Panerai Radiomir 1936 PAM 249 Luxury Watch Review

http://www.thewatchbox.com Once again, Panerai goes to its well of history and draws a motherlode of vintage style. The 1,936-piece limited edition Panerai Radiomir 1936 PAM 249 pays tribute to the pioneering Panerai combat dive watches of the late 1930s. As the first wristwatches ever designed specifically for amphibious use, the Panerai 3646 - inspiration for this PAM 249 - stands as the forefather of all modern dive watches. Panerai's historic catalog never lacks for source material. In crafting the Radiomir 1936 PAM 249, Panerai's designers reached back to the seminal moment when Rolex of Geneva and Officine Panerai of Florence pooled their resources to create a watch that could serve the needs of the world's first amphibious tactical forces. Water resistance was mandatory, but so was extreme low-light legibility. The only solution involved a large illuminated dial in a hermetically sealed case. Rolex's unique "Oyster Pocket Watch" was the only timepiece that fit the contract requirement; with the addition of soldered-on wire lugs, a Panerai "Radiomir" radium lume dial, and a waxed calf leather strap, the first Panerai combat watch was born. Each Radiomir 1936 PAM 249 follows the footsteps of its illustrious forebear. A 2mm domed plexiglas crystal is true to the original and recreates the charming "bubble" distortion of the dial features. Likewise, the famed Rolex "California" dial with half Roman / half Arabic numerals is a vision of the prototype while maintainin