If it’s not the Luna Rossa sailing team it’s the Marina Militare – and this time it’s another of Panerai’s odes to the Italian Navy. Unlike their recent Experience Edition, it doesn’t come with a training exercise. Instead, the new Panerai Submersible Marina Militare and Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech are just, well, pretty damn cool.
Panerai’s relationship with the Marina Militare is formative. By that I mean it was for the Italian Navy that the original Radiomir was developed, and since then it’s been the core of a fair few limited-edition timepieces. For this pair however, Panerai are getting a little more focused, specifically on the Aviazione Navale, the elite aerial wing of the Italian Navy. The result is a pair of big dive watches with a distinctly military flair.
Submersible Marina Militare PAM01697
The baseline version of the pair, the PAM01697 has a 44mm stainless steel case with 300m water resistance, a substantial weight of metal on the wrist but also the classic Panerai look with it’s brushed, cushion shape and the oversized crown protector that defines the Luminor and Submersible lines.
The case is paired with a faintly green, finely grained gradient dial that bleeds to black around the edges and a matching ceramic bezel. Both use streamlined circular indexes, with a baton denoting 6 o’clock and a double baton at 12. The date is at 3 o’clock and small seconds is at 9.
Housing the P.900 calibre automatic movement with a solid 3-day (72-hour) power reserve and just as solid shock resistance, this is pretty much the Panerai Submersible as you already know it, just with a bit of military green. For that privilege, you’re looking at £10,300, slightly more than the baseline Submersible models.
Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech PAM01698
First, the case material. Carbotech isn’t just carbon by another name. It’s advanced carbon. By another name. In practice that means a composite structure of long carbon fibres that not only make it incredibly lightweight and hardwearing, but a unique grain across case, crown protector and bezel.
Other than the case material and bezel, which are both Carbotech rather than steel and ceramic respectively, the PAM01698 follows the same blueprint as the 1697. So, a military green, grained and gradiated dial with circular indexes. It also houses the same movement, the P.900 calibre automatic and comes on the same strap.
As I didn’t mention it before, that strap is actually really cool. Made from rugged green canvas with T/T stitching, it really hammers home that military tool watch vibe. It’s more down and dirty than the rest of the watch and while there’s nothing wrong with either of the new Submersible Marina Militare pieces, the strap really sets them off.
As a higher-end material, the Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech will set you back a bit more than its steel sibling at £16,800. Again, this is slightly more than the equally carbon-clad PAM02231, but given the military associations and the handsome green dial, that’s about what I’d expect.
Price and Specs:
More details at Panerai.
