Panerai Radiomir Titanium PAM 322: Minerva Power, Panerai Style (VIDEO BLOG)

The Panerai Radiomir Titanium PAM 322 is like a horology Hall of Fame for your wrist. Take the original specwar/tactical forces watch and add a movement from Minerva, one of the top micro-manufactures in Switzerland, and the result is a very special Panerai limited edition of 150 watches.

Minerva is the greatest watchmaker most people have never heard of. A practitioner of nearly dead arts including manual hairspring manufacture and movement polish with indigenous flora (e.g., grass stems and young branches), Minerva isn’t so much a watch factory as a living time capsule of old Swiss savoir faire.

And the Panerai Radiomir Titanium PAM 322 puts the best of old-school Minerva on display under a sprawling sapphire case back.

Within the Radiomir Titanium PAM 322, Minerva’s traditional architecture reads like the blueprint of a nineteenth century railroad chronometer; simply reveling in the elegant simplicity of this movement is like taking an introductory course in watchmaking; the progression of power from winding crown to barrel to train to beating escapement is crystal clear.

As for the finish, well… examining that is more like taking a master class.

The movements from Villeret feature exquisite finish to rival the best of Geneva and Saxony. Panerai‘s caliber OP XXVII (Minerva 16-17) in the PAM 322 is resplendent with a black polished swan’s neck regulator and screw heads, gorgeous Geneva stripes, radiant dressage graining on the rhodium-plated wheels and circular graining on the brass wheels of the train.

And the Villeret factory’s output is measured in mere *hundreds* of units per year. And since 2007, the Montblanc brand has owned a virtual monopoly on Minerva’s output… with a few rare exceptions.

As Montblanc’s corporate cousin within the Richemont luxury group, Officine Panerai is granted occasional access to the shop floors of Villeret, and the 150-unit 2008 special edition Panerai Radiomir PAM 322 represents a rare successful run through the Montblanc corporate blockade.

The Panerai Radiomir PAM 322 adds a visual knockout punch to the mechanical mastery of Minerva. A brushed titanium case, polished titanium bezel, tobacco-colored “sandwich” Panerai dial, rose gold hands, and a knurled rose gold dial rehaut create an upscale image worthy of the regal heart that beats within.

Naturally, all of the historic appeal of traditional Panerai sports watches is present in force. The Radiomir case shape is based on the legendary Panerai Model 3646, a classic cushion-case shape built by Rolex and modified for combat by Officine Panerai’s specialists. The 1936 design was optimized for legibility and ergonomic efficiency; the important things never change. Easily detachable wire lugs (screw retained) permit easy strap swaps at home for impromptu makeovers.

While the PAM 322 remains a do-it-all sports watch, it offers the advantages of 100 meter water resistance, the finish of a luxury timepiece, the refinement and flat fit of a distinguished dress watch, and the timeless appeal of Panerai’s famed combat gear-turned-style-statement.

See this exceptional Panerai Radiomir Titanium PAM 322 with full factory boxes, manuals, and documents of provenance in high-resolution images on www.watchuwant.com.