There are only 100 Panerai Luminor Sealand Special Edition watches in the world. Of which, one has come to India.
Dedicated to the Year of the Horse, the PAM 00847 Luminor Sealand is part of the Chinese Zodiac sign series by Officine Panerai. In what can be considered a grandstand play by the brand, it has a three-dimensional black and gold engraving of a gambolling horse on the Luminor’s hinged cover protector, hand engraved by Italian master craftsmen.
Historically, hand engraving was used in printmaking, for book illustrations, newspaper prints, banknotes, and map-making. But the advent of modern technology has transformed it into an incredible art that can be done even on metal objects.
A painstaking technique of engraving has been used by Panerai’s master craftsmen—the grooves are made in steel by a tool called a Sparsello, before being inlaid with threads of gold inserted in repeated parallel layers and hammered until they fill the engraved outlines.
The process of inlaying the gold is done only after the cover has been engraved and polished, leaving it open to damage by even the smallest of errors, necessitating remarkable skills from craftsmen.
The art of hand graving is emblematic of the Italian Renaissance era and a generation of artisans from Florence. Panerai Bottega in Florence, the first watch shop in the city, has nourished this artisanal culture.
The protective layer conceals a minimalist grey dial which, in classic Panerai style, features only a small second’s dial and date.
The case and the winding crown are made entirely of brushed AISI 316L stainless steel. The movement is the OP III calibre, hand-wound with a power reserve of 42 hours.
The Luminor Sealand—PAM00847—is water-resistant to a depth of 50 meters.
Rounding off this incredible watch is a soft brown leather strap.
This isn’t the only watch brought to India by Officine Panerai, which has upped its 2022 game in the country’s US$633m luxury watch market. Among the launches are three new Luminor watches.
Play in contrast: The first Panerai model for women
Luminor Due is the Italian-meets-Swiss brand’s (it was established in Italy, and now has a manufacturing base in Switzerland) first model created for women. The newest renditions of the Luminor Due, PAM01247 and PAM01248, have starkly opposing colour palettes, a play of dark and light.
The watch nestles in the signature 38mm Luminor Due case, including the patented crown safety lock device. A monochromatic, rich, lush anthracite colour tinges the sandwich dial (sun-brushed finishing reveals unexpected gradations as light moves across its surface) and the date window at 3 o’clock of the PAM01247. The numerals, indices and hands are in white Super-LumiNova™ (non-radioactive and non-toxic photoluminescent or afterglow pigments illuminate markings on watch dials, hands, and bezels). Interestingly, it glows green in darkness in sharp contrast to the warm golden finish of the hands.
PAM01248 has a lovely ivory sun-brushed dial, in complete contrast. The sumptuous timepiece sports beige Super-LumiNova™, gold hands, and a polished red strap.
The tech specs: Both models have a P.900 calibre, an in-house automatic movement with a three-day power reserve conceived by the Panerai manufacture in Neuchâtel. They are water-resistant to 300 metres.
Circular watchmaking: Luminor Panerai
Sustainability has been the cornerstone of Panerai’s watchmaking for a few years now and the brand has innovated with the concept of circular economy and fashion, with its Luminor Marina.
It features a patented crown-protecting device, eSteelTM, a sustainably manufactured steel composed of recycled-based material alloy. Almost 89 g of the watch and its components, such as the crown-locking mechanism, has been fabricated using recycled steel. It meets the rigorous standards of the steel cases that preceded it; eSteelTM exhibits identical chemical behaviour, physical structure, and resistance to corrosion as a non-recycled alloy.
Luminor Marina eSteelTM features a brushed case with a polished bezel and rubberised crown. There are three iterations with different polished dials in gradient colour, from dark to light: Blu Profondo (deep blue), Grigio Roccia (black) and Verde Smeraldo (green).
The tech specs: The movement is an automatic Calibre P.9010 with a three-day power reserve. It is marked by a rapid adjustment system that can move the hour-hand forward or backwards in increments of one hour, independent of the minute hand. The watch is water-resistant to more than 300 meters deep. Taking the recycled theme forward is a textile strap that complements with its dial colour, an eSteelTM trapezoidal pin buckle and a storage box composed of recycled material.
Disrupting the model: Panerai Piccolo Due Madreperla
Panerai Piccolo Due Madreperla—PAM01280—is characterised by an overt departure in its aesthetic dimension. The watch dial is crafted from lustrous mother-of-pearl that enhances the pink gold colour hands, applied numerals and date window. The numerals and indices are filled by white SuperLumiNovaTM with green luminescence.
Panerai Piccolo Due Madreperla has the smallest case, at 38mm diameter, made from GoldtechTM, an 18-carat gold alloy with a significant percentage of copper (24%) and platinum (4%).
The tech specs: The watch is water-resistant up to about 30 meters, features an interchangeable strap fitted with the Quick Release system in shiny red with tone-on-tone stitching, and a trapezoidal pin buckle in polished GoldtechTM. The timepiece comes packed in an intricate pearwood box.
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