HANDS-ON: Suit ready – the Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio – 45mm 

When it came to Panerai’s latest collection, we’ve already covered off how the Luminor Due was the surprise star. And while it’s fair to say the smaller models accounted for a disproportionate amount of the noise, there was strong representation at the larger end of the scales.

In particular this watch, PAM 00944, a full-cream 45mm case, which — thanks to its Due status — still slips under the cuff with far more ease than its ‘regular’ Luminor brethren. And, to be honest, this watch is made with suits of the finer cut very much in mind. The polished 316L steel case is, well, polished in every sense of the word, and the croc strap with contrasting stitch is elegant in a way only alligator can be. Then there’s the dial. It’s still the familiar sandwich construction, with bold, stylised Arabic numerals at the cardinal points: a design that would very much be familiar to those wartime divers. But the execution is more civvie than military — not to mention civilised. The luminous material on the markers and hands, as well as the printed details all in a warm, butterscotch hue (quite pleasing); and the main dial material is a gorgeous, sun-brushed anthracite, shown to maximum impact thanks to the large, and largely uncluttered, dial.

The modern touches don’t end there though. The in-house, Panerai-made P.4002 movement (powered by a nifty micro-rotor) offers not just a convenient 72 hours of power but a power reserve indicator with which to measure it, and a second time zone for those frequent flyers and international business-types. The second time zone is a central hand, with a subtle 24 indicator integrated into the sub-seconds at nine.

On the wrist there is absolutely no denying that this is pure Panerai (the crown guard alone ensures that), but it’s quite a different feeling to your typical Luminor (or even Radiomir). Leaner, more svelte, and undeniably dressy, the Luminor Due 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic is a smart evolution for the heritage brand that’s obviously looking to the future.

Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio – 45mm (ref. PAM 00944) Australian pricing

Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days GMT Power Reserve Automatic Acciaio, indicative price $15,100