Pros:
- Vintage vibes anyone?
- 8 Day power reserve – In-house Calibre P.5000
- Beautifully and symmetrically laid out dial
Cons:
- Boutique only Piece
- For wrists smaller than 6.5inches, the 45mm case will be too big
- Would have loved to see more of the P.5000 movement on the case-back
Overall Rating: 8.1/10
- Value for money – 8.5/10
- Wearability – 8/10
- Design – 8/10
- Build Quality – 8/10
The Panerai Radiomir 8 Days PAM00992, released in 2019 is a tribute and recognition of their past. It is based on the first Radiomir that was released in 1936. The first Radiomir project was developed in 1936 at the request of the Command of the Submarine Group of the Italian Royal Navy, for the commandoes of the Assualt Vehicle Flotilla. This first edition was one of the first specialised diver’s watches in history.
The latest Panerai Radiomir 8 Days PAM00992 is not a one-to-one recreation of the original 1930’s Radiomir, but rather a vintage-inspired design from the original model using modern-day movement, materials, and aesthetics.
Design:
The Radiomir 8 days is presented in a 45mm case that has quite a unique finish to it. This is the first Panerai watch (along with the Radiomir California PAM 931) to feature what the brand calls Patina steel. The steel case has been given a matte finish, all thanks to a special coating that is applied from a chemical treatment process.
The 45mm casing comes with detachable wire lugs, the same design that has been used in previous Panerais. The onion-shaped crown is the same one that has been featured on previous Radiomir watches such as the Officine Panerai logo on Bass-relief models.
The dial is black with a “sandwich” style construction. What this essentially means is that the dial is created in layers with cutouts used for the top layer to show the hour markers and Arabic numerals. The dial features Panerai’s iconic “8 Giorni Brevettato” inscription at the 3 o’clock position, along with constant seconds counter at the 9 o’clock position. The hour and minute hands have a beautiful blue finish, which is touched off with Superluminova for readability in low light conditions.
Movement:
The movement used for the Radiomir 8 Days PAM00992 is the brand’s own in-house manual wound calibre P.5000. The calibre P.5000 is made up of 146 components and has a frequency of roughly 21, 000 VpH. It features Glucydur® balance and an Incabloc Parechoc® anti-shock device. The most impressive feat of this movement is the staggering 8 days power reserve it delivers.
Not having to wind the watch for a full week is an amazing feat and offers a lot of versatility for this timepiece. The watch comes with an open case-back, however much of the movement is covered, leaving only a plate with a horizontal satin-brush finish to be seen.
How does Panerai Radiomir PAM00992 45mm wear?
On a 6.5inch (16.5cm) wrist, the 45mm case sits just right, however the way the wire style lugs are constructed, it does slightly stick out on my wrist. So this would fit perfectly for sizes above 6.7inches or more! Sorry, small wristed watch collectors! If you are saddened by this, don’t fear, we reviewed the Submersible 42mm and this should fill the gap for the smaller wrist sizes.
The strap is comfortable on the wrist and the calf brown beige stitching adds to the overall vintage look. The iconic trapezoidal steel buckle is a great touch and complements the overall sizing of the watch.
The dial is pleasing to look at and the dial layout is well balanced with the small seconds at 9 o’clock and the ‘8 days patented’ at 3 o’clock. Arabic numbering at 12 and 6 o’clock makes this dial symmetrical in any way you look at it, thus making it easier to read time at any given condition. I quite liked the blue hands and if you see them in the right lighting, you will enjoy the shimmering hands.
I got to enjoy this watch for a while and I wore this for weekend brunches and business meetings. In my opinion, it suited all my activities (except for sports). I had no issues with the watch even after long periods of wear.
Turning over the watch, I enjoyed seeing the hand-wound mechanical P.5000 calibre made entirely in-house by Panerai. A larger see-through sapphire crystal showcases the smaller portion of the P.5000 calibre (smaller balance wheel to be exact). I do wish that they showcased more of the movement even though I enjoyed the Horizontal Satin brushed finish. For a manual wound mechanical watch, 196 hours of power reserve is amazing, especially for this price point!.
With the combination of Patina steel with calf brown beige stitching, PAM00992 aims to take on the modern vintage looks. Overall, I think Panerai achieved just that! In my opinion, this watch is aimed at the true Panerai collectors.
With the vintage-inspired case, 8 days power reserve, and a beautiful clear dial the Radiomir 8 Days PAM00992 ticks almost all the boxes. The only drawback being of course the case size. But, this watch is certainly great value for money.
Panerai Radiomir 8 Days Specification:
- Case: 45 mm
- Case Material: Patina Steel
- Dial: Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers
- Crystal: Sapphire Crystal – Open Caseback
- Water resistance: 100 meters
- Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, P.5000 calibre Made in-house
- Power reserve: minimum of 196 hours
- Strap: Calf brown with beige stitching strap
