Panerai sets sail for victory with 3 new Luna Rossa specials
James RobinsonFollowing on from the successful first collaboration between Panerai and the America’s Cup team Luna Rossa, which spawned the Submersible Luna Rossa, the Italian watchmaker has continued the relationship with the 36th America’s Cup challenger to create three completely new watches.
Retaining the same fundamental aesthetic as the first iteration — most notably the dial, which utilises real pieces of sailcloth from the Luna Rossa — the three new watches are, however, distinctly unique from one another, and feature a host of different materials and complications.
The Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta 47mm is the largest of the trio, and the substantial case, which measures 19.94mm thick, is resplendent with Panerai’s Carbotech case construction, which involves layering carbon fibre and then bonding the structure with polymers. The net result of this complex case material is that, although the dimensions of the Luna Rosa Regatta are among the biggest of any watch on sale today, the timepiece itself is comparatively quite light.
Housed within the Luna Rossa Regatta’s distinctive case is Panerai’s Calibre P.9100/R, a self-winding movement that benefits from no less than 328 parts, 37 jewels, two spring barrels, Incabloc anti-shock device, Glucydur balance components, 72 hours of power reserve and 28,800 (4Hz) vibrations per hour.
In addition, the highly spec’d movement hosts a number of practical functions aimed at aiding the members of Team Luna Rossa on their storied endeavour to break the America’s Cup record. As a result, in addition to hours, minutes and small seconds, the Luna Rossa Regatta also features a regatta countdown, flyback chronograph and a zero reset seconds. The Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta 47mm has a recommended retail price of $33,900 AUD.
The Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa Chrono Flyback 44mm distinguishes itself from its larger brethren by being finished in a black micro sandblasted ceramic case that measures 18.40mm thick. The obvious benefits of ceramic are two fold, as the material not only offers a near peerless level of scratch resistance, it is also noticeably lighter than steel.
The Luna Rossa Chrono Flyback sports Panerai’s Calibre P.9100, which is essentially the same movement as that found in the Regatta, sans the regatta countdown complication. As a result, Chrono Flyback still benefits from 72 hours of power reserve, 37 jewels, 302 components, flyback chronograph and zero reset seconds. The Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa Chrono Flyback 44mm has a recommended retail price of $25,200 AUD.
Last but certainly not least, the Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa GMT 44mm is hewn from hard-wearing and lightweight titanium, which is then given a Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating to achieve its black aesthetic. The Luna Rossa GMT’s case measures 15.65mm thick, making it the slimmest watch of the trio.
Inside the hardwearing case you’ll find Panerai’s Calibre P.9010/GMT movement, a self-winding workhorse that offers customers 72 hours of power reserve, has 199 components, 31 jewels and, like its siblings, runs at a smooth 28,800 (4Hz) vibrations per hour. The Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa GMT 44mm has a recommended retail price of $15,700 AUD.
In addition to the distinctive sailcloth dial, all three of the watches feature a 12-sided screw-back case that is DLC coated and features an engraved motif of the Luna Rossa logo, the Luna Rossa AC75 monohull and a sketch of the America’s Cup.
The trio is fitted with a “Ponte Vecchio” black calf leather strap with contrasting white stitching, and all the leather bands come equipped with a trapezoidal-brushed titanium clasp and buckle that is treated with a black DLC coating.