Panerai has launched a trio of new Luminor models at 42mm, the PAM01710, PAM01711 and PAM01714. They’re based on a pair of the brand’s most significant historical references, the PAM Luminor Ref. 5218- 201/A and Luminor Marina Militare ref. 5218-202/A that were launched in 1993 and which marked the transition from Panerai’s military past to their civilian present. This is the first time Panerai has produced a 1990s style Luminor design at 42mm.
Starting with the case size, 42mm is regarded as a big watch by most standards. As a general rule of thumb, 38mm – 42mm is seen as the goldilocks zone of watch sizes because watches within that bracket balance wearability with practicality and solid wrist presence. Any larger than that and you start to limit the number of people who are willing to buy that watch because the macho proportions require thicker wrists to look appropriate. Yet Panerai has never been afraid of creating watches at larger sizes and the original 1990s Luminor debuted at a whopping 47mm before settling down later at a standard sizing of 44mm.
Even when small watches (36mm – 38mm) were at the peak of their popularity a couple of years ago, Panerai stuck to their guns and continued producing big watches and the Paneristi (Panerai collectors) continued to show their support. However, while it’s all well and good serving your existing customer base, you also need to encourage new customers to discover the brand and a smaller, 42mm watch that appeals to a wider audience is a great way to do that. It allows new collectors to overcome their doubts about the watches’ sizes while still falling in love with the design and from there build up the confidence to purchase authentic larger Panerais.
Being based on the 1990s series of Luminors means the new watches have sharper angles compared to watches inspired by 1960s Luminors that had a softer, rounder cushion shape. They also feature the signature crown protection bridge at 3 o’clock. All three watches are made from steel with 500m water resistance ratings though PAM01714 upgrades the case further with a scratch resistant DLC (diamond-like carbon) coating.
That DLC edition is paired with a navy blue dial while the polished steel references are olive green and black respectively. They all feature beige coloured lume on the hour scale, central hands and small seconds subdial, giving them a hint of neo-vintage flair as if they were made in the 90s. It’s a very classy, unbusy display that ensures it’s easy to read both above and below the water.
Powering all three watches is the P.980 automatic with 72-hour power reserve. Outside of large case sizes, extended power reserves is another staple element of Panerai’s watchmaking. That’s thanks in part to their military history because in the field it’s important for a watch to continually run in order to preserve accuracy instead of risk introducing errors by constantly resetting the time.
For pricing, the two steel Panerai Luminor 42mm PAM01710 and PAM01711 are £5,600 while the DLC coated edition is £6,500. Within the Luminor range that puts them directly above the entry-level Luminor Base Logo series – ideal for attracting new collectors.
Price and Specs:
More details at Panerai.
