When you look at certain watch brands you’ll notice pretty quickly what their preferred strap is. If you look at a Rolex catalogue it won’t take long to see that 90% of their watches are all on a metal bracelet and conversely a Brand like JLC will have most of hotwire watches on a leather strap. Metal and leather seem to be the top two choices for all big watch brands apart from one. Panerai showcase most of their watches on a rubber strap which is a bold move as people tend to associate metal or leather straps with luxury watches. Today we will explore why Panerai watches work so well on rubber.
In the 1930s, the company began developing highly specialised watches for Italian Navy divers, with the first Radiomir prototype appearing in 1935. Their watches were designed around one simple objective, they needed to be reliable, highly legible and capable of surviving the extreme conditions encountered by underwater commandos. The watches that followed established many of the characteristics that still define Panerai today, including oversized cases, highly legible dials and robust construction. The Luminor continued this evolution, introducing the distinctive crown-protection device that has since become one of the most recognisable features in the entire watch industry. Panerai's diving heritage continued to develop throughout the middle of the twentieth century, with watches becoming increasingly resistant and capable of operating underwater. By 1993, Panerai finally opened its doors to the civilian market, bringing its unmistakable military-inspired designs to a much wider audience.
