In 1936 Panerai carried out tests on precision instruments that would equip the Italian Royal Navy's new underwater assault vehicles and operators under a secret programme. Ref 2533 outperformed the other prototypes and later its successor Ref 3646, illuminated by a radium paste, became known as the Radiomir military watch.
Eilean, a beautiful yatch that would later belong to Panerai, was also built in 1936 by William Fife III of Fife boatyard in Fairlie, Scotland.
Hallmark features of the historic timepiece and aesthetic lineage of the 22m ketch come together in Radiomir Eilean, available in only 449 pieces per year as a reference to the sail number of the yacht. Panerai launched the limited-edition model in mid July, to coincide with Eilean's stop in Porto Santa Margherita Ligure, near Portofino in Italy.
The Radiomir Eilean is a representation of Italianità, a concept that describes the highest expression of distinctly Italian culture, style and identity. Likewise the restoration of the legendary Eilean showcases painstaking Italian craftsmanship.
The 20-year-old Eilean sailing in 1956.
Her name meaning "little island", Eilean sailed the seas of Europe and the Caribbean for decades before falling into disrepair in the early 21st century. In 2006, the Bermudan ketch was discovered in an abandoned state and languishing in a mangrove bay in Antigua by Panerai's former CEO Angelo Bonati, who recognised that she's a classic Fife boat.
Brought to Viareggio in Italy on a cargo boat, Eilean was given a new lease of life at the historic Francesco del Carlo shipyard, whose craftsmen still work with traditional techniques and materials.
They recovered materials and instruments that could be saved, and employed the traditional techniques to ensure that the result would be as faithful as possible to the original.
The wooden rudder and 60% of the hull's Burma teak cladding were restored while the compass and the bronze portholes were reconditioned and reinstalled. Parts which could not be recovered were accurately recreated: for instance, the woodwork of the elegant interiors dominated by rectangular panels.
The epic restoration took two-and-a-half years and more than 40,000 hours, and Eilean was reborn as Panerai's ambassador.
Her teak deck inspires striations and variegated brown finish on the dial of the Radiomir Eilean. The dragon emblem that decorates the boat's hull was reproduced in an engraving on the left-hand side of the case, while the caseback and strap bear an inscription "Eilean 1936" that is identical to the one located on the boom.
Radiomir Eilean couples the hallmark features of the historic Radiomir timepiece and the aesthetic lineage of the storied yacht Eilean.
Made from leather produced in Tuscany, the strap features hand-stitching inspired by lacing found on the sails of Eilean.
The model is housed in a 45mm patina steel case with proportions and features of Radiomir's original design. The patina steel with a matte finish reflects light with a softer, warmer lustre than highly polished metal.
Vintage-style golden finish hands mark the time on a signature sandwich dial featuring numerals and indices in beige Super-LumiNova with a green glow.
Water resistant to 100m, the Radiomir Eilean is powered by a hand-wound mechanical movement offering a three-day power reserve, designed and developed at the Panerai manufacture in Neuchatel, Switzerland.
Tracing its history, Panerai's watchmaking began in Florence in 1860. The company then became a supplier of precision instruments to the Italian Royal Navy.
A radium-based powder to illuminate the dial of the nautical instruments was patented in 1916. With very low and harmless emissions, the luminescent tritium-based Luminor was patented in 1949, and a military watch characterised by a crown-protecting bridge was later launched with the same name.
Radiomir Eilean couples the hallmark features of the historic Radiomir timepiece and the aesthetic lineage of the storied yacht Eilean.
The designs of the Radiomir and Luminor were previously covered by the Military Secrets Act, and Panerai watches were launched on the international market only after the Italian brand was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997.
The restored Eilean was launched at the Sailing Section of the Italian Navy in La Spezia on Oct 22, 2009.
Three years later, her return to the Caribbean for the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta had her reuniting with the band Duran Duran, who shot their music video of the song Rio on board the beautiful Eilean in 1982.
Her comeback was marked by a unique edition of navigation instruments: a barometer, hygrometer, thermometer and a wall clock, all made of stainless steel and customised with the Eilean logo.
Panerai also created an exclusive edition of the Marine Chronometer with a suspension system that enables the clock to remain in a horizontal position at all times, regardless of the pitching and rolling of the boat.
The new Radiomir Eilean wristwatch is a double celebration of Panerai's iconic timepiece and the storied yacht while sharing their maritime heritage.
