Panerai’s New Entry-Level Watches – Radiomir Logo 3 Days PAM00753 & Radiomir Black Seal Logo 3 Days PAM00754

A couple of years ago, when the idea of buying a Panerai crossed your mind, you knew that a minimum of 6K would be required. Quite a hefty price for what were, after all, simple tool watches. Yet, it seems that a new strategy is taking shape at the “Officine”. After introducing new and affordable Luminor Base and Marina at the SIHH 2018, the brand is applying the same concept to the Radiomir watches, creating its new entry-level offer: the Radiomir Logo 3 Days PAM00753 and the Radiomir Black Seal Logo 3 Days PAM00754. Back to basics and back to realistic prices – indeed, you can now have a new Panerai for less than EUR 4,000.

A new strategy for Panerai

Even though Panerai is still one of the major actors in the industry, we can’t deny that the brand’s strategy for the past four or five years has been rather difficult to understand: dozens of limited editions, highly priced watches, complex movements, new references with almost no differences to previous ones… Panerai, 10 to 15 years ago, was all about simple but cool looking watches, with reliable movements and that unique Italian flair that made the brand successful – think about the huge Paneristi community. However, many complaints have been heard recently. It was not surprising anymore to see simple new models with prices over 10K – like the latest bronze limited edition PAM00671, for instance.

This situation could be about to change, thanks to recent introductions. At the SIHH 2018, Panerai introduced the Luminor Base Logo 3 Days, a new take on a quintessential model, now equipped with an in-house calibre instead of the OP 1 Calibre (Unitas ETA 6497-1) and priced below 5K. Recently, we showed you the PAM00779, which retails for EUR 7,900, even though its case is DLC-coated titanium and inside is an 8-day movement. Apparently, Panerai is going back to the recipe that made it famous at the end of the 1990s.

With today’s new watches, this strategy seems to be even more concrete. If you can’t expect these new PAM00753 and PAM00754 to be innovative in terms of design, or to be your next Haute-Horlogerie purchase, they simply go back to the roots of the brand: tool-ish, military-inspired watches with realistic prices. And after all, isn’t that what a Panerai should be?

The Radiomir Logo 3 Days PAM00753 and the Radiomir Black Seal Logo 3 Days PAM00754

With this pair of new watches, PAM00753 and PAM00754, Panerai reissues the classical and simpler versions of the Radiomir in a basic, tool-ish and no-frills package. Both watches are modern reinterpretations of older models that used to be in the collection, at that time powered by the externally-sourced OP 1 Calibre.

Design-wise, both models rely on the iconic and well-known cushion-shaped case with wired lugs, water-resistant to 100m and, in this case, measuring 45mm in diameter (the standard dimension for this model) and crafted in polished stainless steel. No additional features, no decoration, no innovative materials, just a simple and functional Radiomir watch. Both are supplied with a natural leather strap (light brown for the PAM00753, dark brown for the PAM00754) with contrasting beige stitching and fastened by a trapezoid steel buckle.

As for the dials, neither of the watches display the so-called “sandwich dial” (reserved to more exclusive pieces in the collection) but standard matte black dials with painted numerals and indices – those are however lightly engraved on the dial to better hold the luminous material. Panerai has chosen a light cream colour for the indices and hands, giving a subtle vintage feel to these watches.

The Radiomir Logo 3 Days PAM00753 is a simple 2-hander with hours and minutes, while the Radiomir Black Seal Logo 3 Days PAM00754 adds a small seconds counter positioned at 9 o’clock. Both watches feature the OP logo below the Panerai inscription at 6 o’clock, explaining their names. Finally, the hands are black coated. Again, no frills, just the necessary and iconic features.

Underneath the solid steel back, the new Radiomir Logo PAM00753 and Radiomir Black Seal Logo PAM00754 use the in-house P.6000 calibre, a hand-wound movement with 72 hours (or 3 days) power reserve. Designed and made in the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, this movement is large (around 38mm) and conceived with reliability in mind – thanks to a transversal cock-bridge with twin supports and a relatively slow 3Hz frequency.

These new Panerai Radiomir Logo PAM00753 and Radiomir Black Seal Logo PAM00754 certainly don’t reinvent the wheel and might not be the most attractive pieces in the collection… at first. What could change your opinion about them is their prices, as the PAM00753 will retail at EUR 3,900 (taxes included) and the PAM00754 at EUR 4,200 (again, taxes included). As said, back to basics and back to more realistic prices. More details on www.panerai.com.