THE JOURNAL
For as long as I can remember, Panerai’s story has been about history. The Radiomir and Luminor case shapes are two of the most recognisable in all of watchmaking – up there with the Tank, Monaco or Submariner – they have been the foundations on which the modern-day brand was built. These cushion-shaped silhouettes, one with and one without the signature locking crown-guard mechanism, they are Panerai, its very essence. Very few watches – a tiny number, in the grand scheme of things – bearing the Panerai name were anything other than some flavour of Radiomir or Luminor.
That all changed a few years ago, when the decision was taken to separate the Luminor Submersible, as it was then known, from its parent and let it thrive on its own, known henceforth simply as Submersible. It retains the crown guard, of course, and the overall shape – some things are sacrosanct, after all – but has carved out a distinct identity, and in doing so, has helped to reframe Panerai’s vision for the future.
The Submersible benefits from Panerai’s dive watch heritage, but has the freedom to be its own thing, too. Initially the spin-off was interpreted as a step to separate the brand’s most hardcore dive watch from the other families (it has the telltale feature of a rotating dive bezel, something not found on Radiomir or Luminor watches). And while that makes perfect sense, it’s clear now with the benefit of time that there’s more to it.
Focusing on the Submersible has coincided with a few other key initiatives as Panerai responds to, and helps to shape, some of the larger trends influencing the watch industry right now. Sustainability has come to the fore, represented at Panerai by the introduction of recycled eSteel cases and a much more ambitious prototype model, the eLab-ID.
We have also seen a shift away from strict, historically-influenced genres of watches towards a desire for multi-purpose designs that are sporty, stylish, colourful and varied in their execution.
Now, all of these changes are not limited to the Submersible line – but by positioning Submersible at centre stage, Panerai has been able to open a new chapter that feels substantially different from what went before. Established ideas have continued, such as the ever-popular Bronzo limited editions, and new ones introduced, such as the collaboration with tuning house Brabus for the sell-out success that was the Submersible S Brabus Black Ops edition.
All collections need a core, however: the firmament around which such special pieces can be created. The Submersible has previously existed both in 47mm and 42mm diameter cases, each of which in its simplest form carries all the hallmarks of the range. But the introduction this year of the Submersible QuarantaQuattro – Italian for 44 – literally and metaphorically plugs the gap at the very centre of the collection. The two watches you see here, references PAM01226 and PAM01229, are the ultimate epitome of the Submersible, the yin and yang, light and dark, encapsulating between them the easy-going flexibility on offer.
A certain tactical nature remains, in the green strap or the technical details of the dive bezel, for instance. And of course none of the robust practicality has been lost – these are still capable tool watches if you need them to be, with three-day power reserves and 300m of water resistance – but it is worn more lightly. They are the perfect Panerai watches for a new generation of collectors, interested in the quality and heritage that underpin them but above all, looking for watches that are as multi-talented and versatile as their personal style.