Panerai has taken the 44mm Submersible Full Metal Jacket with a first – a full steel bracelet with a micro-adjustable clasp.
Those who know me, or have read my articles for a while, know I’m a fan of Panerai. It was one of my very first “grail” watches that I acquired many years ago in Florence, and Panerai was the brand that really cemented my love of watches all those years ago. If you’re interested in that story, I’ve added the story link below.
Coincidentally, I am actually wearing the above-mentioned piece on my wrist as I’m writing this. Maybe I subliminally put it on my wrist this morning, knowing I was writing about the new Panerai Submersible, or maybe it was just a nice synergistic coincidence.
But I have been a bit of a critic of the brand in recent years as I felt it had lost its way a little. This is a sentiment shared by many Paneristi the world over, especially those who knew the brand’s history and heritage, and those who had an early love for the brand since its commercial birth in the mid-1990s. However, the Florentine brand seems to be going back to those roots, and this year’s releases highlight this. And now, we have a new 44mm Submersible on a steel bracelet that talks to this history.
The First 44mm Submersible On A Metal Bracelet
Panerai’s new PAM01756 brings together the brand’s signature dive watch design and, for the first time, a metal bracelet on a 44mm Submersible. While bracelets have featured across other Panerai collections, including the 42mm Submersible collection, this marks a new step for the 44mm Submersible line, offering a different wearing experience while retaining the design that has defined the Submersible over the years.
The new PAM01756 is a quintessential Submersible, which is one of Panerai’s most recognisable collections. For the new model, Panerai has paired the 44mm stainless steel case with a polished blue ceramic unidirectional rotating bezel, and in true tool watch style, deleted the date window at 3 o’clock, which is a nod to the original Submersibles designed for divers – no need for a date!
“The new Submersible PAM01756 is a contemporary tool watch that embodies our core philosophy, where every design choice serves a functional purpose, ensuring uncompromising performance and reliability”
Alessandro Ficarelli, Panerai Chief Marketing and Heritage Officer
At 500 metres of water resistance, the watch continues to reflect the professional diving credentials that remain central to the Submersible family, and as we can expect, a dial that is designed with pure functionality in mind.
A Dial Focused On Legibility
As mentioned, one of the major details is the return to a no-date dial layout. The Submersible was originally designed for the Italian Navy as a pure dive watch to track dive times, so no date was needed. And in fact, all Submersibles made prior to 1998 had no date display on the dial, so the new PAM01756 will surely win a few points with those Submersible purists.
The dial has been finished in black with a sun-brushed texture; the display places the focus squarely on legibility. Large applied hour markers and broad hands are filled with white Super-LumiNova®, while Panerai continues its dual-colour lume configuration, with the hour markers and hour hand glowing green, and the minute hand and bezel pip illuminated in blue. This distinction makes it easy to identify the elapsed dive time at a glance, particularly in low-light conditions.
At 9 o’clock sits the familiar running seconds display, finished with a circular grained “azurage” pattern that adds another layer of texture to the dial. Beyond its visual appeal, the running seconds remain an important functional element on Panerai dive watches, providing immediate confirmation that the movement is operating.
Designed For Performance & Everyday Wear
Powering the PAM01756 is Panerai’s automatic P.980 calibre. Offering a three-day power reserve, the movement also features a traversing balance bridge for improved stability, along with a stop-seconds function for precise time setting. The P.980 calibre also undergoes testing in six positions to ensure consistent and reliable performance. The engraved caseback also pays tribute to the brand’s naval heritage, featuring the iconic Slow Speed Torpedo used by Italian Navy commandos, or as they refer to it, the ‘Pig”.
As with all modern Panerai dive watches, the PAM01756 is engineered beyond its stated specifications. The watch is tested to 25% more pressure than the stated 500m water resistance, meaning that should you find yourself down at a depth of 500m, you know the Submersible is good for another 125m!
Movement and reliability aside, the new development on the PAM01756 is the bracelet. Specifically designed for the 44mm Submersible, its design echoes the shape of Panerai’s iconic crown-protecting bridge, creating a seamless transition between the case and bracelet. Alternating brushed and polished finishes provide visual depth while maintaining the character of Panerai.
Panerai has also incorporated its Quick Length Adjustment system into the Submersible range for the first time. The mechanism allows the bracelet to expand by 2mm on each side without tools, making it easy to fine-tune the fit throughout the day as wrist size naturally changes with activity or temperature. And for people such as myself, this is a much-needed and welcomed inclusion on the new bracelet.
Initial Thoughts
Going back to the opening of this article, I mentioned that I felt Panerai had lost its way a little over the past few years, but was starting to find its way back to its brand DNA and roots. I, for one, am happy, just like your favourite sports team who’s been on a losing streak, you know it won’t last, and they’ll get back up on top again – and it’s so nice when they do.
2026 seems to be the start of this for Panerai, with some great vintage-style releases at Watches & Wonders and subsequent releases that straddle technical innovation and core DNA. This new PAM01756 feels like this. The addition of a bracelet broadens the appeal of the Submersible collection without changing too much the core identity that has made it one of Panerai’s defining models.
Personally, I’ve not warmed to the bracelet aesthetics on a Panerai; it is a strap (rubber or leather) all the way for me, as this is how Panerai watches were originally worn, plus the contrast just looks good. But this is 100% subjective, so my point stands: it does broaden the appeal, and you can swap it out anyway thanks to the quick change mechanism.
On top of this, the practical bracelet adjustment system and familiar professional dive watch architecture give the PAM01756 a versatile character that feels equally at home as an everyday sports watch or as a capable diving instrument.
The clean, no-date dial harkens back to the vintage models, and many will love this cleaner aesthetic. I would have loved to have had a more matte or textured dial on this as opposed to the sunray finish, as this would have given the PAM01756 a more robust and tool watch look, but the black sunray will still work for most people. The addition of the blue bezel means you get some subtle colour to break up the otherwise monochrome look.
All up, a good release from Panerai, and if I wasn’t looking for a new watch, my interest in a submersible has now been piqued, so I guess I’ll have to entertain those thoughts and keep an eye out…
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specifications |
|---|---|
| Reference | PAM01756 |
| Case | 44mm brushed stainless steel |
| Bezel | Unidirectional steel bezel with polished blue ceramic insert |
| Dial | Black sun-brushed, no-date, white Super-LumiNova® with green and blue emission |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment |
| Movement | Panerai P.980 automatic calibre. Pivoting on 23 jewels, beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH |
| Power Reserve | 3 days |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, stop-seconds, dive time calculation |
| Water Resistance | 500 metres (50 bar) |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet with Quick Length Adjustment and quick change systems |