Panerai, a brand synonymous with military timepieces, has recently unveiled a collection that pays homage to the US Navy SEALs. The 2024 Capsule Collection revisits Panerai’s military heritage and its longstanding relationship with naval forces. This exclusive range features four watches in the submersible line.
Press release with commentary in italics.
Panerai’s Navy SEALs Collection
Pricing information can be found here.
Commentary
This collection includes four models: the Submersible Quaranta Quattro Navy SEALs PAM01518, the Submersible Quaranta Quattro GMT Navy SEALs Carbotech PAM01513, the Submersible Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01669, and the Submersible Chrono Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01521.
The Submersible QuarantaQuattro Navy SEALs PAM01518 is a beater 44mm stainless steel timepiece with a brushed finish. It features a unidirectional rotating bezel and a dial that transitions from a dusty grey to black, complemented by sandy beige Super-LumiNova lume plots and hands. The watch is powered by the P900 automatic calibre, offering a three-day power reserve.
The Submersible QuarantaQuattro GMT Navy SEALs Carbotech PAM01513 fields a 500-meter water-resistant Carbotech case and a GMT function that is useful for keeping track of multiple time zones. The design includes a degrade black to anthracite dial with sand-colored Super-LumiNova across the hands and hour markers.
For those who prefer a larger watch, the Submersible Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01669 offers a 47mm brushed titanium case with a Carbotech bezel. This model is water-resistant to 300 meters and relies on the Caliber P.9010, which also provides a three-day power reserve.
The most complex model in the collection is the Submersible Chrono Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01521. It features a 47mm DLC-treated titanium case with a matte black ceramic bezel. The chronograph function is complemented by a pair of subdials and a countdown feature, making it a robust tool for precise timekeeping.
All models in the Navy SEALs collection are equipped with two strap options: a rubber and AOR-1 camouflage-patterned textile strap, reflecting the Navy SEALs’ uniform, and a more subdued black accordion rubber strap. The watches offer military enthusiasts an opportunity for a tough looking luxury watch. But that being said, it would mean alot more if the SEALs’ actually used those watches – like a military issued watch. Which is unlikely considering the price tag and the likelihood of damage in combat.
Press release
With a history intertwined with that of the Italian military, Panerai has long held a steadfast commitment to crafting timepieces that embody the ideals of challenge, bravery, team spirit, and adrenaline. These same values are shared by the legendary Navy SEALs, known for their exceptional training and remarkable feats in the world of the sea, modern heroes in their own right.
Panerai continues to reinforce its Military DNA with a new elite Navy SEALs-inspired capsule to further its mission of delivering reliable watches. Whether a professional diver, a daring adventurer, or a connoisseur of finely crafted high-tech timepieces, these are watches defined by the shared passion for pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
The 2024 collection draws its aesthetic and functional cues from desert camouflage, an inspiration that permeates the very design and functionality of the watches. The design codes that connect these four new Panerai Submersible novelties include the Navy SEALs decal at the 6 o’clock position on the dial, a small seconds counter designed to resemble a target, symbolizing the accuracy and mission-focused nature inherent to their operations. The case-back is engraved with the official logo of the Navy SEALs, while indexes are coated with sand-coloured Super-LumiNova®, not only enhancing legibility under low light conditions but also complementing the watches’ rugged aesthetics.
The Submersible QuarantaQuattro Navy SEALs PAM01518 merges the robustness of military design with the refined technicity synonymous with Panerai. Encased in a 44mm brushed stainless steel case, the watch boasts a unidirectional rotating bezel crafted from the same resilient material, which complements its gradient dial that transitions from black to anthracite. Beige Super-LumiNova® punctuates this gradient for a striking, luminous display. Turning the watch over reveals a screwed brushed stainless-steel back, ensuring water resistance up to 30 bar. The PAM01518, featuring a no-date design, emphasizes style and symmetry to offer a clean and uncluttered aesthetic that enhances legibility.
At the heart of the PAM01518 is the P.900 movement, renowned for its reliability with a 3-day power reserve. The P.900 is an automatic caliber that integrates expansive function within the confines of remarkably streamlined proportions. Measuring 121⁄2 lignes (28mm) in diameter and only 4.2 mm thick, the movement is among the slimmest automatic calibers in the Panerai portfolio. The energy necessary to accumulate a power reserve of three days is delivered by a bidirectional oscillating weight and stored in a single barrel. Its balance wheel, oscillating at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour, is securely fixed in position by a balance cock. The caliber is equipped with a stop-second function that enables precise time setting.
Remarkably lightweight yet robust, the Submersible QuarantaQuattro GMT Navy SEALs Carbotech PAM01513 features a 44mm Carbotech case, a composite material based on carbon fiber and developed by Panerai. Carbotech is not only 64% lighter than titanium and 80% lighter than steel but also surpasses them in strength and durability. The manufacturing process involves compressing carbon fiber sheets at a precise temperature and high pressure along with PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), a superior polymer that binds the composite, enhancing its strength and longevity. The resulting Carbotech plates boast superior mechanical properties and performance in term of strength-to-weight ratio enabling very comfortable ergonomics while being resistant to tough wearing conditions. Notably light, Carbotech excels in resistance to external forces and corrosion. Its uneven, matte black surface, which varies according to the cutting of the material, lends every singular watch a slightly different appearance. The unidirectional rotating bezel, made from the same cutting-edge material, sits atop a degrade dial that transitions from black to anthracite, finished with beige Super-LumiNova® for clarity in all conditions.
The watch’s screwed back is composed of Titanium DLC (diamond-like carbon coating), reinforcing its durability and complementing its advanced design.
The P.900/GMT calibre powers the watch, boasting a 3-day automatic reserve with a GMT function that displays a second time zone. This feature is particularly useful for tracking both home time and local time simultaneously, with the GMT hand glowing in green Super-LumiNova® in the dark.
Designed with deep immersion in mind, the Submersible QuarantaQuattro GMT is certified for water resistance up to 50 bar.
The Submersible Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01669, tailored for the fearless adventurer, features a formidable 47mm case constructed from brushed titanium. Crafted specifically from Grade 5 titanium, known for being one of the best titanium alloys available, it boasts a strength-to-weight ratio that makes it 40% lighter and 60% harder than steel. This substantial size harks back to the very first case produced by Panerai, inspired by the dimensions of the movements found in their historical models, making it an ideal fit for the wrist of an adrenaline-seeking explorer.
Complementing the titanium case is a unidirectional rotating Carbotech bezel, while the dial presents a visually stunning transition from black to anthracite, adorned with beige Super-LumiNova®. At the heart of this timepiece is the automatic P.9010 calibre featuring central hour and minute hands, a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and a date display at 3 o’clock. The movement boasts a three-day power reserve housed in two spring barrels – whose springs are wound by an oscillating weight operating in both directions – ensuring continuous performance for extended expeditions. The P.9010 caliber presents a quick change of time feature, which allows the hour hand to be adjusted independently in hourly increments without affecting the minute hand, providing convenience for travellers moving across time zones. For greater accuracy when adjusting the time, the calibre also features a device which stops the balance wheel and consequently the seconds hand when the winding crown is pulled out. The timepiece is water resistant up to 30 bar.
With its robust 47mm case crafted from Titanium DLC, the Submersible Chrono Navy SEALs Titanio PAM01521 presents a potent combination of lightness and strength, being 40% lighter and 60% harder than steel. This strength is echoed in the unidirectional rotating Titanium DLC bezel with a black matt ceramic disk, ensuring durability and functionality.
The timepiece is powered by the P.9100/R calibre, an automatic movement with a 3-day power reserve and a flyback chronograph function, further enriched with a countdown feature that tracks time before an event or an expected moment. With a vertical clutch and column wheel, the chronograph minutes are displayed by a central hand that jumps forward once every 60 seconds. This feature enables the chronograph hands, which are already running, to be returned instantaneously to zero and restarted in just one operation.
The countdown can be set by pressing the push-button at 4 o’clock, allowing the minute hand to retreat one minute with each click until the desired time is set. The chronograph hands are activated with a press on the “START” push-piece at 10 o’clock, and the watch also includes hours, minutes, small seconds, calculation of immersion time, stop- seconds, and seconds reset. The power reserve of 72 hours is made possible by its two serially connected spring barrels. This design choice allows for the use of thinner and longer springs, which provide a consistent and stable delivery of energy over the entire period of the reserve.
The dial, featuring a gradient from black to anthracite and accented with beige Super- LumiNova®, ensures legibility in the most challenging conditions. The screwed Titanium DLC case back enhances the watch’s water resistance to 50 bar, making it suitable for even the most demanding underwater missions.
These timepieces have been rigorously tested to water resistance, subjecting them to a pressure up to 25% greater than the guaranteed water resistance value to ensure they fulfil Panerai’s stringent standards. This ensures reliability in the most demanding underwater environments, embodying Panerai’s DNA which is steeped in maritime and military history.
The Submersible Navy SEALs collection comes with two straps: the first one, in a bi- material combination of rubber and Camo pattern textile. The second strap is made of black accordion rubber conveying a more understated yet sporty look. On the PAM01518, PAM01669 and PAM01521, the interchangeable strap system allows for quick and easy personalization for different occasions.
Exclusively available at Panerai boutiques, the PAM01518, PAM01513 and PAM01669 will be launched on September 24th 2024 while the PAM01521 – a limited edition of 80 pieces – will hit stores from October 2024.
