The New Panerai Luminor PAM01735 and Forged Titanium PAM01629

The Luminor is in the spotlight this year with several vintage-inspired novelties that celebrate Panerai’s legacy as a supplier of precision instruments to the Italian Navy. Following the first generation of combat diver’s watches in the mid-1930s, glowing with radium-based Radiomir, Panerai developed a less harmful luminous substance known as Luminor, which would eventually denote the brand’s iconic Luminor collection, featuring its distinctive crown-protecting bridge. Once again, Panerai turns to its historic 1960s Ref. 6152/1, a model commissioned by the Marina Militare for its commando frogmen, as the inspiration for its new Luminor PAM01735 and Luminor Forged Titanium PAM01629.

With its unparalleled heritage of top-secret military tool watches and precision instruments designed for the Italian Navy, Panerai not only developed luminous compounds but also strengthened the construction of its cases to meet the needs of extreme underwater missions. Early Panerai models, such as the 1938 Radiomir prototype, used wire-loop lugs welded to the case. By 1950, Panerai transitioned from wire lugs to solid lugs machined directly from the same steel block as the case middle to enhance structural integrity and water-resistance. However, a pivotal innovation was the crown-protecting bridge, a defining feature of the Luminor, with a patented hinged lever that flipped up to unlock or down to lock, pressing the crown firmly against the gasket for a watertight seal.

Designed for the Marina Militare, Ref. 6152/2 was the manifestation of the new and improved safety features. With its 47mm cushion-shaped case, integrated lugs and crown-protecting bridge, this model consolidated the design vocabulary of the Luminor. In honour of their ancestor, the new references adopt the original 47mm case size, albeit with a slightly slimmer profile.

Reconnecting with the past, the PAM01735 comes in a polished 100m water-resistant stainless steel case with a brushed crown-protecting bridge. Emulating the way black vintage Panerai dials would fade over time – exposure to sunlight and luminous compounds – the PAM01735 dons a matte ivory sandwich dial with a grainy surface to reduce reflection. Like the tropical dials of yesteryear, the gradient dial transitions from a lighter tone at the centre to a browner one on the periphery. Beige vintage-coloured Super-LumiNova is applied to the lower plate of the sandwich dial and on the retro double pencil hands. Referencing the austerity of the robust underwater tool watches, the dial has very few inscriptions and, along with the hours and minutes, has a small seconds counter at 9 o’clock.

In a more contemporary vein, the PAM01629 experiments with Panerai’s first-ever forged titanium case. Created by bonding two grades of titanium with heat and pressure under a forging hammer, forged titanium has a striking surface with wave-like patterns in contrasting grey tones. Since the texture varies from case to case, no two watches are alike, and the wavy patterns underscore Panerai’s ties to the maritime world. With its high corrosion resistance and strength, forged titanium is 40% lighter than steel and is used to craft the mid-case, bezel and crown-protective bridge. The PAM01629 has an anthracite sun-brushed sandwich dial with beige Super-LumiNova on the lower plate and hands.

Evoking the visual effect of the old-school Perspex acrylic used in 1960s Luminor watches, the dials are protected by a domed sapphire crystal, producing optical distortions at the edge of the dial. Another feature shared by both watches, recalling the hand-wound movements of vintage Panerai models, is the calibre P.3000 with twin barrels and a robust 3-day power reserve. Its 16½ lignes diameter echoes the tradition of the large movements powering historic Panerai models with extended power reserves. Visible on the caseback, the manual-winding movement is secured by a wide bridge, along with three smaller bridges, for enhanced shock resistance. The three-day power reserve is delivered by two spring barrels. A useful feature of the P.3000 is its quick-change time function, which allows the hour hand to advance and reverse in one-hour steps using the crown in the first position.

The PAM01735 is paired with a brown calfskin strap with a steel buckle and is delivered with an additional black rubber strap. The PAM01629 comes with a light beige suede calfskin strap and an extra black rubber strap. The steel Luminor PAM01735 will be available in June 2026 and retails for EUR 12,100. The Luminor Forged Titanium PAM01629 is a limited edition of 100 pieces and will be available in November 2026 for EUR 23,000.

More information at panerai.com.