WORDS
Joshua Hendren
For those who love hi-tech horology, a new state-of-the-art timepiece by luxury watchmaker Panerai will be the stuff of dreams come true. The Florentine brand has renewed its partnership with Brabus, a German engineering firm that customises high-performance vehicles, with the new Submersible S Titanio PAM01403.
The exclusive timepiece arrives in a sturdy 47mm size, complete with a skeletonised case spun in Titanio. This complex case structure has been achieved using direct metal laser sintering (DMLS) technology, a process that fuses titanium powder into solid material via high-power fibre optic lasers which, according to the maison, results in a structure that ‘is lighter in weight and characterised by a uniform appearance that is nearly impossible to achieve via traditional methods’.
Beating at the heart of the Submersible S is the Skeleton Calibre, a highly sophisticated complication designed by the Laboratorio di Idee – or Laboratory of Ideas – Panerai’s research lab. Equipped with a mighty three-day power reserve, the watch boasts a micro-rotor for automatic winding, small seconds at 9 o’clock, complete with a second reset for optimal time setting and colourful pops of red on the hands that nod to Brabus’ design DNA.
The watch’s versatility doesn’t just end with mechanics, however. The Submersible S also features two bracelets to choose from: a bi-material calf strap, and a black strap made of 68 per cent recycled PET from post-consumer wastes. Exclusive to Panerai’s boutiques, the PAM01403 is limited to just 177 pieces, in acknowledgement of the year Brabus was founded, 1977.
£43,900; panerai.com