Panerai brings together their heritage lines and modern innovations, creating a new Luminor Marina model in ultra-light Carbotech.
Panerai, in a word, is unmistakable. The variation in the Italian brand’s catalogue is essentially 50/50, split between the silhouettes of the Luminor and Radiomir collections. While this might seem boring from the outset, Panerai’s delicate balance of consistency and innovation is remarkable for the circumstances.
Over the years, more so since they became publicly available in the early ’90s, the brand has shifted massively in perception. They’ve gone from a quiet professional military contractor to the upper echelons of luxury, and all the way back around again, without ever losing their compelling identity.
Because of how rooted in tradition they are, it becomes challenging to keep working around the same two watches all the time. But sometimes moving forward takes a bit of looking back, and this new Luminor Marina is no exception. Merging the heritage-inspired silhouette and aesthetic of their iconic Luminor line with the brand’s latest groundbreaking technology, it’s exemplary of how far the brand has come, and how far they’re willing to keep going.
Altered Carbon
The Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech Ref. PAM01707 retains the same bold silhouette as models that have come before. It’s big, with a 44mm case diameter, 53.5mm lug-to-lug, and a 14.5mm thickness. However, the case size is offset by the inclusion of Panerai’s proprietary Carbotech material.
Carbotech differs from standard carbon fibre in its creation, where thin sheets of carbon fibre are pressurised alongside a polymer called PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone). Lighter than steel and even titanium, Carbotech still offers an extremely high level of shock and corrosion resistance, vital for the underwater adventures the Luminor was originally built for. Thus, while the PAM01707 might be visible from space, its presence will be felt far less than its size suggests.
The new Panerai Luminor Marina comes by default on a brown leather strap, ending in a black DLC titanium pin buckle. It might seem like an odd choice for a dive watch, but the leather is meant more for on-land wear, leaning into the brand’s heritage styling.
Should you wish to take it where it was built, though, don’t worry; Panerai have you covered. The watch also comes with a complimentary black rubber strap that can be easily switched thanks to drilled lugs. With 300m water resistance and Panerai’s signature lever-action crown guard, the new watch is every bit as capable as its wearing experience is familiar to fans of the brand. Despite wearing its heritage on its sleeve, it remains exceptionally forward-thinking.
Black Mass
And wear its heritage it truly does, as the Panerai Luminor collection’s dial layout has changed scant little throughout its entire lifespan. A matte black backdrop sets the scene, accompanied by stick hands also coloured black. This does sound rather counterintuitive to a dive watch, but then you must be new here.
Panerai’s star attraction, besides the case silhouette, has always been its lume, and they ascribe their success to the sandwich dial. Coloured in dark beige, the lumed layer is visible through cut-outs in the black dial, depicting indexes and quarter-hour sausage numerals. The small seconds subdial is similarly cut out, and all of the hands are filled with the same dark beige lume.
Given their dive watch heritage, this might be obvious, but as a result, Panerai’s luminescence is second to none. The level of glow generated by the sandwich dial is unparalleled for low-light timekeeping and has been reported to last for hours before dying out. It’s the same performance most have come to expect from a watch of Panerai’s calibre, but they haven’t had to reinvent it, mostly because few can beat them.
On For The Weekend
Turning the watch around is of no surprise, as you’re greeted by a closed, dodecagonal caseback with the typical serial engravings. Here, the Carbotech gives way once more to black DLC titanium, while inside beats the automatic Cal. P.9010 movement. Coming up to its 10th year of dedicated service to the brand, the Cal. P.9010 sustains the luxury standard 4Hz (28,800VpH) beat rate atop a 72-hour power reserve.
Made entirely in-house, the P.9010 movement offers a slew of modern comforts, including a Glucydur balance and Incabloc shock-proofing. Additionally, the hour hand can be manually quick-changed independently of the minutes and seconds, should you need to reset the time quickly or adjust for a different timezone. The movement is just 6mm thick, perhaps a slightly redundant observation given the 14.5mm total thickness, but it still underscores the brand’s dedication to in-house watchmaking.
Initial Thoughts
Despite their cut-and-dry nature, Panerai has still managed to walk between worlds, from the heights of haute horlogerie to the rugged and practical tool watch scene. Such a shift must seem impossible for most other brands; Imagine another luxury brand trying to do the same.
But Panerai’s brand of immovable tenacity has allowed it to go there and back again. The PAM01707 seems to subscribe more to the professional side of Panerai, as have many of their releases in recent times. However, it’s been done with a progressive technological flair that renews the iconic dive watch’s purpose. Retro-cool, practical, and one-of-a-kind, the Panerai Luminor Marina Carbotech brings the flavours of Panerai’s storied past into the present, while its futuristic case material shows their continued path into the future.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | PAM01707 |
| Dimensions | 44mm case diameter × 53.5mm lug-to-lug 14.5mm thickness |
| Case | Carbotech & black DLC titanium |
| Dial | Matte black sandwich with beige accents |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Closed, engraved |
| Movement | Automatic Cal. P.9010 with independent hour hand & small seconds complications |
| Power Reserve | 72h |
| Beat Rate | 4Hz / 28,800VpH |
| Water Resistance | 300m / 30bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Brown calf leather strap with black DLC titanium pin buckle Complementary black rubber strap with black DLC titanium pin buckle |