The Panerai Luminor Marina collection has just been overhauled as a 500m diver
Buffy AcaciaThere’s nothing wrong with evolution over revolution, but there are only so many years of new dial colours we can take before we crave meaningful change. Yes, Panerai has released a few incredible watches like the Submersible Elux LAB-ID and the Radiomir Annual Calendar, but they’ve been few and far between as well as limited editions. Now, the Panerai Luminor Marina collection has been given a thorough overhaul in its specifications to signal the start of a new era for the brand. It may only be baby steps, but it’s a refreshing change anyway.
The case
For a little background context, Panerai has just seen a big leadership shift with its new CEO Emmanuel Perrin. That happened too recently to have made an impact on this particular release, however the timing unambiguously declares that the brand is ready for big changes. That said, you might not be able to tell just by looking at this watch. The cushion case is just as we have come to love and expect from the Luminor collection, with its sharpened corners and thick lugs hitting on a more contemporary style than something like the Radiomir, which is styled after the original Panerais from the ‘30s and ‘40s. It’s bold and assertive, but also executed with sophistication.
When you’re shopping for a Panerai, you should expect to go large. Sure, the brand has released some smaller options since the ‘90s era of hyper-masculine wrist machines (the Quaranta immediately comes to mind), but the quintessential Panerai character is still big and beautiful. The new Luminor Marina collection in stainless steel sticks to the 44mm case diameter that is quintessentially Panerai, and the lugs stretch out to about 53.5mm. You may experience some overhang if your wrists are on the smaller side, but the watch has earned the kind of wrist presence which demands attention. Of course, the patented, lever-operated crown guard is also featured on this case, which serves to lock down the newly-updated 500 metres of water resistance. 500 metres may sound like overkill for what is mostly going to be worn by civilians, and the 300-metre rating of the previous iterations was already more than enough, but it’s exciting to see Panerai embrace its professional reputation of ultimate toughness.
The dial
In a similar vein to the case, there has been no drastic overhaul to the dials of the Panerai Luminor Marina. There is a new dial colour as yet unused by Panerai, with a light blue and desaturated sunburst finish that’s refreshing on the eyes. There’s also a more traditional navy blue sunburst, along with a matte black or white for the simplest of tastes. It’s a nice change of pace to see a 500-metre dive watch that isn’t totally overwhelming with intense colour contrast, huge bezels or invasive levels of lume, too.
Instead, the sandwich dial construction allows the luminous power of the Luminor Marina to stay strong throughout the night without needing large amounts of space to build up the layers. The hour markers are cut out of the dial, revealing a luminous surface beneath. You can also find the cut-outs in the quarters of the small seconds subdial, accompanied by a little leaf hand. This gives the dial a much greater sense of depth than it would have otherwise. The fencepost hands keep things simple and while there are no minute markers for precise time-telling, the minute hand reaches far enough that you can make a good educated guess.
The movement
Although the 500m water resistance is impressive, the major update to the Panerai Luminor Marina collection is the new calibre P.980. A closer look at its architecture does show its Richemont manufacture roots, sharing similarities between B&M’s Baumatic and various IWC calibres, for example, though with a new, double-sided balance bridge. In terms of performance, you can still expect the same 72-hour power reserve and the smooth 4Hz beat rate which was previously provided by the P.9010 movement, but the overall thickness has been reduced from 6mm to just 4.2mm. The knock-on effect of this is the ability to improve that water resistance without a significant increase in case thickness, as well as a weight reduction of 15%. The P.9010 was usually covered up by a closed caseback, but now the Luminor Marina comes with an exhibition sapphire caseback through which you can view the movement. Its decoration is quite sparse and industrial, with some horizontal brushing, sandblasting, and a semi-skeletonised automatic winding rotor.
The straps
Of these four new references in stainless steel, three of them come with alligator leather straps and contrast stitching for an elegant and luxurious look. That’s a bit of a pet peeve of mine, because I believe a 500-metre dive watch should come with a strap that won’t get wrecked by sea water. However, the reference PAM03323 with its light blue dial does come with a solid stainless steel bracelet, and its semicircular motifs almost look like scales. That may be the only one with an appropriate strap choice, but at least they all come with Panerai’s quick-change system so you should be able to swap it out easily should you wish to swim with it.
The verdict
While it may not look like much of a shift from a surface level, the new movement, caseback and water resistance is a substantial progression for the Luminor Marina collection and Panerai in general. Between this release and the impending leadership change, my faith and enthusiasm for the brand has been greatly restored. Anticipation for future releases is high, and while I do believe the leather strap models should at least have a rubber strap included with them, they are otherwise great offerings which provide all you could wish from a contemporary Panerai.
Panerai Luminor Marina collection price and availability
The new Panerai Luminor Marina collection is now available. Price: US$8,800 (strap), US$9,700 (bracelet)
| Brand | Panerai |
| Model | Luminor Marina |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 500 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal front and back |
| Dial | Dark or light blue sunburst Black or white matte |
| Bracelet and strap | Leather straps with contrast stitching, steel pin buckle Steel bracelet, folding clasp (PAM03323) |
| Movement | Calibre P.980, Richemont manufacture, manual |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, small seconds, date |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | US$8,800 (strap), US$9,700 (bracelet) |