Watches and Wonders: Panerai Sails into Geneva with a new Submersible Luna Rossa Capsule Collection

“Our association with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team resonates deeply with Panerai’s maritime heritage and our pursuit of boundary-breaking performance,” said Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroue about the six-year relationship in a press statement ahead of the show. “This partnership is an extension of our brand’s core values.”

Therefore, it was unsurprising when the new Luna Rossa collaboration timepieces revealed in Geneva earlier this week put that shared resonance front and center via a profound mix of materials, experiences, and functions that cater to the waves in every way.

Let’s take a look!

To utilize an appropriate water-y phrase, the limited to 20 pieces Submersible Tourbillon GMT Luna Rossa Experience Edition (PAM01405) is loaded to the gills, including an up-close-and-personal, specially curated experience during the America’s Cup finals for the lucky owners.

But, to the obvious extras: It’s the very first 45mm Submersible model to feature a tourbillon and also the first tourbillon model to utilize the next-generation Carbotech material. Also, in this case, the composite carbon-fiber material echoes the mostly carbon-fiber construction of the Luna Rossa vessel’s hull.
 

The spinner rotates in its cage every 30 seconds along a perpendicular path to the balance wheel, increasing its gravity-countering effects. The indicator for the impressive four-day power reserve rides along a triangular gauge formed by the movement’s bridges on the reverse side of the timepiece, without adding additional clutter to a very technical-looking dial.

On that dial, framed by a black DLC titanium bezel, you will not only see a lumed hour and minute hands, a small seconds at 9 o’clock, a night/day indicator at 3 o’clock, and views into the balance wheel and tourbillon, but you will also see that the arrow on the GMT hand is subtly shaped like the Luna Rossa vessel’s sail.
 

With 30 bars of water resistance and the hand-wound P.2015/T calibre that is the result of three years of development, what else can we say except, “Raise the mainsail!”

Bearing a similar red-striped, Luna Rossa-liveried, rubberized fabric strap style to the PAM01405 discussed above, these Submersible QuarantaQuattro models (one with a clean, white dial; one with a sunray deep blue dial), showcase the new Panerai-developed Ti-Ceramitech material via their 44mm cases, lock-down crown protectors, and bezels.
 

This new material is derived from a titanium (hence the “Ti”) ceramization process that creates its distinctive blue hue and makes the material 10 times more fracture-resistant than traditional ceramic, yet also 44% lighter than steel.
 

The colorway and overall approach of the Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio (PAM01507) parallels the blue-dialed version of the Ti-Ceramitech discussed above.
 

However, this timepiece’s indices and hour hand will be the debut use of the new Super-Luminova X2 coating, which ensures a 10% luminosity increase (even after 180 minutes at depth). Add to that a slick GMT function (via the modified P.900/GMT calibre with three days of power reserve) and a 42mm Grade 5 titanium case and lock-down crown protector, and this Luna Rossa becomes something of an outlier in Panerai’s Geneva novelties.

Retaining the QuarantaQuattro model’s 500 meters of water resistance, but blending in the Experience Edition’s sail-inspired GMT arrow, the PAM01507 constitutes a kind of melding of both those models.
 

Still, the PAM01507 stands out for its blended use of green Super-LumiNova X2 for the indices and hour hand (mentioned above) and blue Super-LumiNova X-1 for the minute hand and bezel dots, delivering a division of lume-labor focused on diving functionality and safety.

The core offering from this quartet of new watches, the Submersible Luna Rossa (PAM01565) has the same familiar sunray blue dial as the QuarantaQuattro and Titanio models discussed above. However, this model is limited to 300 versions and is an e-commerce exclusive.

Crafted in a traditional 42mm stainless steel case (and crown protector) with a black ceramic bezel, once again, the P.900 movement is used, but overall water resistance is back down to 30bar.
 

Finally, expect Super-LumiNova hands and simple bar and dot indices, along with a date aperture across from the small seconds indicator of the QuarantaQuattro and Titanio models above.