Are you more of a Panerai Radiomir or Luminor person? You should know after watching this video.

Andrew McUtchen

Editor’s note: There are two incredibly strong and distinctive design codes within the Panerai brand. They are the Radiomir and Luminor collections — both are instantly recognisable. Both have unimpeachable histories: one decorated in war, the other in Hollywood. Both are manly as all get-out on the wrist. Though, interestingly, the more popular — and iconic — of the two is the baby, the less battle-tested Luminor. Hopefully you learn something through this process. We certainly did.  

I’m putting myself out there in this video, which aims to establish whether the Panerai Luminor or Radiomir collection is more your jam. I’m pulling zero punches when I admit, in the opening few seconds, that at the time I bought my first ‘real’ watch, a Luminor PAM 177, I didn’t even know the Radiomir collection existed. This video is for people who are still unsure where they would stand if push turned to Panerai purchase, but want to explore. Is the slightly more svelte Radiomir, with its rounded cushion case, right? Or are you more connected to the big old Luminor crown guard? Beyond the looks, what about their histories? The stories that explain why they exist? If you’ve ever considered any of these questions, we hopefully have the answers for you right here.

Back to that first luxury watch love of mine, the Luminor. The truth is, it wouldn’t have made much difference at the time if I had been more educated. I’d seen it in a magazine I was editing. It was a profound case of love at first sight. As bizarre as it might seem now, I’d never been much into watches before that moment. Little did I know, that titanium beast, with its crown guard and sandwich dial, would push me down a rabbit hole that leads to today. Where so many of my waking hours are dedicated to the tiny machine with the heartbeat. So, in some respects, my story with watches starts here …