Panerai Radiomir Black Seal PAM 183 Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Behold the essence of Panerai: the Panerai Radiomir Black Seal PAM 183. Its 45mm stainless steel case and contents read like a love letter to the "Paneristi" devotees of the brand. In 1936, this case profile - then known as the "Panerai 3646" - amounted to a military secret. Originally built by Rolex and modified by Panerai for combat use, the "3646" was designed to ride into battle with the combat swimmers of the Italian Navy's "Decima Flottiglia MAS, the first amphibious elite forces. While the watch wasn't dubbed the "Radiomir" at the time, Radiomir was the name of the radium-based paint that gave the dials their distinctive nighttime glow. While Radiomir paint no longer graces the dial of modern Panerai watches like the PAM 183, the name endures within the contemporary model line that most closely parallels the look of the pioneering early watches. This Panerai Radiomir "Black Seal" is a tribute to those watches and the men who took them into harm's way. Each feature of the PAM 183 recalls a significant episode of Panerai's naval history. The case and "onion" crown takes their cues from the immortal "3646" (itself a Rolex pocket watch with welded-on wire lugs!); the dial pays tribute to the 1950s-era 8 Day movements with their small seconds subdial at 9 o'clock; a discreet "OP" logo in stylized 1970's fashion graces the crown. "Black Seal" is blazon on the dial, and its prominence glorifies the exploits of the Italian combat swimmers who