Panerai is a brand that is heavily rooted in its heritage while at the same time being forward facing and innovative. That might sound like marketing speak but I mean it in the very real sense of using high tech materials to reimagine their classic designs. The latest example of which is the new PAM01707, a new addition to the Panerai Luminor Marina 44mm Carbotech range with an updated beige visual across its hands, hour markers and strap.
The model that the PAM01707 sits alongside is the PAM02661, which has the same core specs but uses blue as its accent colour instead of beige. On the surface of it, swapping from blue to beige is a very minimal change and yet it has a dramatic impact on the character of the watch. Where the blue version feels hypermodern with a quasi-futuristic vibe, the beige introduces an element of neo-vintage style.
Beige coloured lume is one of the defining features of neo-vintage design, which is a term used to describe a new watch that is designed to look older than it is. In this case, it’s meant to look like the aged lume on a Panerai Luminor from the 1960s. In that way, it brings an element of Panerai’s heritage to one of their most advanced cases produced from Carbotech; the past and future coming together.
Carbotech is Panerai’s proprietary carbon composite material, formed from sheets of carbon fibres that are compressed together under extreme heat and pressure along with Polyether Ether Ketone resin. It makes for a very durable material that is 64% lighter than titanium. Speaking of titanium, the Luminor Marina 44mm Carbotech PAM01707 has a black DLC coated titanium caseback. The case provides a 300m water resistance rating, which is what makes this the Marina dive watch variant of the Luminor.
Inside is the calibre P.9010 with 72-hour power reserve. It’s the same movement that’s used in the blue PAM02661, meaning the two watches are mechanically identical. For that reason, they’re also the exact same price of £13,100. The Luminor Marina 44mm Carbotech PAM01707 showcases how a small change can have an outsized impact on a watch’s appearance.
Price and Specs:
More details at Panerai.
