Last year saw the 30th anniversary of Panerai watches being available to the public. This year, as the Italian-founded-but-now-Swiss-operated brand enters its fourth decade of supplying luxury instruments to the masses, innovation has never been more important.

Panerai was one of the first major brands to really become a collectors’ darling. The establishment of the Paneristi fan club in the year 2000 changed the game not just for Panerai, but also the future of watch collecting. At the time, it seemed an extremely niche pursuit, obsessing over the minute differences of watches that had, for the vast majority of the brand’s existence, adorned only the wrists of professionals. And yet, the launch of Paneristi.com at the turn of this century was the beginning of something very big centered, at that time, on watches that themselves were very big.

In recent years, however, Panerai has become acutely aware of its need to adapt to a shifting consumer landscape. While many existing and would-be customers still covet the gargantuan sizes for which the brand was once best known, scaling down the traditional aesthetic has become a key focus.

The results have been mixed. The Luminor Due collection was the first cohesive attempt at producing an entire family with reduced case sizes, but the piffling 30-meter water resistance of many models rankled purists.

Wisely, Panerai has looked to its Submersible line to experiment not just with more technical watches, but also more wearable sizes that make the brand accessible to a wider audience, without compromising the legacy of the Radiomir or Luminor lines directly.

The four models presented here show the diversity and scope of the Submersible line. Each model offers something that is both on-brand and progressive. Either the emphasis has been placed on experimenting with the case materials, the movement, or the case sizes (and in more than one instance, a mixture of the three).

The result? A satisfying injection of vitality to its collaboration collection with the Italian sailboat racing syndicate Luna Rossa that looks more than capable of yanking on-the-fence buyers down from their perch and inducting them into one of watchmaking’s oldest and most influential collecting clubs.

The Experience Editions by Panerai are special creations. Not only does the brand feel comfortable taking the gloves off when it comes to design, but the attached experience offered to owners is a real boon through which Panerai acknowledges the importance of community building.

This year, this 20-piece limited edition pulls out all the stops. A 45mm case is, while large by many brands’ standards, middle-of-the-road for Panerai. Blessedly, every millimeter of that not-insignificant diameter is packed with the kind of technology we expect from an Experience Edition. The case is made from the brand’s Carbotech™ material and topped with a DLC-coated titanium bezel for a stealthy, ready-for-action look.

The manual-winding movement, which boasts a 4-day power reserve, is fully skeletonized, revealing the inner workings of a caliber that, refreshingly quietly, features a tourbillon. It’s rare to see such a feature effectively hidden away in the top corner of a caliber that many brands might have felt tempted to drag into the middle of the movement and shout about. It is a great example of “messaging through design”. This is, despite its exclusivity and price, a tool watch.

To hammer home this point, the watch has been equipped with a 300-meter water resistance, which is exactly what it needed to be taken seriously. This is not a land-lubber’s watch. This has been made for real fans of the real Panerai, and that, whether you like the watch or not, is cause to breathe a sigh of relief.

And despite the arguable busyness of this (and any) skeletonized dial, the watch remains highly legible, thanks to the sensible and clear presentation of the necessary information. The hours and minutes are indicated by massive hands with a generous helping of luminous material applied. The hour markers (with the exception of 10 and 11 o’clock) are clearly marked by large luminous stick and dot indexes. The “dial” text has been relocated to the underside of the crystal so the movement’s natural lines and logic are not disrupted.

Although this is not the kind of Panerai I would rush to buy myself (simply because I prefer a more classic interpretation of the brand’s design codes), the experience that will be offered to all purchasers is truly enticing. Anyone who buys this watch will be invited to partake in a curated experience during the finals of the America’s Cup in Barcelona, which provides behind-the-scenes access to the event and unprecedented access to the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, with whom the brand partners.

Reference: PAM01405
Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, P.2015/T caliber, 15 1/3 lignes, 7.88mm thick, 27 jewels, Glucydur® balance wheel, 28,800 vibrations/hour, Incabloc® anti-shock device. Two barrels. 256 components.
Case: Diameter 45mm, CarbotechTM case, Unidirectional rotating Titanium DLC bezel. Screwed Titanium DLC see-through sapphire crystal case-back. Sapphire crystal.
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, Tourbillon, 24h Second time zone with am/pm indicator, power reserve indicator, calculation of immersion time.
Strap: Bi-material rubber and grey textile with Luna Rossa red stripe, STD, 24/22. Trapezoidal Titanium DLC pin buckle.
Availability: Available from July 2024. Limited to 20 pieces.

Although reference PAM01565 is undoubtedly the most basic of the four watches discussed here, it is a welcome, vibrant addition to the catalog. Pleasingly, this model measures just 42 mm across, making it a compact companion for your daily adventures. A robust 316L stainless steel case, a satisfying 300-meter water resistance, and a practical three-day power reserve make this a solid daily wear. A legible sub-seconds indication at 9 o’clock balances the color-matched date window across the dial at 3 o’clock, bringing functionality and balance to a design that has a couple of artistic flashes about it to keep things interesting.

Being a Luna Rossa model, a touch of red is mandatory. The seconds hand here stands out beautifully against the subtly engaging blue degradé dial, which has been finished with a delicate sunburst effect. Also, the classic Luna Rossa strap, with the Prada-inspired red stripe is another low-key but appreciated touch.

For me, this is how to do a special edition well. The watch looks like it could comfortably sit in the regular collection, while simultaneously meeting the criteria of specialness one would expect from a partner model.

Reference: PAM01565
Movement: Automatic mechanical, P.900 caliber, 12 1⁄2 lignes, 4.2 mm thick, 23 jewels, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. One barrel. 171 components.
Case: Diameter 42mm, brushed AISI 316L Stainless Steel, unidirectional rotating Steel bezel with black matt ceramic disk. Screwed AISI 316L Steel case-back. Sapphire crystal.
Dial: Blue sun-brushed, black gradient finish with Super-LumiNova®. Date at 3 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock.
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, date, calculation of immersion time, stop-seconds for precise time setting.
Strap: Bi-material rubber and grey textile with Luna Rossa red stripe, STD, 22/20. Trapezoidal AISI 316L Stainless Steel pin buckle.
Availability: Available now. Limited to 300 pieces.

The PAM1507 adds GMT functionality to the standard Submersible Luna Rossa without missing a beat. Considering these two watches share a 42 mm diameter, 300-meter water resistance, and the same blue sunburst dial pattern, the integration of the GMT hand and rehaut could easily have resulted in a huddled aesthetic, but, in fact, a different effect entirely has been achieved.

While PAM01565 appears airy and maturely pared-back, PAM1507 has a more technical character without coming across as forced. The switch from the black bezel of the 01565 to the navy blue of the 1507 is inspired, as it softens the edges of the dial and bezel relationship, seeming to give the dial more space to breathe.

Furthermore, and perhaps the standout aesthetic addition of this model in comparison to the simpler time-and-date version, the red GMT hand actually improves the integration of the watch head design with the striped strap, which, on the PAM1507, is in blue instead of gray.

Overall, I find this design to be even more appealing among the pair, with buyers getting a great everyday watch that doesn’t break the wrist or the bank and feels even more like a fittingly sporty homage to Panerai’s partnership with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team.

Reference: PAM1507
Movement: Automatic mechanical, P.900/GMT caliber, 12 1⁄2 lignes, 4.2 mm thick, 23 jewels, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 3 days, one barrel. 171 components.
Case: Diameter 42mm, brushed Titanium, unidirectional rotating Titanium bezel blue matt ceramic disk. Screw Titanium case back. Sapphire crystal.
Dial: Blue sun-brushed with luminous hour markers and dots. Date at 3 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock.
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds, Date, 24h GMT.
Strap: Bi-material rubber and blue textile with Luna Rossa red stripe, STD, 22/20. Trapezoidal Titanium pin buckle.
Availability: Available from September 2024 in Panerai boutiques exclusively

It’s no accident that I’ve saved my personal favorite from this capsule collection for last. Although measuring 44mm, the soft navy blue of the Ti-Ceramitech™ case means this watch wears a lot smaller on the wrist. Better still — and the one specification that got me really excited — a 500-meter water-resistance rating is exactly the kind of thing I feel we need to see Panerai push for whenever releasing models made of non-standard case materials.

This substance-first approach makes the style of such an unusual piece all the more digestible. This is perhaps the opposite of the Luminor Due experiment in that it pays attention to wearability (although were Panerai to release this model or a similar model in the same case material in a 42 mm case, I’d be even happier), the use of more experimental materials, and an otherwise strict adherence to the traditional design principles of the brand.

While the blue dial may seem to have a deeper connection to the marine story, it is the matte white dial that I feel makes the most of the case material, providing a stark but comfortable contrast and a stronger tool watch sensibility that marks it as a very special piece, indeed.

Reference: PAM01466
Movement: Automatic mechanical, P.900 caliber, 12 1⁄2 lignes, 4.2 mm thick, 23 jewels, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. One barrel. 171 components.
Case: Diameter 44mm, Blue Ti-CeramitechTM case. Unidirectional rotating Ti-CeramitechTM bezel. Screwed micro-sandblasted Titanium case-back. Sapphire crystal.
Dial: Blue sun-brushed dial or matte white grained dial with SuperLuminova® hour markers and dots. Date at 3 o’clock and small seconds at 9 o’clock.
Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, date, calculation of immersion time, stop-seconds for precise time setting.
Strap: Bi-material rubber and blue textile with Luna Rossa red stripe, STD, 24/22. Trapezoidal micro-sandblasted Titanium pin buckle.
Availability: Available July 2024 from selected Panerai boutiques only.

 

Learn more on Panerai’s website here