Founded in Florence in 1860 as a workshop, shop and school of watchmaking, Panerai supplied the Royal Italian Navy, and its specialist diving corps in particular, with precision instruments for decades.

Indeed, the designs developed by Panerai at that time, including Luminor and Radiomir models, were covered by the Military Secrets Act for many years, and only after the brand was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997 were the watches launched on the international market.

The Luminor Marina Carbotech 44 mm (PAM01661) marks a decisive aesthetic change and signifies the relaunch of the Luminor Marina collection. Overturning convention, for the first time the collection combines the high-performance composite material developed by Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee, and the iconic sandwich dial with vibrant touches of blue.

Remarkably tough but surprisingly lightweight at only 96 grams, the case of the watch is moulded from Carbotech, a cutting-edge composite, formed of superimposed layers of carbon fibre. The layers are alternately aligned, then consolidated under pressure and controlled temperature with a binding matrix, based on PEEK (polyether ether ketone).
Highly resistant to external shocks and corrosion, Carbotech is recognisable for its irregular texture, which makes each piece unique.

The watch houses a P.9010 calibre, entirely designed and developed within the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâteland, and is water-resistant to 30 bar (a depth of about 300 metres). It comes with a water-resistant Panerai Sportech strap, plus a second strap in black rubber and a special screwdriver for removing the buckle.

From £10,800; panerai.com