Replica Panerai’s major initiative at Watches & Wonders Geneva came in the form of a two-pronged approach to sustainability. On the one hand, it released the Submersible eLAB-ID, a concept watch made of 98.6% recycled-based materials, along with an open-source list of suppliers that other watchmakers can use to make their own recycled watches. And they backed up the concept with a commercial launch, the recycled-based Luminor Marina eSteel. Those are just two of the things they had for the virtual Watches & Wonders Geneva show. There was also an all-new downsized Bronzo – now a very wearable 42mm – and a line-up of automatic steel chronographs debuting the new P.9200 automatic chronograph caliber.
Panerai’s 2021 push into chronographs, a complication that goes back to the original Mare Nostrum, continues into the live Watches & Wonders show taking place this week in Shanghai (April 14-18). While the first models to feature the P.6200 were stainless steel and featured a closed caseback, the watches we have today are made of Panerai’s proprietary Goldtech alloy and have a sapphire back – though it is partially obscured by a wave motif.
The Luminor Chrono Goldtech Blu Notte, or “Blue Night,” is a big 44mm in diameter. With the trademarked Panerai Luminor crown protection device and a set of sturdy lugs, it’s an imposing watch as you’d expect of a Panerai Luminor.
Not that one would necessarily want to swim with an 18-karat gold chronograph, but it’s worth noting that the water-resistance rating of the new PAM 1111 is 50 meters, so it’s probably best to stay on deck or land. The steel versions of the new P.9200 automatic chronograph that Panerai has so far presented feature closed backs (and are about half a millimeter thicker), offering a more robust package for those who actually want to get their watches wet. While PAM 1111 is being sold on a deep blue alligator strap that echoes the dial, Panerai is throwing in a rubber strap.
As you no doubt noticed, the rose gold in the Blu Notte case is Panerai’s proprietary Goldtech, a special alloy with a higher percentage of copper and platinum. In addition to providing a deeper, darker color, it’s also resistant to fading, a nagging problem for watchmakers working with rose gold. Several brands have their own alloys created with colorfastness in mind, most famously Rolex with its aptly named Everose Gold.
Panerai Luminor Chrono Goldtech Blu Notte PAM 1111
