At the end of last month, the Swiss-based, Florentine-rooted watchmaker Panerai released the new Luminor Marina Carbotech 44mm (ref. PAM1661), a new carbon fiber watch reminiscent of the brand’s original LAB-ID Luminor released in 2017. This new watch, which like the LAB-ID features a special carbon case, is a somewhat more accessible addition to Panerai’s collection, being released in a non-limited run and without the LAB-ID’s approximately $50,000 price tag.
The new Luminor Marina Carbotech 44mm uses, as its name implies, a 44-mm Carbontech case in the brand’s iconic Luminor design with its cushion case, prominent bezel, short lugs, and encompassing crown guard. The uncommon Carbotech material the watch uses is produced by compressing thin sheets of carbon fiber at high pressure with a high-end polymer (PEEK); this alternation between the polymer and the carbon provides the material its distinct wave-like appearance. This manufactured material not only gives the case incredible durability, but reduces the overall weight of the watch to 96 grams, or around half that of similarly sized steel models.
The black dial of the watch also uses the familiar Luminor design, with sandwiched features giving an engraved appearance to the blue Arabic numerals and simpler hour markers. At the 3 o’clock position you’ll find a subtle date window, while toward 9 o’clock is a minimalistic small seconds subdial. Toward the top and bottom of the dial, some of the watch’s descriptors stand out in white text, while passing over the face are two blackened, luminous blue-filled sword hands.
Powering the watch is the P.9010 Caliber, an in-house automatic movement capable of a 72-hour power reserve, and used often throughout Panerai’s Luminor collection. This movement features a hacking seconds mechanism, and an uncommon, independently adjustable hour hand, which makes switching time zones a much simpler affair without having to alter the more sensitive minutes and seconds hands.
The new Luminor Marina Carbotech will be available later this year and is planned to retail for $12,800.
Another watch ruined by the inclusion of the ugly date window. All the designers needed to do was replace it with a “3” numeral and they would have had a visually balanced timepiece. After that I could even live with the lumpy crown.