Watch in the Box Episode 2 | Bob's Watches

Welcome to Watch In The Box. Every week, hundreds of boxes are shipped to our Newport Beach headquarters from all over the globe, and inside every box is a luxury watch with its own unique story. We never know exactly what we are going to find until the box is opened. In Episode 2, we unboxed a stunning 1936 tribute Panerai Radiomir with a California dial. Only 1,936 pieces were produced in the limited series, with the example that we have here today listed as 963/1,936. Its design is an homage to the original 1936 Radiomir and almost mirrors it exactly with a similar case, a manual-winding movement, and a dial topped with vintage-inspired luminous plots. The dive watches produced by Panerai in the mid-1930s displayed the time with Radium-based “Radiomir” luminous plots, which darkened over the years developing a light brown patina. This effect is simulated on the 1936 model with longer-lasting Superluminova material in a warm, vintage-inspired hue. The semi-glossy dial also features what avid pre-owned collectors refer to as a “California” dial, which showcases Roman numeral hour markers on the top half and Arabic hour markers on the bottom half. The dial is also absent of any additional writing or logos, staying true to the Radiomir’s roots as a military combat dive watch. Early Panerai dive watches were produced by Rolex and then modified by Panerai in Italy. While the Luminor is often regarded as the collection watches most associated with Officine Panerai, the desi