Panerai Radiomir 1940 Limited Edition Chronographs

Panerai has a knack for SIHH novelties and this year is no exception. With a handful of special pieces being released, I'm going to focus on what caught my eye. Being rather firmly a Radiomir guy (unless we're talking about last year's drool-worthy 1950 Regatta 3 Days), I found myself taken by the new Radiomir 1940 Chronograph. With three limited edition versions rendered exclusively in precious metals, these aren't your garden variety Radiomirs and their dial design eschews Panerai's signature sparse appeal for something entirely more retro.

While the three versions may sport different case materials and dial designs, they do have a number of shared elements. Case size is 45mm wide and, being of the "1940" Radiomir variety, they have Luminor style lugs (rather than the Radiomir's signature wire lugs). The 1940 Chronograph is fitted with a 2.8 mm thick plexiglas crystal up front and a sapphire crystal in the rear to allow a view of the Panerai OP XXV movement. The plexiglas is likely employed to support the vintage vibe of the 1940 aesthetic.