Radiomir California

[etc]

I received a Radiomir "California" from Joshua recently. A watch full of surprises. Here are a few shots - taken quickly, so please excuse the lack of quality - my enthusiasm ran away with me.

Let's start with the obligatory wrist shot:

Here is the first surprise. This is a big watch - 47mm excluding crown. But it doesn't look, or feel, big. Well, not too big, anyway. Looks OK on my wrist, doesn't it?

Here is the next surprise. The domed acrylic crystal. Now... this is big! Wow!

I love the way that the big dome distorts the appearance of the hands. Dali - eat your heart out!

The crown is of course, completely wrong for the 1938 model - which had a Brevet crown. But it is exactly right for the yet-to-be-reissued special edition.

That isn't dirt in the crown. It is the remains of the blue protective film that I failed to remove. Hanging my head in shame...

There is probably an EEC regulation against movements looking as good as this...

The hands look black most of the time. But get the light falling right and they look just like blued steel. Perhaps they are.

All in all, an amazing watch. Keeping perfect time, looking great from any angle. I love it!

A vintage strap has been ordered from HK Tan. We are going to use old leather torn from the seats of an abandoned Chinese railway carriage. That should be just right for this amazing vintage watch.

Have fun!

 

[crick]

wow nice pics! the 47mm watch looks great on your wrist

i love the dome. something about domes that always brings the life of a watch out.

 

[Klink]

u r simply
2 kewl
of watch on wrist!!

Nize photo taking also!!!

Life is Good!
Klink

 

[Novesh]

nicee. I like it.

can't wait til there will be a flawless rep of this...lol

 

[Klink]

seems like maybe
flawless and replica not maybe in
same sentence
often...

 

[Novesh]

seems like maybe
flawless and replica not maybe in
same sentence
often...

less flawed then jeez nitpicking haha

 

[Klink]

LOL...
mostly me dun know
which is nit
2 pick...

 

[bigbadbrad]

-

Simply wonderful. I love the classicism of the 'Cali'.

 

[Perspex Tropic]

Congrats!

Welcome to the the Cali Club.

1938 is the number of Pam232's made, Not the 1936 units of the Cali Pam249.
Funny That this 'mistake' on the 249 Rep is actually the correct Year for the 3646 California Oyster Rolex dial to be produced, the 3646 with Panerai Sandwich dial apeared in 1939.
1936 was the Year the Prototype 2533 Radiomir was made.

I have heard some Panaristi coment that the Production models Will feature the Oignon Crown With Roman letters "OP" ingraved rather then the Stylized "OP" Logo found on the Rep.
Can't check it, I accidently lost my Huge file on Modern 'Historic' (Is Panerai Confusing or Not!) Radiomirs.

Don't Compare The 232, 262 and 249 to the Original 3646 Rolex Radiomirs they are too different Here is A article on them;
http://replica-watch.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9545

 

[babola]

Congrats!

Welcome to the the Cali Club.

1938 is the number of Pam232's made, Not the 1936 units of the Cali Pam249.
Funny That this 'mistake' on the 249 Rep is actually the correct Year for the 3646 California Oyster Rolex dial to be produced, the 3646 with Panerai Sandwich dial apeared in 1939.
1936 was the Year the Prototype 2533 Radiomir was made.

I have heard some Panaristi coment that the Production models Will feature the Oignon Crown With Roman letters "OP" ingraved rather then the Stylized "OP" Logo found on the Rep.
Can't check it, I accidently lost my Huge file on Modern 'Historic' (Is Panerai Confusing or Not!) Radiomirs.

Don't Compare The 232, 262 and 249 to the Original 3646 Rolex Radiomirs they are too different Here is A article on them;
http://replica-watch.info/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9545

Man I keep saving your post into my "reference" bin...when did you learn so much about Panerais, great stuff !
So would the 2533 be the very first production Panerai watch ?

cheers,
babola

 

[Gunscrossed]

Cool looking watch, might have to think about getting one of these? :lol:

 

[ragerover]

So would the 2533 be the very first production Panerai watch?

The 2533 was the first prototype...and possibly the first ever Panerai "labled" watch. I say labled, as the 3646 case and movement came from Rolex. Most (all?) of the 6152s and 6154s also seem to have came from Rolex. After a certain point, I am confused as to what Panerai actually made other than the dial (on later watches, the cali dial was supplied by Rolex), buckle for the strap, and the crown guard on later watches..

It seems to me that with the vintage Panerais, that only the GPF 2/56 "Egiziano" and the "Israeli" (with the locking turning bezel) were made by Panerai.

Form Panerisi: "The first prototype watch, using a 47mm Rolex case with a Rolex movement and a Rolex winding crown, is called “2533â€

 

[babola]

So would the 2533 be the very first production Panerai watch?

The 2533 was the first prototype...and possibly the first ever Panerai "labled" watch. I say labled, as the 3646 case and movement came from Rolex. Most (all?) of the 6152s and 6154s also seem to have came from Rolex. After a certain point, I am confused as to what Panerai actually made other than the dial (on later watches, the cali dial was supplied by Rolex), buckle for the strap, and the crown guard on later watches..

It seems to me that with the vintage Panerais, that only the GPF 2/56 "Egiziano" and the "Israeli" (with the locking turning bezel) were made by Panerai.

Form Panerisi: "The first prototype watch, using a 47mm Rolex case with a Rolex movement and a Rolex winding crown, is called “2533â€

 

[ragerover]

There really isn't a pre-3646. Before the 3646 was the 2533, and there only 1, the prototype owned by Ferretti. Although you never know with Panerai, maybe another 2533 or someother unknown prototype will pop up.

What I am not sure about is the history of the 2533 and 3646. 3646 was first production watch. But I have never seen or been able to find any info on the design and the military. Maybe the military did not like the 2533 dial? or Panerai decided that production would be too difficult (and left it up to Rolex to supply the Cali dial)? who knows...

Don't forget, Panerai owned a watch shop, which is now the Panerai showroom in Florence. Some unique pieces may show up in the future providing some link. But now that Panerai is sold, family members have passed on, the exact history will likely never be known.