Bronze resists corrosion, so Panerai — in a nod to 1860, when it began to make marine instruments for the Italian Royal Navy — has introduced a new bronze timepiece in its Luminor Marina series, the Luminor Marina Bronzo PAM01678.
“Bronze is a natural material for Panerai, and we really established it as a material for the watch industry,” said Emmanuel Perrin, the brand’s chief executive. “The Panerai watch is a tool watch. It’s something you need to fulfill a function or a purpose. That’s how it came to be. But it’s also something for true watch lovers who want something that stands out.”
Panerai began using the metal in 2011, with the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo, and has released seven bronze models since then.
Known for changing color, bronze initially has a golden hue but can turn green and brown from oxidation, which is the metal’s lure for watch collectors seeking a distinctive look.
“If you like to wear your watch when swimming, which I do, the case goes from quite a light hue to this very dark aged effect that can only be created by use,” said Justin Hast, a freelance writer and watch collector in London. “There’s no other material out there that will evolve along with you quite like bronze.”
Priced at 17,000 euros or $17,500 in the United States, the PAM01678 has a 44-millimeter brushed and polished bronze bezel; a matte, dark blue dial with beige numerals and hour markers with the house’s Super-LumiNova treatment; and a see-through sapphire crystal case back in titanium. It is powered by the house’s automatic P.980 caliber movement and, in a throwback to Panerai’s watches of the 1960s, the dial has no date window.
Like the other new Luminor Marina timepieces, the model is water-resistant to 50 bars (500 meters, or about 1,600 feet) of depth.
After the creation of the first Panerai bronze watch in 2011, the company heard from customers that its underwater testing standards — submerging the watches — did not quite work when it came to bronze, Mr. Perrin said.
“We had to stop doing that for the bronze watch because the minute it was in water, the oxidation started,” Mr. Perrin explained. “And some of our clients told us, ‘No, no. You don’t get to oxidize my watch.’ Now we have a different process. We test them in airtight pressurized tanks.”
Ensuring that customers receive pristine watches — so the wear is theirs alone to create — may help explain some of the models’ appeal.
“A bronze watch is the ultimate statement of showcasing your lifestyle and the journey you’ve been on because it ages with you,” Mr. Hast said. “It’s a badge of honor to wear your watch everywhere, and there’s nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a watch that’s not worn.”
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