Panerai is not only known for producing some of the most recognised silhouettes in the watch industry, but it’s also renowned for the innovative materials thought up by the technical wizards at the Laboratorio de Idee. The latest material, Fibratech, has just been announced and the first model to adopt it is the 44mm Luminor Marina.
As the name implies, Fibratech is made up of a series of incredibly thin layers of unidirectional mineral fibres, which are bound together when exposed to heat. When high temperatures are applied, the layers become malleable, allowing the Panerai team to mould the iconic case shape. When each individual case rolls off the production line, the textured matte finish is different each time, meaning no two Fibratech Luminir Marinas will be the same.
It’s claimed to be 60 percent lighter than steel and “harder than a rock”, so despite its large 44mm size, we doubt you’ll barely be able to notice it on your wrist. It’s similar to another Panerai-developed material, Carbotech, which has also been applied to the Luminor Marina in the past. Carbotech features on this new model too, being the material of choice for the bezel, crown and crown bridge lever.
The Italian watchmaker, which is celebrating 70 years since its first of the Luminor luminescent material, has once again opted for its in-house developed P.9010 calibre, which has a three-day power reserve and has been used in the vast majority of previous Luminor Marina timepieces, along with a handful of models in the Submersible family.
Panerai has married the grey-on-grey case – water-resistant to 300 metres – with a dark blue dial (sporting a gradient finish) along with a woven rubberised blue strap. The result is yet another drop-dead gorgeous watch that, assuming you have the wrist to accommodate it, is one you would most definitely want to show off on a daily basis.
The Luminor Marina Fibratech 44mm is available to order now for AU$23,800/US$16,000.