There are a few watches that have perpetually caught my attention over the course of my endless enthusiasm. These aren’t watches I’ve owned, and they aren’t even necessarily watches I’ve yearned to own, but rather luxury Panerai replica watches that have leased micro studio apartments in the basement of my brain. Sometimes I forget they’re there, and then I hear loud music or yelling, or a dog barking. One of those timepieces has been the AAA UK Panerai Radiomir fake watches in its most basic forms. I’m talking about the cushion case, dark sandwich dial, and faux-patina Radiomir.
But as a guy who spends most of his days wearing top replica Panerai watches that range from 36mm-40mm, the one thing that always kept the Radiomir at arm’s length was the size. I loved the aesthetic, the vintage inspiration, and the history, and I didn’t care if it was somehow passé or so 2006 to like the watch. I just liked it. But the 45mm sizing presented considerable issues for my ability to pull it off. And I suspect I am not the only one with that issue.
Over the years, Panerai has released the odd limited run of 42mm Radiomirs, and with those wiry lugs, it’s a compact 42 – but those models seemed to appear and promptly disappear like a ship in the night. And then Watches & Wonders 2023 arrived, or as I like to call it, the time I completely misunderstood what Panerai released… 2023.
I say that because, in March, Panerai announced the perfect fake Panerai Radiomir Quaranta 40mm Goldtech watches – a gold iteration of the watch with a white dial and gold accents that garnered a good deal of attention as W&W kicked off. That watch, with its combination of size and styling, represented everything I have always wanted in a Radiomir – except I was dreaming of steel.
Well, as it turns out, my dream Panerai also launched this year – just earlier in the year by way of the Swiss movements Panerai Radiomir Quaranta copy watches in steel, which takes the tried and true design ethos of the commercial Radiomir (launched in the ’90s) and brings it down to a size I can jive with.
So when the opportunity presented itself for me to spend an extended time with the steel Quaranta, I jumped on it and proceeded to wear the 40mm Radiomir constantly – to the point where I really didn’t want to take it off. Of course, in the end, I had to – but let’s discuss what it was like when it was on.
A Week On The Wrist
It’s a funny thing when you have a certain anticipation of cheap Panerai replica watches before seeing it in person. I actually happened into a Panerai boutique this spring hoping to get a glimpse of the gold Quaranta, which is when I laid eyes on the steel models (which come in black, blue, and silvery white dials) and politely asked, “What are those??”
Just as you’ll see in my video review, I gravitated toward the black dial model. The first thing I noticed was the dial itself, which departs from the usual China online Panerai Radiomir fake watches with its sunray finish (as opposed to the matte I so covet). I suppose something has to give if you’re going to shrink down such an iconic watch with mid-century Italian diving heritage. At 40mm, it loses its tool-watchiness and gains a bit more of a dressed-up approach.
The dial texture isn’t the only change. We get a date window with a matching black background at three o’clock, where the literal numeral three would normally be, and a small seconds sundial at nine o’clock. Both elements make the watch far more functional than a typical Panerai by providing the ability to see the sweeping seconds and also tell what day it is.
But I’m an enthusiast, and pure function is not what I’m after. I far prefer a no-date execution, and so I miss having the three and the nine on the dial, though I will settle for the 12 and six – which do a good job showing off the sandwich effect (whereby the dial sits a few millimeters above a sheet of luminous material).
Maybe settle is a strong word, but the overall 40mm sizing makes this best quality super clone Panerai watches so incredibly wearable that I am willing to allow for these changes. In some ways, the 40mm sizing, signature Panerai lugs, sunray finish, and sub-11mm thickness make this feel like Panerai’s take on a dress watch.
I likely wouldn’t wear this watch to a wedding – but I also won’t say never. And since this model also comes in blue and white dials in steel, those other options only accentuate the dressiness. Speaking of which, the Panerai replica watches for men feature a rose-gold-hued handset, which gives them a gilt effect similar to what you might see on the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight. I don’t necessarily dislike it, but it almost feels like a bridge too far. Had the hands taken on a more steely color, I think it would have worked better against the steel case.
But again, size, size, size. The feeling of the cushion case and the tapering strap gave me every inch of the feeling of wearing a Panerai Radiomir without feeling like I was wearing a shrunken Radiomir. In fact, It almost made me feel as if I had an 8-inch wrist. I don’t, by the way.
I think it’s important to remember where these watches come from in terms of heritage. The early Panerai fake watches shop were designed for the Italian military. They were purpose-built watches meant to get wet. And it’s with that idea in mind that I struggle with the decision to only give the Quaranta 30m of water resistance. More curious is the idea that there is a screw-down crown. I cannot tell if this particular screw-down crown (with no seals that I could see) is Panerai’s version of Tudor’s faux rivets, but it certainly made me chuckle. Who knows? Maybe this is the first watch that is actually rated to 30m depths. I won’t be testing that theory.
Water resistance notwithstanding, this Swiss made replica Panerai Radiomir watches achieves exactly what I need it to by radiating pure Radiomir energy in a comfortable size that feels like a tool watch, down to the inclusion of a closed caseback housing the P.900 caliber with 42 hours of power reserve. At the $6,000 price point, though, it’s not without competition.