Panerai first opened its doors in 1860, when Giovanni Panerai started his workshop in Florence. In the years since then, the brand has built itself quite a reputation for excellence and technical expertise. That’s to be expected, of course, considering the strong ties Panerai has to the Italian military, having made several timepieces for their exclusive use.
Panerai has also expanded into the sporting world, specifically on the seas. Their partnership with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team has resulted in the creation of the Luminor Luna Rossa collection. The Luminor has design aspects that make it easy to identify – the crown-protecting bridge, reinforced wire lugs, and the cushion shaped case. The Luna Rossa models have all these design features, and few modern innovations. The watches have the dark palette – gray and black – and have varying degrees of red accent.
The Luminor GMT Luna Rossa (PAM01036) has the dark palette with the red touches on the tip of the second time zone hand, and comes in at 44mm. The dial is in dark grey sail with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. There is a date window at the 3 o’clock, perhaps a complement to the small seconds at 9 o’clock. The small seconds hands are also in red, which is a nice touch. This watch is water resistant to 30 bar. The P.9010/GMT calibre is manufacture-made, with a 3-day power reserve, and has 199 components. The case and bezel are titanium diamond like carbon, and the strap is black calf ponte leather with white stitching.
The Luminor Luna Rossa Chrono Flyback (PAM01037) is the first of two chronographs in this collection, also 44mm, and has a bit more red on the dark grey sail dial. The chronograph flyback is a nice complication on this watch, and I like how the red detailing caters to it. Powered by the P.9100 calibre, this also has a 3-day power reserve. The case and bezel are in black ceramic, and the watch is water resistant to 10 bar. The strap is similar to the first model, black calf ponte leather with white stitching.
The Luminor Luna Rossa Regatta (PAM01038) is also a chronograph but has the additional feature of the regatta countdown function, which shows the final few minutes leading up to the start of a boat race. This allows competitors to position their boat as close to the starting line as possible without crossing it. Crossing early would cause penalties. The dark gray sail dial is a tad larger at 47mm and has the luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. The chrono counter is at the 3 o’clock, with the seconds at 9 o’clock. There are red details on this dial too, and with the two subdials, Panerai has made good use of the additional real estate of this 47mm model. The watch is water resistant to 10 bar. The case and bezel are in carbotech and the strap is still black with white stitching.
The Submersible Luna Rossa (PAM01039) is the most extreme watch in this collection and comes in at 47mm. Powered by P.9010/GMT calibre, this watch has hours, minutes, a small seconds, a date window at 3 o’clock, and the GMT. The case and bezel are in carbotetch and the bezel has an anti-clockwise rotating bezel with a graduated scale. This watch is meant to be the ultimate survival instrument, and the black caoutchouc (meaning natural rubber) strap is evidence of that.
The Luminor Luna Rossa collection is a fantastic collection with options to suit your various needs. Even if you aren’t joining the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team as the Challenger of Record for the 36th America’s Cup, you can pick up one these watches through the Panerai network or through selected Prada boutiques. Time to set sail!
