Panerai has itself an unusual dilemma. How do you grow your collection while still staying true to your loyal core fanbase? New timepieces from Panerai invariably touch upon their illustrious Italian military history, yet for the in-house Laboratorio di Idee, design limitations can be extraordinarily liberating. For the immensely loyal Paneristi, anything else could be considered blasphemous. For the latest release, the Lumina Marina Fibratech 44 MM (PAM01663) looks to the past, but the newfound results are far from retro. The 44mm case incorporates Fibratech, a fascinating material molded from a novel high-tech composite based on “basalt fibre,” used here for the very first time in the watchmaking industry.

Made from the unidirectional mineral fibers produced by the fusion of basalt rock, “these fibers, bound with polymers, become thin layers which are superimposed in a precise orientation and then consolidated through pressure and temperature controlled process.” Got that? Quite simply, the results look incredibly cool. This high-tech discovery is 60 per cent lighter than steel, resilient to corrosion, and still is amazingly strong. Initially developed for the aerospace industry, the composite material gets enhanced further by developments refined by Panerai.

For 2020, innovative Fibratech is combined with a previous Panerai invention, Carbotech, used for the bezel, the crown, and the crown bridge lever. Each matte grey Fibratech case will have a slightly different look, as the material is impossible to duplicate depending upon how it’s cut. Throughout the years, technical innovation has been the core DNA of Panerai’s Luminor. After all, the style acquired its name from the luminous substance developed in 1949 to replace the radium-based paste used for preceding Radiomir watches.

The Luminor Marina Fibratech features a handsome blue dial with a slightly lighter-in-the-center graded effect, with a layered sandwich structured dial featuring Arabic numerals and hour markers in white Super-LumiNova glowing green in the dark. Hours, minutes, small seconds, date are powered by an automatic mechanical movement, the P.9010 Calibre, only 6mm thick. The movement possesses a power reserve of three days, provided by twin spring barrels wound by an oscillating weight operating in both directions.

Water-resistant to 300 meters (30 bar) and paired with an innovative blue strap made from a proprietary material that Panerai calls “Sportech,” a woven material with a rubberized effect topstitched with white stitching. Additionally, the watch also comes with a second blue rubber strap, both bringing to mind the look of nautical sails. Like all Panerai watches throughout history, the Luminor Marina Fibratech is more than prepared for a life of adventure.