Panerai expands its Submersible collection with two watches developed in tribute to its long-standing relationship with the Italian Navy: the Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758 and the Submersible Marina Militare Destro PAM01757.
Both revisit design elements associated with the brand’s historical military diving instruments, combining black matte dials, beige luminous material and vintage-inspired brown leather straps with contemporary movements and water resistance to 50 bar (approximately 500 metres / 1,640 feet).
The collaboration between Panerai and the Italian Navy dates back to the 1910s, when the Florentine company began supplying precision instruments for naval operations.
Its work extended beyond watches to include luminous instruments, depth gauges, compasses and equipment supporting naval aviation. The two arrows in the Officine Panerai logo refer to these activities above and below the surface.
The new references continue this association through two different configurations, one adding a practical second-time-zone display and the other reviving the Destro arrangement originally conceived for military divers.
The Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758 is housed in a 42 mm brushed steel case and powered by the automatic P.900/GMT24H calibre.
Measuring 5.2 mm in thickness, the movement is built around a single barrel and a bidirectional winding rotor, providing a power reserve of three days.
It comprises 189 components and 23 jewels, and operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz).
Its functions include central hours and minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, a date display at 3 o’clock and a second time zone indicated by an orange-tipped hand against a 24-hour scale on the rehaut.
The 24-hour format makes it possible to distinguish day from night in the second time zone, while the orange tip ensures that the additional indication is readily identifiable.
A stop-seconds function allows the movement to be halted when setting the time, facilitating precise synchronisation.
The Submersible Marina Militare Destro PAM01757 takes a different approach, with a larger 44 mm brushed steel case and a crown-protecting bridge positioned on the left side, at 9 o’clock.
This configuration was developed for military divers who wore their watches on the right wrist, keeping the crown and its protective structure away from the back of the hand while leaving the left hand free to operate instruments such as a compass or depth gauge.
The model also dispenses with the date, following the functional layout of early Panerai military watches, where the emphasis was placed on hours, minutes, running seconds and elapsed immersion time.
Its small seconds display at 9 o’clock provides an immediate indication that the movement is running.
Powering the PAM01757 is the automatic P.980 calibre, which shares the three-day power reserve and 28,800 vibrations-per-hour frequency of the GMT movement.
Measuring 4.2 mm thick, it comprises 163 components and 23 jewels. A traversing balance bridge is designed to provide greater stability, while the movement undergoes testing in six positions to assess its chronometric performance. It also features a stop-seconds function for precise time setting.
Both watches have black matte dials with beige Super-LumiNova on the hands, hour markers and bezel indications.
The warm tone recalls the appearance of aged luminous material on vintage Panerai dials, where originally white compounds could acquire a beige colour over time.
The unidirectional rotating steel bezels are fitted with matte black ceramic discs, providing a scratch-resistant surface for the elapsed-time scale.
Their one-way operation is an essential safety feature: accidental movement can only reduce the indicated immersion time, rather than extend it.
The screwed steel casebacks are engraved with the Slow Speed Torpedo, the underwater vehicle nicknamed ‘the pig’ and used by Italian naval commandos during operations in the 1940s.
Panerai subjects the assembled watches to individual water-resistance testing, including a pressure test carried out at 25% above the stated rating.
The verification process also includes a thermal test to check for any moisture inside the case. Before assembly, the components undergo quality checks, while representative batches are subjected to additional laboratory testing designed to simulate extended use.
The vintage-inspired styling continues with gold-brown Ponte Vecchio calf leather straps, finished with tone-on-tone stitching and fitted with trapezoidal brushed-steel buckles.
Each watch is also supplied with a black accordion-style rubber strap, providing an alternative more suited to use in the water.
Both references come in Panerai’s standard packaging, made from recycled paper and accompanied by a travel pouch.
The Panerai Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758 is priced at €12,700 (including VAT) / US$13,100 (excluding sales tax), while the Submersible Marina Militare Destro PAM01757 is priced at €12,300 (including VAT) / US$12,700 (excluding sales tax). panerai.com
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