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Panerai and Luna Rossa have partnered yet again for the upcoming 2027 America’s Cup, and to celebrate, have brought forward two new Luminor Luna Rossa pieces.

Panerai is a brand that was born out of a need – the need for robust, reliable and highly legible timekeeping devices for the Italian Navy. Over the years, it has transcended these beginnings and still to this day, still has a strong association with the sea. How can you not with a watch with the name “Marina” in the title? So it makes sense that the Florentine brand has partnerships that link it back to the oceans. And, when it comes to modern-day maritime adventures, the America’s Cup is arguably one of the greatest sea-faring races and challenges today. Among the teams competing for the 37th America’s Cup is the Italian-based Luna Rossa team, complete with Panerai along for the ride.

Built For The Sea & Adventure

While Panerai didn’t start out by making watches for the Navy when Giovanni Panerai opened his first workshop in 1860, it quickly became the brand’s DNA when Panerai started to supply the military with precision instruments back in the early 1900s. As part of that effort, Panerai experimented with materials to make the instruments more legible, and with this, Radiomir was born. Fast forward a couple of decades, and the Radiomir watch was first prototyped for Italian Navy Divers in 1935, later put into production with the reference 3646 in the 1940s. However, the link between the word Radiomir and Radiation wasn’t great, so to skirt this association, Panerai trademarked the name “Luminor” in 1949. This is perhaps what we associate with Panerai today, as is the iconic “Device Protecting The Crown” which made its appearance in 1956 and makes Panerai a watch that is instantly recognisable from a distance anywhere.

This, to me, is the DNA of Panerai. It is the story that got me and many others hooked on the brand back in the late 90s and early 2000s. Not only this, it was the watch of choice for many action heroes that, as a kid growing up in the 90s and finding his way in the world of watches, was imprinted indelibly in his mind. And to some extent, still is. However, action heroes in movies are not real, but the demands on people who are real-world adventurers, explorers and in this case, yachtsmen are real, as are the new Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa editions.

Luminor Chrono Flyback Luna Rossa Titanio – PAM1654

The first, and probably coolest piece, which is limited to 150 pieces, is the Flyback Chronograph in Titanium. The 44m case is crafted from the lightweight material, perfect for those needing less heft on the wrist. The combination of the brushed and polished surfaces makes for a great-looking aesthetic as well, one that amplifies the sporty nature of the watch.

The dial is a matte grey colour, with the sandwich design – essentially the dial disc has the numerals and indices cut out and layered over the top of a full disc of Super-LumiNova to allow it to shine through. The small seconds counter at 9 o’clock and the chronograph hours counter at 3 o’clock are done in the same matte grey with concentric circles to break up the texture. Unlike most chronographs, where the minutes and hours are counted on subdials, Panerai has designed the Luna Rossa Flyback Chronograph to incorporate the chronograph seconds and minutes using two central hands – the full red to count the seconds, and the red-tipped hand to track the minutes on the outer track of the dial. It is a good system as this allows the dial to be a little cleaner and keeps the balance of the two sub-dial layout.

Inside the PAM1654 is Panerai’s Flyback Chronograph calibre P.9100. It has a 3-day power reserve that comes from two barrels, with a column wheel and vertical clutch system in place to ensure it operates smoothly. The buttons on the side of the watch operate this, with the top button used to start or stop the watch, and the bottom button to either reset or enable the flyback function.

Luminor Tre Giorni Luna Rossa – PAM1653

The second of the pair is the Tre Giorni (Three Day) time only, which is not a limited edition, but my gut feel is it will be limited in production. This piece takes the same look and feel of the Flyback Titanio, but simplifies the overall watch via the use of the steel case and the time-only dial. The small seconds is still retained, however, but it is built into the dial like most other Panerai’s with this function.

While this model doesn’t have as many of the details of the Flyback Chrono, nor does it need to, as this is classic Panerai. Gone is the sandwich dial and cushion case in favour of the applied Super-LumiNova markings and the non-cushion case found in variants such as your base logo variations. Whereas the Flyback Chrono has the quick release push buttons for the strap, the time only has Panerai’s screw in bars, making the strap swap a little less efficient.

Inside the PAM1653 is the manual winding Calibre P.6000 with a 3-day. (Tre Giorni) power reserve. It beats away at 21,600VpH / 3Hz and pivots on a modest 19 jewels. It is a good, solid movement that is made via Richemont’s in-house movement maker, Valfleurier, and has been used now for quite some time, so it is tried and tested. It won’t win any awards, but it will keep beating away on your wrist without fail as long as you keep the main spring wound.

Initial Thoughts

For those who know me or know my writing, they’ll know that I’m a Panerai fan from way back. But, I feel the brand has somewhat lost its way over recent times under the previous management’s stewardship. I mentioned at the start that the brand DNA, at least for me, is one of the main reasons I was drawn to the brand in the first place, plus they look like no other watch out there – military-esque, utilitarian and just cool. I have said on numerous occasions that Panerai needs to head back to its brand roots and start partnering with ambassadors who exemplify this. While the association with the Luna Rossa sailing team is a great one, it is a niche sport and won’t resonate with many people outside of the sport or who follow it.

It is for this reason that I do somewhat question why Panerai places this partnership so front and centre – It was, after all, the brand’s entire theme at Watches & Wonders 2024. I love the brand and what it stands for, but I’m not a sailor, nor am I a fan of sailing or the America’s Cup, so for me, while the watches in essence are great pieces, the brand association falls a little flat for me, somewhat detracting from the actual watches themselves. Yes, the America’s Cup is an extreme sport in its own right, and one of the hardest sailing competitions in the world, but I can’t envision myself doing this and probably never will. However, being outdoors, exploring, trekking, and generally doing more rugged stuff I can, which is one of the many reasons I bought my PAM312 over a decade ago, and still have to this day.

So while the PAM1654 and PAM1653 are, in essence, nice watches, and they bring to life the association and partnership Panerai has with Luna Rossa and sailing, I’d love to see Panerai go back to being more of what it was 20 years ago. By this, I don’t mean pushing large oversized watches – the new 3312, even still at 44mm, wears so much better than my two generations old 312, thanks to the thickness being shrunk down. What I do mean is, a gradual return to the brand DNA, military heritage & inspired, and just being a good, robust and reliable tool watch that makes me want to get out of the house and just do stuff with it on, without worrying about scuffs or scratches, etc.

But let me end on a positive note. For those fans of sailing, the America’s Cup, or for those who follow the Italian Luna Rossa team, these new Luna Rossa Luminors are a great way to celebrate the partnership with the team and the sport. To add to this, the fact that the Luna Rossa team will be wearing these models in their effort to win the 2027 America’s Cup is also a testament to the brand and standing by its commitment to its watches, the sport and the Luna Rossa team. So, for this, I would say, well done.

Specifications And Price

PAM1654 – Luminor Luna Rossa Flyback Chrono Titanio

PAM1653 – Luminor Tre Giorni Luna Rossa

Availability: Available now through Panerai boutiques, retailers or online via Panerai.com