Panerai created Radiomir, a radium-based powder that gives luminosity to the dials of sighting instruments and devices. By 1936, the Royal Italian Navy approached Panerai again with the request to design a watch resistant to extreme underwater conditions. The watch they created became known as the "Radiomir".
Panerai's watches made during the early twentieth century era were comprised of cases designed and manufactured by Rolex SA, with Cortébert, a Swiss manufacturer, supplying the majority of their movements. The most recognizable designs from the firm are the Radiomir and Luminor. To date, vintage models from the first half of the 1900s, such as the reference 3646 and 6152 models, remain the most desirable among collectors.