Luminor and Marina, two names that bring to mind Officine Panerai’s specialist vocation, the construction of watches designed to be worn often, if not continuously, underwater, and for that reason equipped with an extremely luminous dial. The Luminor Marina Automatic 44 mm is a chronometer of the Contemporary Collection and it is offered with a newly devised metal bracelet incorporating innovative details relating to its suppleness, comfort in wear and finish.

Created during the Second World War, the Luminor design was a development of the first professional diver’s model in history, the Radiomir, the watch selected by the Italian Navy for its underwater commandos from 1938. In contrast with the Radiomir, the Luminor used a luminous material for its dial based on tritium rather than radium, but the greatest and most substantial difference was the system for making the winding crown water-resistant. The Radiomir had a screw-down crown and, since it needed to be unscrewed and screwed up again every time the watch was wound or adjusted, after long use the crown could become worn, running the risk of letting in water. To solve this problem, Panerai designed a completely new device consisting of a lever inserted in a bridge fixed to the case. By moving the lever upwards, the crown was released so that the watch could be wound and the hands adjusted freely; but when the lever was moved down again, it applied pressure to the crown, pushing it against the case itself and compressing the seals to ensure a degree of water-resistance that was otherwise impossible to achieve.

From then on all the Luminor models had the bridge and lever device which, continuously improved over time, can now protect the watch at depths of up to 300 metres and is capable of withstanding even greater pressures, as is demonstrated by the tests to which every example is subjected. These are characteristics which are part of the DNA of the new Luminor Marina Automatic 44 mm. This has its caseband, back and lever bridge executed in brushed steel, with a contrasting polished steel bezel. This contrast between surfaces achieved by different styles of finish is also a feature of the new bracelet, designed not only to enhance the aesthetic value of the watch, but above all to blend more harmoniously with the case. The solution of continuity between the case and the bracelet is in fact almost invisible, as a result of the precise fitting of the first two links between the upper and lower lugs, and also because these links fit perfectly against the caseband, following its rounded shape. The aim of the new design was to create a bracelet that was so naturally integrated with the case that it appears to be a perfect extension of it, as if the case and the bracelet were created at the same time and designed by the same hand.

The Luminors were originally made with a long die-cut leather strap and the engineers of Officine Panerai have had to work hard to give the new bracelet the special “suppleness” that is characteristic of leather. This objective has been achieved by the particular way in which the links are shaped; they are asymmetrical and formed with a double-curved surface, so that they are rounded longitudinally, as well as across. This detail means that the bracelet is not only pleasant to the touch, but also very comfortable to wear, due also to the fact that the width of the links reduces from 24 mm wide at the case to 20 mm wide at the closure; and, from an aesthetic point of view, it looks like an integral part of the case. But there is a further sophistication: the links have a brushed finish, but at the points of contact the steel has been mirror-polished, so as to provide a contrasting finish similar to that of the caseband and the bezel. The new bracelet does not replace either the previous one or the traditional straps of alligator or rubber; it is easily interchangeable with them, giving the client a wide choice.

Contained within its case 44 mm in diameter, the Luminor Marina has the classic Panerai dial, with the large Arabic numerals and hour markers that are exceptionally visible at night. The baton hands are also covered with the luminous material Supernova, as is the leaf hand of the small continuous seconds dial, this dial being positioned at 9 o’clock, as in the historic Luminor models. At 3 o’clock is a little enlarging lens to facilitate reading the date, inserted in the anti-reflective sapphire glass that protects the dial, which is 3.5 mm thick to withstand great depths.

So strong a case and so sophisticated a strap could only be equipped with a movement of the highest quality. The new Luminor Marina is fitted with the OP III calibre of 13¼ lignes with 21 jewels and power reserve of 42 hours. With automatic winding, bridges enhanced with Côtes de Genève decoration and winding rotor personalised Panerai, the movement has a monometallic Glucydur balance making 28,800 alternations per hour, an Incabloc anti-shock device and the Chronometer Certificate of the relevant Swiss body (the C.O.S.C.) issued after the movement itself has been tested for 15 days.

The Luminor Marina Automatic 44 mm is supplied with a tool for replacing the strap and a steel screwdriver.

Movement	:	Automatic mechanical, exclusive Panerai OP III calibre, 13¼ lignes, 21 jewels. Côtes de Genève decoration on the bridges. PANERAI personalised oscillating weight. Monometallic Glucydur® balance, 28,800 alternations/hour. Incabloc® anti-shock device. Power reserve 42 hours. Chronometer Certificate (C.O.S.C.).
Functions	:	Hours, minutes, small seconds, date.
Case	:	Diameter 44 mm, AISI 316 L brushed steel.
Bezel	:	Polished steel.
Back	:	Screw, brushed steel.
Device protecting the crown	:	(protected as a Trademark) Brushed steel.
Dial	:	Black with luminous Arabic numerals and hour markers. Date at 3 o’clock.
Crystal	:	Sapphire, formed of corundum, 3.5 mm thick, magnifying lens at 3 o’clock. Anti-reflective coating.Water-resistance: 300 metres (30 bar).
Bracelet	:	PANERAI personalised metal bracelet with vertical brushed finishing and polished surface between the links. Supplied with a tool to change the bracelet and a steel screwdriver.