Panerai Revitalizes the Iconic Luminor Marina Collection

Panerai's Technical Upgrade to the Luminor Marina

By Andrew McGrotty Published April 11, 2025

Panerai Luminor Marina new range — Panerai

Panerai refreshed its famous Luminor Marina collection with careful improvements that respect the brand’s history while including modern advances. These updates, shown at Watches and Wonders 2025, demonstrate how the Florentine company stays current without making dramatic changes.

The new P.980 caliber is central to this evolution. This automatic movement has a three-day power reserve and underwent testing in six positions to ensure reliability. Its traversing balance bridge and stop-second function add technical refinement. Thanks to the movement’s sleeker proportions (12.5 lignes), the case is now 12% thinner and 15% lighter than before.

Recommended Videos

Most impressive is the collection’s water resistance, now up to 50 BAR. Each timepiece undergoes testing at pressures 25% higher than their stated resistance, reflecting Panerai’s commitment to performance.

The Luminor Marina Titanio honors Panerai’s military roots with its army green color and 44mm Grade 5 titanium case. This material provides durability like steel but is 44% lighter. Panerai first explored titanium with its Millemetri prototype in the 1980s before officially using it in production in 1998, valuing its exceptional resistance to corrosion.

For those preferring elegance, the stainless steel model features a light blue sun-brushed dial—a new color for the brand. A V-shaped bracelet that tapers from case to buckle complements this timepiece. The steel used is a specialized low-carbon alloy with enhanced corrosion resistance.

The collection also includes three models with alligator straps, two of which have dials in matching colors.

While these updates might not demand attention, they represent meaningful improvements that both enthusiasts and new collectors can appreciate—subtle refinement rather than reinvention.

Andrew McGrotty

Andrew is a full-time freelance writer with expertise in the luxury sector. His content is informative and always on trend.

Topics

Watches

Fashion & Style

Zenith Chronomaster original debuts handsome midnight blue dial variant

Vintage modern: Zenith's chronomaster original blue dial honors 1969 a386 legacy

New Chronomaster Original from Zenith

Zenith offers the first blue dial model of its Chronomaster Original, expanding the group that follows the 1969 A386 El Primero. This watch sells for CHF 9,900, EUR 10,400, or USD 10,300. The midnight blue watch combines older looks with the modern El Primero 3600 movement that measures time to a tenth of a second.
The year 1969 made watchmaking history when the first automatic chronograph movement came out. Zenith's El Primero caliber, a fast, complete chronograph, became the first to finish among other makers. The round A386 watch, with its three-color counters, became the brand's main model that showed Zenith's chronograph past.
The Chronomaster Original, which came out in 2021, acts as the A386's real follower, not just a copy. This good mix of old details and new function keeps the small 38mm case size and three-color sub-dials. These parts copy the first sizes while holding the newest El Primero 3600 movement.
The midnight blue dial creates a good blend—it mirrors the blue outer scale, the date window frame, and the date disc for color matching. The blue, grey, and silver counters lie slightly on top of each other. They have a spiral finish that stands out against the sunray-brushed blue dial.
Older style shows through the correct fonts and logos that match the first watch. It also has raised, cut, and lit hour markers. The trapezoid date window at 4:30, the double outer scale, the white stick hands with black parts and glowing material, and the bright red central chronograph seconds hand keep true to its past.
The El Primero 3600 caliber works better than the first movement—it runs at 5Hz. The Chronomaster Original records times to a tenth of a second as the red central chronograph hand goes around every 10 seconds. The first tachymeter scale gives way to precise tenth-second marks on the edge.
Fast work changes sub-dial details, with all counters reading to 60. Small seconds appear in the light grey sub-dial at 9 o'clock. The 60-minute counter sits in the dark grey sub-dial at 6 o'clock. The 60-second elapsed times show in the blue sub-dial at 3 o'clock.
Digital scans of the 1969 watch led case building, making sure of the real 38mm size with a sloped side, sharp cut lugs, pump pushers, and mixed brushed and shiny parts. The very thin edge keeps original sizes. Newer additions include curved sapphire glass on the front and back.
The El Primero 3600 appears through the 12-sided caseback edge. It keeps a column wheel and flat parts while offering a 60-hour power hold and a stop-seconds function. The open rotor shows the new movement's blue column wheel and open bridges.
Each watch has a three-link stainless steel band and a blue calfskin strap with folding locks, offering options for different wearing events.

Fashion & Style

These new Panerai watches are as tough as they are beautiful

Panerai’s latest Luminor watches: Nautical precision in matte titanium

Panerai up close with black background

Panerai presents timepieces showcasing lightweight titanium cases with a distinctive matte grey finish, offering exceptional resistance against corrosion for extended durability. The understated yet premium aesthetic makes these watches versatile enough for professional diving and formal occasions, proving that high-performance tool watches can offer a sophisticated look.

Luna Rossa's clean, regatta-ready design

Fashion & Style

Ulysse Nardin dazzles with blast sparkling rainbow high jewelry limited edition

Ulysse nardin's blast sparkling rainbow features mystery-set sapphires

Ulysse Nardin Sparkling Rainbow Liminited Edition

Ulysse Nardin transforms its avant-garde Blast collection into spectacular high jewelry territory with the Blast [Sparkling Rainbow], an eight-piece limited edition priced at CHF 451,700 that fuses haute horlogerie with gem-setting artistry. The timepiece showcases 211 rainbow-colored sapphires totaling 13.33 carats across the entire watch construction.
The original Blast collection, introduced in 2020, drew inspiration from stealth aircraft design to marry high function with unconventional aesthetics, establishing Ulysse Nardin's reputation as avant-garde icon. This high jewelry interpretation elevates that foundation through unprecedented gem-setting complexity while maintaining the collection's distinctive architectural language.
Central to the technical achievement sits the in-house UN-172 skeletonized movement featuring flying tourbillon, silicon escapement, and platinum micro-rotor visible at 12 o'clock. Operating at 18,000 vibrations per hour with 72-hour power reserve, the caliber demonstrates Ulysse Nardin's silicon innovation expertise dating to 2001's legendary Freak timepiece.
The 45mm white gold case receives invisible setting treatment across 211 individually selected sapphires cut into 85 unique shapes. This rainbow spectrum creates seamless gradient effect encircling the entire watch while employing "mystery setting" technique that allows light passage through gems, creating floating stone illusions without visible metal frameworks.
Gem-setting complexity extends beyond case architecture to encompass bezel, dial, crown, and clasp applications, ensuring complete chromatic coverage across every visible surface. The rainbow arrangement requires precise color matching and graduated placement to achieve the seamless transition effects that define the piece's visual impact.
Construction challenges multiply when combining high jewelry techniques with complex movement architecture. The skeletonized dial must accommodate both sapphire setting requirements and tourbillon visibility while maintaining structural integrity and shock resistance expected from luxury sports watches.
The integrated white rubber strap and deployant clasp receive matching sapphire applications, completing the rainbow aesthetic while ensuring practical wearability. Despite extensive gem setting, the watch maintains 50-meter water resistance, demonstrating successful integration of jewelry and timepiece functionality.
Limited production to eight pieces emphasizes exclusivity while highlighting the intensive handwork required for each example. The mystery setting technique demands exceptional gem-setting expertise, with each sapphire requiring individual cutting and placement to achieve the floating effect.
This release continues Ulysse Nardin's tradition of pushing horological boundaries through unconventional materials and techniques. The brand's silicon escapement innovations combine with high jewelry craftsmanship to create timepieces that challenge traditional luxury watch categories.
The CHF 451,700 pricing reflects both the extensive gemwork and limited availability, positioning the piece among the most exclusive offerings in Ulysse Nardin's contemporary catalog. Eight-piece production ensures immediate collector status while showcasing the manufacture's high jewelry capabilities.