By Jovan Krstevski
Panerai’s popularity has surged ever since the movie “Daylight” and of course the pride of being the trademark of the prestigious Italian Navy. Who wouldn’t like the feel of a real hero’s watch? I fancy myself doing some crazy things with the watch’s rich historical footprints but what excites me more is the new engineering of the watch.
The Panerai special edition set is indeed an embodiment of Italian prestige and Swiss expertise. It is comprised of two great models inspired by the pre-Vendôme era or simply classical watches with lots of excellent history namely: the Luminor Black Seal and the Luminor Daylight. Stallone ordered a few of these special watches in the past and those designs now adorn this special edition set. I’m excited just thinking how manly these watches are plus they come with the prestigious “limited” label.
The case of the two watches are identical in size which is 44mm and clearly represents the classic Luminor 1950 case but with reinterpreted elements so that it becomes simpler and more powerful. What makes it so robust is the employment of the AISI 316L stainless steel coating. It is aptly adorned by the bridge-like design in the crown area made of brushed steel which not only heightens the aesthetics but enhances the watch’s water resistance up to 300m. The bezels and the lugs go hand in hand with the overall design of each model. The Luminor Black Seal case is covered by DLC (Diamond-Like Carbon) testament to what it represents which is a robust watch that could withstand the tests of time while the Luminor Daylight is made of polished steel sporting the same strength.
The caseback is engraved with “Officine Panerai Firenze” and adorned by the OP logo. It is closed and made of the same DLC which is literally a vaporised carbon with a diamond structure layer so imagine just how strong that is.
The dial obviously goes with the overall design of each model but they are somehow identical if you take out the colours. Personally, I prefer the Luminor Daylight’s clear presentation of time with the numeric hour markers and detailed minute track but they both have the classical signature of Panerai which is the tiny seconds hand at 9’oclock. The Luminor Black Seal on the other hand is authentic on its naval symbolism which would be loved by the patriotic spirits in all of us.
The case and the distinguished dials of the watches are finally protected by the 2.55mm sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating.
The exciting part is the evolution in the technical specs of the new Luminors. The dramatic changes are behind the scenes so technically they boost the engineering prowess of the Luminors without sidestepping their overall classical resemblance.
The new Luminors are both powered by the latest hand-wound Panerai P.5000 calibre with 21 jewels and impressive 21,600 alternations/hour not to mention an anti-shock device and power reserve that could last for 8 days. There are only 127 components which counts greatly if you really want robustness in a watch – the less moving pieces, the better stability.
Of course, nothing holds the watches better than the identical brown leather strap with contrasting ecru stitching and steel buckle with a particular hard black coating exuding elegance and sheer power.
Moreover, the new Luminors serve distinctive purposes for specialised needs but they both embody the classical Luminor feel albeit with the hidden engineering upgrades. For more info, please visit panerai.com
Jovan Krstevski – Founder, Proprietor & Executive Editor
Watch collector, aficionado and a Event profile in the Swedish nightlife. He launched Watchgeek back in 2011, which is now known as WristReview and is one of the most widely read watch blogs on the Web. He quotes ’WristReview is a site to help people find, explore, discover and enjoy wristwatches.’ His passion jump started in his early teens, when he was given his first mid-range wristwatch which was an Omega Seamaster. Since then he has always been in love with wristwatches! Besides WristReview, he also writes for a number of publications. P.S: He is also a huge fan of The Man of Steel/Superman. Read his articles here.
