Panerai's Revamped Luminor Marina Introduces New Movement, New Materials, and Bracelet

Panerai introduced its most emblematic watch, the Luminor, in 1949 as an upgraded successor to its first wristwatch, the Radiomir, which was developed as a tool for Italian Navy divers during World War II. The Luminor retained many of its predecessor’s now-iconic identifying elements, including the cushion-shaped case and black “sandwich” dial, but also added a unique, utilitarian feature that has come to define Panerai as a brand: a patented, bridge-shaped crown-protection device that uses a locking lever to press the screw-down crown securely into the case for a higher level of water resistance. Like the Radiomir, the Luminor was also notable for, and took its name from, the luminous compound used on the dial that made its hands, numerals, and indexes uncommonly bright and readable in the dark or deep underwater. For decades, the Panerai Luminor was produced strictly for military clients but in 1993, Panerai introduced the model to the civilian public, and thanks to a handful of very high-profile enthusiasts — like movie stars Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wore them on the big screen — it became one of the most coveted and trend-setting watches of the decade, especially in its flagship Luminor Marina version, identified by a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock.

At Watches & Wonders 2025, Panerai has unveiled an all-new series of Luminor Marina models that introduce several new details and technical features while maintaining the core identity of what the Florence-founded brand rightly refers to as its most recognizable collection. The familiar signatures are all there, of course, including the patented safety-lock device on the right side of the case and the luminous dial with a layered “sandwich” construction. Look a bit more closely at the dial, however, and you’ll notice the date window has been enlarged and beveled for a more elegant, cleaner display. In the dark, another enhancement becomes obvious: the use of the brightness-optimized Super-LumiNova X2, for the first time in Panerai’s core collection, to coat the hands and hour markers. 

The case measures 44mm in diameter, with four versions (Luminor Marina Steel) forged in Panerai’s proprietary AISI 316LVM stainless steel, a high-quality corrosion-resistant alloy whose iron component mixes chromium, nickel, and molybdenum for exceptional strength and rigidity. A fourth (Luminor Marina Titanio) uses grade 5 titanium for its 44mm case; as many enthusiasts know by now, this material is prized for being as strong as steel but substantially lighter in weight (44 percent lighter, according to Panerai) as well as for its corrosion resistance. All of these cases, for the first time, are water-resistant to a bone-crushing 500 meters of pressure — a new standard that recalls Panerai's legacy of making tough, reliable tools for actual underwater use by navy divers. Each watch is in fact pressure-tested to a level 25 percent higher than the guaranteed water resistance to ensure its robustness.

There’s a new movement inside these rough-and-ready cases as well: Caliber P.980, which features automatic winding and a three-day power reserve, the latter being a minimum standard for all Panerai in-house movements. Its technical attributes include a traversing balance bridge for enhanced stability and a stop-seconds function for precise time-setting (something else those military divers would have found useful). The movement has been tested in six positions to verify its chronometric performance. Watch enthusiasts who have perhaps been wary of the Luminor’s rather hefty wrist presence might also wish to take note that Caliber P.980 has been designed to be smaller and slimmer, enabling a reduction of 12 percent in thickness and 15 percent in weight for the case. (Panerai hasn’t provided these actual specs, but as the current Luminor 44mm case thickness is 15.65mm, that would equate to the new ones being around 13.77mm. The weight, of course, will be different depending on the case material, steel or titanium.) 

Also worthy of mention is the new metal bracelet that Panerai is introducing on one of the Luminor Steel models (PAM03323, with a very striking light blue sunray-finished dial), with a V-shaped design that tapers from the case lugs to the buckle and alternating finishes — brushed on the interior links and polished on the edges — designed to catch the light in interesting ways. Also debuting on this model is a Quick Length Adjustment feature enabling the bracelet length to be extended by 2mm on each side, along with the PAM Click Release System for easy swapping between the bracelet and a strap.

The three other Luminor Steel models are the PAM03312, with a matte black dial and ecru-stitched black alligator strap; PAM03313, with a sun-brushed dark blue dial paired with a blue alligator strap; and PAM03314, which goes for the stylish contrast of a matte white dial with black alligator strap. The single Luminor Titanio model (PAM03325) stands out from the pack with its combination of finishing — brushing on the main case, polishing on the bezel — and its military-evocative olive green dial, paired with a dark green scamosciato calfskin strap.