This is it – this is the ultimate Pam diver – and you know what, it isn’t even a Submersible model. It’s an old school, fixed bezel, no nonsense, Italian naval diver and I think I might just have found my new grail. Wait a minute; this is a pretty familiar looking style!
Nevertheless, someone lock me away, quick! All I need is this and a very large box Kleenex cos’ things are bout’ to get damn right intimate! Drool aside - I’m about to weep tears of joy and sadness all at the same time (why, what did you think I was gonna’ do???)!
Okay, so now that I’ve finished gushing like a deranged school girl who’s just met her celebrity crush only to discover he’s happily married to some bloke called Dave, let’s see exactly why this particular model is worthy of such acclaim and why it might cause some of us to shed a tear or least say – bollocks (UK English for damn it)!
Introducing the new Luminor Marina 44MM Guillaume Néry Edition AKA PAM01122, inspired by Panerai brand ambassador and world-class, constant weight freediving champion, Guillaume Néry.
Drawing inspiration from Panerai’s rich historical archives while making the most of their wealth of technological know-how, this is could be the ultimate tool-watch, at least one that doesn’t have to try too hard – the art of utility without utility!
Demonstrating just how critical legibility is for a diving instrument, Panerai celebrates the 70th anniversary of the birth of Luminor, a patented tritium-based substance with luminescent properties, with this Limited Edition model available in only 70 pieces, and with a 70-year warranty.
Yes, suck it up Oris with your measly 10-year warranty – we’ll match that and raise you 60 years!
Available exclusively from Panerai boutiques, Worldwide, the new Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume Néry Edition takes the diver’s watch and boils it down to its bare aesthetic elements, like the rubberized coating applied to the bezel, crown and bridge lever; the accentuated convex glass and the dial with an evocative dégradé effect that emulates the shades produced as sunlight filters through the depths of the ocean.
A perfect harmony of old and contemporary horology, the new model reflects the Italian Swiss brand’s sophisticated approach to working with advanced materials cultivated by the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee, including DMLS (Direct Metal Laser Sintering) technology, which shapes Titanium using a 3D printing process.
Powered by the Caliber P.9010, a self-winding movement measuring only 6mm thick and designed and developed entirely in-house at the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, the new Luminor Marina 44mm − Guillaume Néry Edition is a tool diver among tool divers.
Its movement is equipped with double barrels for a three-day power reserve and a quick time adjustment function that can move forward or backward in increments of an hour and is connected automatically to the date indicator.
In their endless pursuit for innovative methodologies to maintain and improve the performance of its diving instruments, Panerai redefines the concept of a guarantee by providing a monumental 70 years of coverage for the Luminor Marina 44mm − Guillaume Néry Edition.
Water-resistant up to 30 bar (300 meters deep), the Luminor Marina 44mm − Guillaume Néry Edition is bang on trend with a strap made from black recycled PET (plastic waste found in the oceans) material with white stitching and Panerai's iconic Pre-Vendome pin buckle.
A white rubber technical strap, the very first to feature luminescent Officine Panerai personalization is included with each watch, along with a screwdriver to remove the buckle and a recycled plastic box engraved with the signature of Panerai ambassador Guillaume Néry.
Meanwhile, the case-back is with an engraving depicting the silhouette of the free-diver and Ambassador Guillaume Néry.
Thoughts? With only 70 pieces available this is one watch that will have to remain at the lofty heights of its pedestal, placed excruciatingly out of reach; we’ll probably never even get to handle one, let alone add one to the stable but it’s not all bad news, it’s a pretty easy style to emulate, so likely there are already one or two more affordable offerings out there, or potentially more on the horizon.
Oh, and if anyone dares to tells you that this isn’t a proper diver’s watch – slap them in the face with a wet fish and immediately disown them – well you should at least cross them off your Christmas card list because this here is part the diver’s watch origins story.
Getting back to why I love this watch (70-piece exclusivity and 70-yrs warranty aside); for me this is exactly the look that I find truly appealing – it’s very OceanicTime SE-esque with its blasted Titanium case and contrasting black -
bezel, crown and case-back, minimalist style and naturally imbued with much badassery but I would have gone with DLC coated instead of rubberized components for longevity but with 70yrs warranty, there isn't much to worry about is there. What do you think?
Ps. while we’re on the subject of OT SEs, stay tuned for a very cool new OceanicTime SE coming this way soon!
Great review! Cheers
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU! :)
DeleteFantastic write up! Thank you.
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