Panerai Releases Commemorative Luminor Geneva Boutique Special Edition

Panerai is the product of distinct traditions rooted in two countries: the sophistication of Swiss watchmaking artistry and an illustrious history of design inheritance from Italy. Situated at 21 Rue du Rhône in Geneva, in one of the most prestigious streets in the world, Panerai proudly unveils its unprecedented flagship store: two whole floors characterized by innovative modularity and Italian design blend physical and digital features to deliver a unique sensorial experience. To mark the opening of its new boutique, Panerai commemorates a waterproof timepiece ingenuity in the watchmaking sphere.

Upon entering the boutique, Panerai’s iconic luminous green wall clock may be the first element to grab customers’ attention, but one of the most striking novelties is the presence of a large videowall on which product can be impressively projected and magnified.

To reinforce this principle of experiential interaction, underneath the staircase leading to the second floor is a corner dedicated to the Laboratorio di Idee, a wall with portholes that “allows customers to touch and see Panerai’s philosophy of creating and developing new materials and movements in a transformative and sustainable way” states Creative Director Alvaro Maggini.

This core vision comprised of sustainable building and transformation is echoed in the modular lounge on the second floor. A stunning room with Italian furniture and iconic design pieces adorn the bright space, complemented by Italian literature and design books and, of course, some of the most prestigious high complication and special edition Panerai references.

The lounge can undergo a rapid transformation and become an elegant dining room in occasion of press and client events. When not in the lounge, clients are invited to visit the next-door bar area.

The bar in Art Deco style comprises one of the main elements in this area, a dual space that functions both as a café and drinks bar as well as an interactive rotating shelf through which customers can play and discover their favorite strap and case combination. A moveable platform follows the curve of the bar and allows customers to enjoy an Italian coffee or signature aperitivo during the experience.

The bottom of the bar structure is composed of ten containers holding ten different coffee beans from around the world, turning a core component of Italian culture and habit into an impressive piece of art.

An original Vespa from 1956 and a beautiful library housing glassless product displays and Italian vintage elements complete the setting. A modular stand-alone display shelf area can be used to highlight the novelties of the moment or major partnerships: when needed however, these shelves can be folded down onto themselves to create further walking space.

The peak of the floor’s animation however is in the shape of a curious periscope, behind which customers can see relevant Panerai stories unfold. This new creative concept, ‘Modularità Espressiva’, will be soon adopted in Panerai boutiques all over the world, redesigning the brands’ relationship with its customers.

To commemorate the boutiques’s grand opening, Panerai has unveiled the Luminor Geneva Boutique Special Edition.

The LGBSE is limited to 121 units during production and features a matte black 44mm case designed of titanium. The first-ever gradient dial will accompany the P.5000 internal movement, accented by Arabic numerals illuminated in neon green. In line with previous Panerai models, the manually wound caliber delivers an eight-day power reserve and inertia balance courtesy of Glucydur.

Engraved on the case back is an elegant mural of Geneva’s landmark Jet d’Eau fountain, accompanied by two interchangeable straps: a recycle-based PET strap and a green rubber strap. The waterproof timepiece commemorates the Italian watchmakers ingenuity in the watchmaking sphere, marking the opening of its experiential concept store in Geneva.

The timepiece is exclusive to the Panerai Geneva Boutique and retails for $9,700 EUR (approximately $10,815 USD). Come into the beautiful world of Panerai.

Introducing The New Panerai Platinumtech Luminor Marina Watch

Giovanni Panerai opens his watchmaker’s shop on Ponte alle Grazie in Florence: serving not only as a shop and workshop but also as the city’s first watchmaking school, Officine Panerai’s history begins here. The shop later moves to its current location in the Palazzo Arcivescovile in Piazza San Giovanni, changing its name to ‘Orologeria Svizzera’ at the beginning of the twentieth century.

To meet the military needs of the Royal Italian Navy, which it had already been supplying with high precision instruments for a number of years, Officine Panerai creates Radiomir, a radium-based powder that gives luminosity to the dials of sighting instruments and devices. Reference to the name ‘Radiomir’ is documented in the supplement to the patent filed in France on 23 March 1916. The substance’s high visibility and the paint’s excellent underwater adhesive qualities immediately make the radium paste a key element in Officine Panerai’s production. The Radiomir patent will be the first of the many patents filed to mark Panerai’s history of innovation.

The actual production of the Radiomir models with the 1936 features takes place two years later. In order to implement the functions of the prototype, Officine Panerai makes a number of changes and starts producing a new Radiomir model with the following features: the use of overlapping plates for the dial, the upper part having perforated indices and numerals so as to make the radium paint more readable and luminescent; the wire lugs are made more resistant, comprising a metal bar folded at both ends and welded to the case middle. A further innovation that improves underwater visibility relates to the numbering of the dial, which has just 4 large Arabic numerals at the cardinal points and a series of indices, hour and minute hands, but without a small seconds hand.

A new self-luminous substance, Luminor, supersedes the radium-based paste. Tritium (hydrogen isotope) based, this compound is protected by the patent filed on 11 January 1949 under the ‘Luminor’ trademark. Officine Panerai draws inspiration from the name of its newly patented substance for its other historical model that follows the Radiomir watch – the Luminor.

The evolution from Radiomir to Luminor is completed. The Second World War having drawn to a close, the Florentine company continues the technical research begun at the start of the war, culminating in the development of the Luminor, characterized by the crown-protecting bridge, with reinforced wire lugs created from the same block of steel as the case, the cushion-shaped case as in the Radiomir 1940 and the flat, wider bezel. Nowadays the models with this case are known as Luminor 1950.

To celebrate the 70th Anniversary of its iconic Luminor collection the Italian watchmaker is offering a 70-year warranty, including all servicing costs, on its new Platinumtech Luminor Marina.

Not only does the price tag cover all running costs for what is essentially a lifetime of wear but Panerai has made its case from Platinumtech, an Platinum-based alloy created in the brand’s Swiss Laboratorio di Idee R&D centre for increased hardness and to better preserve the watch’s box fresh appearance over the years.

The watch has a date window at the three o’clock and a small seconds at the nine o’clock dictated by the three-day Calibre P.9010 automatic movement inside. and features an olive green sandwich dial finished with vibrant sunburst brushing, whilst a metallic ‘70 Year Warranty’ logo has been applied to the sapphire crystal caseback.

Panerai previously backed its 2017 Lab-ID Luminor 1950 Carbotech 3 Days with a 50-year warranty and servicing, clearly confident in the work it had undertaken to remove the need for liquid lubricants, the weak link in mechanical watchmaking and the reason watches need servicing like cars, from the movement of that watch.

That offer trounced all other warranties being offered in the watch industry (IWC offers the next longest warranty at eight years) so this new period only widens the gap. Of course with such a long period of warranty being offered (someone purchasing the Carbotech at launch will still have 46 years of warranty coverage) no-one has been able to test either the claimed longevity of the watch or the T&Cs of the warranty.

But that watch, which used a host of high tech materials including tantalum-based ceramic and DLC-coated silicon, came with a $53,470 USD price tag, so it can be assumed that at least some of the predicted future servicing costs were built into the price.

This new watch, however, uses a stock P.9010 automatic movement and, at $36,900, offers a considerable saving over its predecessor. This would appear to suggest that Panerai is either confident that one of its in-house movements will need minimal attention over a 70-year period, which frankly I’d doubt of any movement being made today, or that the brand has one again priced the watch to take into account potential future costs.

Priced at $39,600 USD the Panerai Platinumtech Luminor Marina comes in limited edition of 70 pieces and is available exclusively through its network of boutiques. Come into the beautiful and timeless world of Panerai.

Panerai launch six new versions of the Luminor Due timepiece

Panerai’s pioneering innovation has led the brand to evolve and create some of the most contemporary timepieces in the industry today. Continuously maintaining creativity whilst keeping the Italian brand’s heritage embedded within its collections, Panerai pushed the refresh button on the three-year-old Luminor Due collection, offering a luxe addition to the Luminor Due family.

A merge between modern design cues and signature aesthetics, Panerai launches new Luminor Due collection…

A refined, contemporary take on the brand’s signature line of 1950s-inspired wristwatches, the new Luminor Due watches remain unconventional in its attitude and is the first Panerai automatic watch of this diameter (4.2 mm) to have both a date display and a power reserve of three days.

For the new Luminor Due collection it is business as usual in an aesthetic sense, however a change in movement has had a ripple effect on the design. Comprising of six new models, the numerous case variants include brushed titanium, stainless steel and Panerai’s patented Goldtech which are paired with two dial options, a blue satiné soleil sandwich dial or white with beige printed Arabic numerals.

With the exception of the PAM00964, all of these watches are equipped with Panerai’s new P.900 calibre, their thinnest to date. Measuring just 4.2mm thick it also boasts a substantial three day power and is likely to be Panerai’s new entry level calibre. The collection moves in a modern direction in terms of case size too, thanks to its svelte movement the watches are significantly thinner than previous models and all come with quick-change straps.

Panerai Luminor Due PAM00926 and PAM00927

The new Luminor Due watches PAM00926, PAM00927, and PAM00964 referenced models come with brushed titanium cases, blue crocodile straps, sunray patterned dials and beige indexes. One of the rare differences between PAM00926 (38mm) and 927 (42mm) is the case diameter. All three models have a date display and a Luminor Marina style winding crown protection.

The case backs of these models are solid. It is difficult to predict exactly why the brand made such a choice, as the watches in this collection are resistant to water pressure up to 30 meters only. In other words, the user does not have to protect the watch from the rain, but it is impossible to swim with the watch.

Both models provide automatic Caliber P.900 power and give a 72-hour lifetime in full installation. PAM00926 is available for 6,700 Euro and PAM00927 for 7,000 Euro.

 

Panerai Luminor Due PAM00964 with GMT Function

The Luminor Due PAM00964 comes with a titanium case like the ones mentioned above but is larger in diameter (45mm). The second time zone display is at 9 o’clock. The power reserve indicator is off-centered and placed between 5 and 6 o’clock. The Caliber P.4002 used in this Luminor Due model is equipped with a micro-rotor to maintain the thin profile of the model. The automatic movement provides 72 hours of power reserve when fully wound. Let us also add that this model was developed and produced in the brand’s manufacture at Neuchâtel. The price of the watch is 11,800 Euro.

 

Panerai Luminor Due Gold Case PAM01045

Meet the most ‘expensive’ Luminor Due. This model is impressive with its bright red strap, 38mm gold case, and beige dial. The case uses Panerai’s patented Goldtech material, an 18k rose gold alloy which contains more copper than your usual mixture giving it a reddish hue.

The watch is powered by the automatic Caliber P900 and provides 72 hours of power reserve when fully wound. Despite being aimed at women, slender wristed males will be tempted. The price of this (poetic) watch is 14,900 Euro.

 

Panerai Luminor Due PAM01043 and PAM01046

Among all these models, the most accessible one is the PAM01043. It is a typical contemporary Panerai with the Italian design that reflects to the smallest detail. With a brown leather strap, beige dial and stitches in the same tone, the model is quite beautiful.

The 38mm case is made of stainless steel and houses the automatic P900 movement, providing 72 hours of power reserve when fully wound. PAM01046, on the other hand, is more masculine than its sibling is with its dark brown calf strap and 42mm case. PAM01043 is available for 5,900 Euro and PAM01046 for 6,200 Euro.

The new Luminor Due watches  are supplied with interchangeable straps equipped with the Quick Release system. They are water-resistant to 3 bar (a depth of about 30 metres). Come into the beautiful and timeless world of Panerai.