Panerai is now known as a luxury watch brand, but for much of its history, the Florentine brand supplied a range of technical equipment to the Royal Italian Navy. The R&D department that turned out one of the world’s first illuminated rifle scopes and early wrist-worn diving instruments is still going strong.
One of Panerai’s most impressive developments is Carbotch, a proprietary carbon fiber and polymer compound that is 64 percent lighter than titanium and 80 percent lighter than steel. It comprises the case, bezel and locking crown bridge of the new Luminor Marina PAM01707.
Despite using an advanced new case material, this Luminor Marina retains the mid-century tool-ish charm of its steel predecessors. It has the same 44mm cushion case, large curved crown bridge and curved fixed bezel.
Carbotech is formed by fusing thin sheets of carbon fiber together with a polymer called Polyether Ether Ketone under extremely high pressure. The layered formation creates a wood-like grain that resembles brushed metal, resulting in a unique finish on each watch.
Along with its exceptional lightweight, the material is extremely resistant to corrosion, including notoriously harsh saltwater.
At first glance, I assumed this Luminor had a black DLC coating, but it turns out that only the screw-on titanium caseback is finished that way. Which means that the black color will not degrade in any way as the watch ages.
