Ultimate Buying Guide for Panerai Watches & Straps

As the leading producer of custom rubber watch straps, Rubber B consistently strives to innovate and improve on our existing product catalog, which features custom rubber watch straps for watches from leading watchmakers around the globe, such as Rolex, Tudor, Panerai, and Audemars Piguet.

There are few watch manufacturers currently on the market who have inspired the kind of brand loyalty that Panerai has, particularly over the last two to three decades. The devotees of the storied Italian watchmaker even have a nickname amongst themselves – Paneristi, itself a play on the name for celebrity photographers, and paparazzi.

While Rubber B has certainly covered the brand on our blog before, we have never undertaken a full deep dive into what makes Panerai such a unique and beloved company in the horological community. With that in mind, we have decided to produce an Ultimate Buying Guide for Panerai Watches & Straps.

This guide for Panerai watches & straps will be divided into several sections. We will begin with a brief history of the company itself, then learn more about the different models of watches that they offer. We will also discuss the movements within these watches, and then finally conclude with a section on what kinds of rubber watch straps Rubber B offers for Panerai watches.

We sincerely hope that this guide for Panerai watches helps both seasoned collectors and those who are new to the watch-collecting community that is interested in learning more about the company.

A Brief History of Panerai

Panerai has one of the more interesting corporate histories within the backdrop of watch production. This mainly has to do with the circumstances of their founding, and how that would impact their initial clientele.

Despite the fact that the company is now headquartered in Switzerland, Panerai is, at its core, very much an Italian brand. It was founded by Giovanni Panerai, who opened up his first watch shop in 1860. However, it was his grandson, Guido, who would help expand the company and develop it into the brand that so many aficionados know and love today.

Initially, the company gained some local prominence in Italy by inventing luminescent gun sights. He named the mixture that allowed for the sights to be luminescent Radiomir, which comes from the Italian phrase “radio mire,” or radium sights, in English. This would bring the company to the attention of the Regia Marina, otherwise known as the Italian navy.

Soon, the company would become one of the largest suppliers of equipment to the Italian navy within the country. They provided a large amount of precision measurement equipment, including some of the world’s earliest diving watches, as well as depth gauges and compasses. Panerai would play a pivotal role in diving watches becoming available to everyday consumers.

For many years, civilians were not even able to purchase Panerai watches or equipment. In fact, the company did not begin making its watches available to the public until 1993. This was around the time when Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone discovered the brand while filming the movie Daylight in Italy. This would lead to the brand beginning to find a more international audience.

In 1997, the company was purchased by a Swiss conglomerate, the Richemont Group. In 2001, the brand was reintroduced to the public as a luxury label, leading to the version of Panerai that collectors have become familiar with over the past two decades.

What Are The Different Types of Panerai Watch Models?

It would certainly not be possible to produce a guide for Panerai watches & straps without actually exploring the watches that made Panerai so popular in the first place. In order to fully understand their catalog, it is best to divide the watches into easy-to-remember categories.

For the purposes of our guide, we will focus on four primary categories of Panerai watches: Radiomir, Luminor, Luminor Due, and Submersible. While all of these are dive watches and very much retain Panerai’s distinctly Italian spirit, they each have distinctive features that will help prospective buyers figure out which type of watch they are looking at.

Panerai Radiomir:

The most immediately distinguishable feature of a Panerai Radiomir watch is its lack of crown guards. This allows the watch to have a much less austere look than some of its counterparts in terms of the casing of the watch. Even though the company started out producing military watches, this piece presents much more like a dress watch. This completely stands to reason when one remembers that the company has spent the last twenty-some-odd years as a luxury retailer.

There are several versions of this watch available, but each falls into one of two overarching styles: the Radiomir classic, or the Radiomir 1940. The classic iteration is distinguishable by its flared crown and wired lugs, while the 1940 version of these watches has thicker lugs and a cylindrical winding crown.

Panerai Luminor:

Before we even talk about this watch’s features, it is worth spending a brief moment on its name to bring up an important historical note about Panerai watches.

The radium that Guido Panerai used on his gunsights was also used on Panerai watch dials to make them more visible in low light conditions. Unfortunately, radium is a radioactive material and hazardous to a person’s health, but this was not well-known at the time. Once this became common knowledge, Panerai switched to a new luminescent material, which is Tritium based and is not dangerous to a person’s well-being.

One of the defining features of the Panerai Luminor watch is its prominent crown guard bridge. While its casing is very similar to other Panerai watches, the crown guard helps this watch stand out when compared to other styles of Panerai watches. This style of Panerai watch has, over the years, become the most popular and is now something of a standard bearer for the company.

Panerai Luminor Due:

As its name implies, the Panerai Luminor Due is a direct descendant of the Panerai Luminor line of watches. “Due” is Italian for the number two, meaning that this watch is a direct sequel in this case. Initially released in 2016, there are some key features that separate it from its older sibling.

The Panerai Luminor Due sports many of the same design elements and technical features as its predecessor. However, in going for a more refined look, this watch has a much thinner case than the original Luminor. This means that while this watch has a sleeker look, it is not as waterproof as the older models.

Panerai Submersible:

In many ways, despite being the newest product line, the Panerai Submersible is the style of Panerai watch that most hearkens back to the company’s original purpose in terms of function.

The Submersible has a much bulkier case and a rotating bezel, which are common features among professional-grade dive watches. While the Submersible has only been its own product line since 2019, it continues on the proud tradition of Panerai’s commitment to quality engineering and craftsmanship that has always been present in its work.

What Are The Different Types of Panerai Movements?

The history of Panerai movements is somewhat complex, as it is intertwined with its oldest competitor and sometimes associate – Rolex. For many years, all of Panerai’s watches and movements were actually manufactured by Rolex. Over time, Panerai began to take control of the production of their watches, but they still used Rolex movements in their watches.

However, in 2005, that changed again, as the company began manufacturing both its watches and movements completely in-house. Panerai, understandably, was very excited about this development, and their watches have maintained a significantly high quality since making this switch.

What Kinds of Watch Straps Does Rubber B Offer for Panerai Watches? Buying Guide for Panerai

Rubber B has been crafting custom rubber watch straps for Panerai watches for several decades. We produce watch straps for several models of Panerai watches, including the Luminor, the Luminor Panerai, and the Luminor Submersible, all of which are available in various sizes.

For more information on our complete selection of Panerai products, please visit here today.

Are You in Need of a Custom Rubber Watch Band For Your Luxury Watch? Visit Rubber B Today

All of our watch bands are made from 100% vulcanized rubber and manufactured in Switzerland by industry professionals with decades of experience behind them. All of Rubber B’s straps are also non-toxic and non-allergenic, ensuring a quality product that is sure to last for years to come. 

If you would like to learn more about our complete list of products, shipping policies, and pricing, or have questions about our custom rubber watch straps, please visit the Rubber B website today for more information. One of our valued team members will be happy to answer your inquiry in a timely manner.

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