For Panerai, 2021 is a year dedicated to the Chronograph. If you’re a true Paneristi, the Mare Nostrum project would immediately ring a bell. Created in 1943, this was Panerai’s first Chronograph – a model designed to serve the deck officers of the Italian Navy. In light of the brands’ rich history and to reaffirms its role in the sphere of chronography, Panerai has unveiled 3 new Luminor Chrono watches : Luminor Chrono PAM01109 (brushed stainless steel case with a black matt finish dial, black alligator strap), PAM01218 (brushed stainless steel case with a white matt finish dial, black alligator strap) and PAM01110 (brushed stainless steel case, blue dial with satiné soleil finishing, brushed and polished AISI 316L steel bracelet) – all featuring high-performance new proprietary calibres developed by the research and development department within Panerai’s Neuchâtel manufacture, the Laboratorio di Idee, a hub for innovation and avant-garde imagination.
Aesthetically these watches look great, a nice point of differentiation being the chronograph controls which reside on the left side of the 44mm brushed case. Other details include the polished bezel, safety lock crown protection device (protected by trademark), lever, crown and chrono pushers in brushed steel. With a transparent sapphire crystal glass and a twelve-sided screwed in case back in brushed steel, the watch has a water resistance of up to 10 bar i.e. 100 meters.
The dial of these watches, are assembled in the classic ‘sandwich’ design. Taking centre stage are two chronograph counters – a seconds counter at 9 o’clock and a minutes counter at 3 o’clock with blue hands. The sky blue tipped central chronograph seconds hand adds a subtle pop of colour. Each Luminor Chrono features a “base 1000” tachymeter scale on the edge of the dial, allowing the wearer to calculate average speed over a predefined distance, in kilometers or miles.
To ensure a unified identity among the models, all feature the new Caliber P.9200 with chronograph function. It is an efficient, high-performance self-winding movement thanks to the 42-hour power reserve ensured by the energy stored within a single barrel.
The Luminor Chrono PAM01109 and PAM01218 models feature two straps, in alligator leather and rubber, equipped with a trapezoidal pin buckle in brushed steel. The Luminor Chrono PAM01110, designed to be slim, light and ergonomic, is characterized by the folding clasp with slimmer blades and “OP” logo. Moreover, the links of the bracelet are inspired by the emblematic Panerai safety lock system. All the Luminor Chrono have the strap interchangeable system giving the client the opportunity to move from metal bracelet to alligator or calf and vice versa.