Move Over Moonwatch, There's a New Watch in Space - The Panerai PAM210
Last night, we saw something very interesting in both the watch community, and the space community. During the 7-hour International Space Station walk feed from NASA, journalists saw something interesting and started passing around information trying to verify it. On the wrist of Russian Astronaut Anton Shkaplerov was a different kind of “Space Watch” - A Panerai.
More specifically, the Panerai Radiomar (PAM210). The large faced stainless-steel watch measures in at 45mm, and features only two hands on the dial - eliminating the clutter, and making the watch easy to read in… well, extenuating circumstances. Additionally, just like the Omega Speedmaster Counter-Part, the PAM210 features an Manual Wind OP X movement instead of an automatic.
Being that the watch has Associated with Extra Vehicular Activity (or EVA for short), it’s important that the watch is robust and capable. Because of the massive differentiations in temperature, a watch that can go from 120+ degrees in the sun, to -150+ Degrees in the shadows is absolutely imperative. So to see that a Panerai holding up in these temperatures, and this pressure is beyond impressive for a brand that hasn’t been intentionally tested for space.
Panerai took to Instagram to show their excitement, and while it’s both charming and fun, it’s also curious to see if we’re looking at another emergence for a space watch.
If our timepieces have been tested since many years and in many occasions in the depth of various oceans, it is the very first time we have one of our watch in the space.
We are glad that one of our timepiece has been selected for this activity.
In a category that is absolutely dominated by the Omega Speedmaster, it’s so much fun to see Panerai emerging in the same (ahem…) Space. As a pretty hardcore and self-proclaimed fan of all things outer-limits and all things watches, seeing other brands make their way to the cosmos is super exciting. We’ve recently seen IWC’s Inspiration 4 Chronograph emerge as a formidable space watch, and obviously, Jeff Bezo’s infamous space adventure in (of course) an Omega Speedmaster last year, we’ve definitely seen an interest in watches as space travel becomes more and more attainable.
While, it appears that Panerai was unaware that their watch was in space until it was formally confirmed this morning, I’ll be interested to see if they capitalize on this venture. It’d almost be crazy for them not to considering that half the watch industry is abuzz with this weeks happenings in Space. What do you guys think?
Will we eventually see a watch designed and produced by Panerai specifically for space?
Let us know in the comments below.