Officine Panerai Radiomir “8 Giorni Brevettato” – the 8 days diver’s wristwatch that was patented. Powered by the Angelus movement, it is also known as the Egiziano or the “Egyptian” as it was made in 1956 by Panerai for the Egyptian Navy Commandos. It is said that this watch was water-resistant to 200 metres. Photo: © Officine Panerai
How well made was Officine Panerai’s Radiomir “8 Giorni Brevettato”?
Nicknamed the Egiziano as it was supplied to the Egyptian military, this watch was made in 1956. The Egiziano, produced in very limited quantities (50 pieces), was used by the Egyptian military men right up to the 1980s.
Said to be water-resistant to 200 metres, the success of the Egiziano led to additional production and these were supplied to other Mediterranean navies.
Interestingly, the mid 1950s was significant in Egypt’s history. In 1956, the Suez Crisis erupted after the nationalization of the Suez Canal led to the prospect of hostilities between America’s NATO allies and Egypt, an emerging and influential Middle Eastern power.
During the Second World War, Panerai diving watches were also used by the Italian Navy commandos. For underwater operations, their modus operandi was to ride on SLCs (the Siluro a Lenta Corsa) or slow-speed torpedoes called maiali or “pigs” and which were also known as “black seals”.
Well, fans of Panerai, especially those who are in Singapore during this period and with a keen interest in their diving watches, are in for a treat in late August and early September 2015 as the brand will be staging a “History and Legend” exhibition at ION Orchard where they can immerse themselves (pun intended) in the brand’s heritage.
On display are selected historical Panerai watches that represent the brand during different eras. The exhibits include a full-size prototype of the slow-speed torpedo that is 7.5 metres long with a diameter of 0.53 metres.
Panerai History and Legend Exhibition
When: From 27 August 2015 (Thursday) to 6 September 2015 (Sunday)
Where: ION Orchard, Singapore
From 11am to 9pm daily
Admission is free
For those interested to learn more, half-hour guided tours are available at 3pm and 5pm. Registration for the guided tours can be made via email: ion.singapore@singapore.com
The Panerai boutique is also located at ION Orchard and this is ideal for those who also wish to view “descendants” of the Egiziano. These include the PAM 614 Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio and the PAM 615 Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio.
Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic Titanio 47mm – PAM 615 displaying its luminescence. Introduced in 2015, it houses the in-house P.9100 column wheel chronograph with vertical clutch and features the flyback chronograph function. The bezel is in ceramic. The PAM 615 is a “descendant” of the Radiomir “8 Giorni Brevettato” or Egiziano. Photo: © Officine Panerai
Both are 2015 models and are from the Divers Professional range of Panerai. A visit to the Panerai boutique where friendly staff can explain more is just a few steps away from the exhibition area.
Now if you had spotted the “8 Giorni Brevettato” at the three o’clock position on the dial of the 1956 Egiziano (the opening image of this article) and are wondering what it is, the Italian words mean “8 days patent” when translated to English. The Egyptian had 8 days of power reserve and the mechanism was probably patented.
Panerai’s “History and Legend” exhibition spans 11 days and we highly recommend a visit.
We have already penned it down and written in Italian: mostra di 11 giorni in our diary – which means “11 days exhibition” when translated in English. Not being well-versed in Italian, do pardon us if this is erroneous. What is definitely certain for us is that this exhibition is a must-visit.
