TeeJay Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 A hundred and eighty days ago, I wrote this review on a Radiomir I bought for a friend's birthday. Well, I got one for my birthday, and just wanted to do a quick follow-up review. I covered pretty much every aspect of the watch when I initially reviewed it, all except one thing. Extended wear... Having worn this watch solidly for about a week now, I can honestly say that it has really won me over. Not just because it's 'my new watch', but because it is so ideal for my immediate requirements. At the moment, I don't need the additional complications of a second sweep or a date wheel, so a base dial is all I need. The case is no larger than a Luminor case, but the dial itself is larger, so I'm getting the benefit of a larger dial, without the need for a larger case Now, I love my Luminors, but, the symmetry of the Radiomir case is much more elegant, and it slips under a shirt sleeve without even a hint of snagging. It looks ideal for wearing to the most formal of events, yet was designed for wear in naval combat, where functionality was the only requirement. Okay, so the Radiomir can't go on an SS Bracelet, but with a case that looks as good as these do, who cares? This Radiomir was purchased from the same dealer as the first (although the price had either gone up, or I got a considerable discount on the first) and they are identical in every way, except one. Mine has an AR coating on the crystal. By preference, black hands would be nice, but, the silver hands remind me of my 127 The only issue of water resistance was remedied by completely screwing the caseback down. Slightly sloppy assembly in that instance, but, considering that with the caseback secure the watch is waterproof (so it is not a mechanical flaw) I'm not too concerned. Unlike the Radiomir I bought for my friend, this one is being worn with leather straps. I have fitted it with a 26mm Caoutchouc-style rubber dive strap to test its water resistance, and it is very comfortable on it, but, as previously reported, the shoulders of the strap do somewhat overpower the flatness of the case, and a leather strap is much more fitting. On my 26mm Andy strap, it is a fitting homage to the original Radiomirs of the Italian navy. On my 26mm BOB strap, it is casual, but elegant. A watch of taste, not ostentation. It's quickly become a firm favorite, so much so, that my original plans to transplant the movement into a PVD Radiomir case have been shelved. Oh I still plan on building a base PVD Radiomir, but I won't be disassembling this one to do so For a feature by feature score, feel free to read my original review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athan Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Very nice watch TeeJay! Did it survive the waterproof test? Also what do you mean by AR coating on the crystal? Doesn't it have the usual CN AR film? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Very nice watch TeeJay! Did it survive the waterproof test? Also what do you mean by AR coating on the crystal? Doesn't it have the usual CN AR film? Thanks, I'm certainly very happy with it It fogged up on its first immersion, but, I then realized that the caseback still had 3/4 of a rotation till it fully locked. It was silly of me not to make sure it was secure before first immersing it, but just one of those mistakes which can happen from time to time. Once I stripped it and fully dried everything, I made sure the caseback was properly secured, and it was fine. I also had a half-hour soak in a hot tub, and there was no problem at all. Next test, will be to see how it stands up to swimming With regards the AR, it does show a slight bluish/purple tint in some lights, but, it is not as obtrusive as on my 004, so it might be an AR coating rather than the standard blue rinse which passes for AR in China That said, I'm not really an expert on AR so I would not like to say 100% for sure. However, my friend's Radiomir had no coating at all under the crystal, and I think the coating on this one does add a certain depth to the dial, so I'd call that an improvement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athan Posted October 22, 2008 Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Nice Where did you buy from TeeJay? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2008 Nice Where did you buy from TeeJay? Thanks I bought it from Tonyxkf, via his Rolex2u site. As always, a flawless transaction Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pizzanooo Posted October 23, 2008 Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 So the Radiomir bug finally gotcha. I got the itch last year and have`nt stopped. I did a couple in Pvd and settled on the 210. Have another Pvd case and considering this dial for a unbranded or homage if you like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted October 23, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2008 So the Radiomir bug finally gotcha. I got the itch last year and have`nt stopped. I did a couple in Pvd and settled on the 210. Have another Pvd case and considering this dial for a unbranded or homage if you like. Once I saw my friend's, I think it was only a matter of time I'm planning on doing a PVD 210 myself I've always like that dial, it's so different from the usual PAM designs. I'm sure it'll look fantastic in a PVD case You'll have to put up some pics of the PVD 210, I'd love to see how that looks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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