The 37th edition of the America’s Cup will take place between August and October. This year, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, supported by Panerai, will once again be competing in the world’s oldest sailing regatta. With the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech, Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio and Submersible Tourbillon GMT Luna Rossa Experience Edition from its Laboratorio di Idee, Panerai is getting in the mood for the competition. The three nautically inspired timepieces complement the Submersible Luna Rossa collection, which was launched as part of the partnership that began in 2019. The brand is also celebrating several premieres.
The week-long Watches and Wonders always offers a special opportunity to present innovations. Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee, for example, spent seven years developing Ti-Ceramitech, which is manufactured using a patent-pending process for titanium ceramisation by electrolytic plasma oxidation. The result is two Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech models in a blue tone created through this special process. With this choice of material, they also resemble the Luna Rossa team’s boat. Following an accidental discovery, the latter also uses high-strength materials coated with ceramic to reduce friction to less than 10 percent.
The material, inspired by the high-performance sector, ensures that the 44 mm case and bezel can withstand high pressure and thermal stress despite their light weight. Both models have the same striking blue colour. They also offer phenomenal water resistance of up to 500 metres thanks to the screw-down titanium caseback. However, the PAM01466 and PAM01543 differ in terms of the structure and colour of the dials branded with Luna Rossa. The former features a blue dial with a sunray finish, while the other version has a matt-white grained dial. The small seconds hand at 9 o’clock provides a red accent. Meanwhile, the date sits at 3 o’clock. Thanks to the inclusion of Super-LumiNova, the time is still easy to read in poor visibility conditions.
Inside the watch, the 4.2 mm slim automatic calibre P.900 with stop-second function beats at a frequency of 4 Hz. A bidirectional oscillating weight provides the energy for the power reserve of three days. A mixed-material strap with a red stripe and white Luna Rossa lettering or a monochrome blue rubber strap offers variety when wearing the watch. The Ti-Ceramitech with a blue dial will be available everywhere from July 2024. The edition with a white dial, on the other hand, will only be available in Panerai boutiques. Both models cost 16,900 euros.
Another first is the launch of the Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Titanio. It is the first watch with a dial featuring the new Super-LumiNova X2, an optimised luminescent material that was exclusively produced for Panerai. In contrast to its predecessor, it has a 10 percent higher luminosity after 180 minutes in the dark. On the PAM01507, Panerai apply the luminescent green lacquer to the indices and hour hands of the blue dial with a sunray finish. Super-LumiNova X1, on the other hand, accentuates the minute hands and dots.
The Luna Rossa Titanio also houses an automatic P.900/GMT24H calibre with a 24-hour GMT function and a power reserve of three days in its 42-mm case made of satin-finished grade 5 titanium. The alloy is a tribute to the Luna Rossa yacht, which is also in titanium. Further allusions to the Luna Rossa are present on the edge of the case with an image of the sail and the GMT hand, which is also in the shape of a sail. The latter also makes it possible to measure several time zones.
The timepiece is also water-resistant to a depth of 500 metres. It displays the date at 3 o’clock and the small seconds at 9 o’clock. A unidirectional rotating titanium bezel with a blue ceramic disc and a blue rubber and textile strap with a red Luna Rossa stripe complement the colour of the watch. The wearer can also replace the strap with a blue rubber strap. The Luna Rossa Titanio will be available exclusively in Panerai boutiques from September 2024 and costs 12,500 euros.
In the run-up to the final round of the America’s Cup, Panerai has a special timepiece with a tourbillon in store. In July 2024, fans of the brand and the Cup can look forward to the Submersible GMT Luna Rossa Experience Edition. It is the first Submersible to combine a matt-black 45 mm Carbotech case with a tourbillon complication. It is characterised by its red and white accents on the dial, green and blue Super-LumiNova, a 24-hour GMT function with a hand in the shape of a Luna Rossa sail, and a day/night indicator.
Based on carbon fibres, the composite material Carbotech case offers high strength at a lower weight than titanium or ceramic. The appearance of the material’s matt black surface varies slightly, making each case unique. The case of the PAM01405 Experience Edition directly relates to the Luna Rossa boat, whose hull is almost entirely carbon fibre. A titanium unidirectional rotating bezel with a black DLC coating and white hour markers rounds off the case. The screw-down titanium caseback also contributes to the impressive water resistance of 300 metres.
The centrepiece, however, is the mechanical movement calibre P.2015/T with manual winding and a generous power reserve of 96 hours. The owner of the watch can admire the patented tourbillon through the open-worked dial as well as via the caseback. This was painstakingly created over a development period of three years and requires eight hours of assembly per pieces. It rotates perpendicularly to the balance wheel and performs a horizontal rotation every 30 seconds.
The watch comes with two straps: a material mix strap made of rubber and textile with a red stripe and a black rubber strap. Anyone who purchases one of the limited edition timepieces (20 pieces) may take up an exclusive opportunity to experience the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team up close in competition in Barcelona as part of an organised experience. This special edition is available for 195,000 euros.
