Panerai made the original Radiomir watches for the Italian Royal Navy’s underwater commandos.
Panerai developed specialized instruments for Italian naval personnel, including luminous equipment and watches. The Radiomir name refers to a luminous compound based on radium that was used for visibility in dark underwater conditions. Early military watches supplied in the 1930s used large cushion-shaped cases and wire-style lugs, features that later influenced Panerai’s civilian designs.
The watches were associated with the Decima Flottiglia MAS, an Italian naval unit whose personnel used human torpedoes and other underwater equipment. Modern Panerai models inspired by this history are luxury watches and may use safer modern luminous materials rather than the original radium-based compound.
Radiomir is also the name of a modern Panerai collection. It is distinct from the Luminor family, whose prominent crown-protection bridge is one of its most recognizable features.