Few Italian watchmakers are bigger than Panerai, and none of them have the kind of deep-seated history with the military. From World War II when it was asked by the Italian Navy to develop timepieces to be visible underwater (which would become the Luminor Submersible when it was sold to civilians in the ‘90s) to last year’s Navy SEALs collection, Panerai has a love and appreciation for those who put their lives on the line. Now, the brand has teamed up with the SEALs once again to follow up last year’s set with a new quartet of timepieces.
Highlighting the lineup is the Submersible Chrono Navy SEALs Experience Edition, ref. PAM01402, which is limited to just 50 pieces and comes with an immersive experience that includes tactical training similar to the one for the Navy SEALs. The watch itself is a massive 47mm chronograph diver sporting a brushed brunito steel case with an elapsed time bezel made of titanium and ceramic. With a whopping 3,000m of water resistance, it’s powered by a P.9100/R automatic flyback movement with three days of power reserve.
The other four watches don’t come with the Special Operations Experience but they’re still pretty impressive. Also boasting 3,000m of water resistance and limited 862 pieces, the Luminor Marina Navy SEALs, ref. PAM01412, is a bit dressier of a dive watch with the same brunito steel on the case and a simplified dial with a small seconds subdial. Two 44mm Luminor Chronographs are also included in the series, refs. PAM01409 and PAM01419, the latter of which is built with a Carbotech case (the other is brunito steel) — Panerai’s proprietary carbon fiber material. These both feature 1,000m of water resistance and are limited to 562 and 462 pieces, respectively. Finally, with a 44m AISI 316L brushed steel case, the Submersible GMT PAM01323 is a relaunch of last year’s model that’s limited to 500 pieces. All five pieces feature the Navy SEALs emblem on the caseback.
Priced between $9,800 and $61,700, Panerai’s 2023 Navy SEALs Collection is currently available from its website.
