Panerai’s 2021 In-House Chronograph Pulls Ahead of the Pack
Panerai had a lot to announce at the 2021 Watches & Wonders. First, there was the arrival of not one but TWO eco-friendly watches made with a recycled steel alloy and a downsized 42 mm Bronzo. In all the excitement, one new watch may have slipped by the wayside. But have no fear, we’re here to celebrate the crown jewel of the Panerai 2021 new releases: The Panerai Luminor Chrono. First, we’ll take a look at the gorgeous Chrono Goldtech Blu Notte, before we review the stainless steel version of this stunner.
A Rose Gold By Any Other Name
At 44 mm, the Luminor Chrono Goldtech Blu Notte cuts a dashing profile on the wrist, and makes a big impact, like most of Panerai’s offerings. Cast in Panerai’s 18-karat rose gold alloy, it has a higher copper content than the traditional rose gold, giving it a striking red hue and making it more fade resistant as a result. (Panerai has named this proprietary alloy Goldtech, and it also includes platinum in the formulation.) In many ways, it’s a companion piece to the Luminor Marina Panerai Goldtech (the Marina itself a variation on a theme established with the Luminor Due) which also featured a rose gold case and midnight blue dial color. The two share Panerai’s unmistakable design language, but the new Luminor Chrono offers a slightly more complicated movement, gorgeous subdials, and a sapphire caseback.
New Movement, New Strap
That sapphire caseback with the repeated wave design showcases the new P.9200 automatic chronograph, a movement that’s also in the new stainless steel Panerai chronograph. While those models are depth-rated, the Blue Notte PAM is only waterproof to 50 meters. The P.9200 has a power reserve of 42 hours, making it perfect for weekday wear. As a strap company, we love that Panerai is including a rubber strap in addition to the blue alligator strap featured in most promotional photos. Like the new Patek Aquanaut, rubber straps have become a standard offering on high-end luxury watches.
The Other White Dial
At just over 26k, if the Chrono Blu Notte is a little too pricey for you, there’s a stainless steel option with either a crisp white dial or a black dial. The stainless steel versions are depth-rated to 100-meters, making them a slightly more usable dive watch than the rose gold version. The stainless steel model also has a solid caseback, if you prefer a more traditional dive-style caseback on your watches. Like the Blu Notte, there’s also a tachymeter on the rehaut. The case houses the same P.9200 in-house chronograph movement, which features a Glucydur balance wheel and an Incabloc shock-resistant device. The cost for this stainless steel chronograph is $9,200.
Innovative Strap Design for Innovative Watches
Panerai’s new chronograph movement is beautifully showcased in the Luminor Chrono Blu Notte, but it’s also attainable in more rugged stainless steel. High-end chronos are becoming a packed market niche, but this new Luminor definitely holds its own. If you love innovation in watchmaking, you’re likely to appreciate our line of Everest watch straps. With thousands of five-star reviews, our watch bands are custom-designed to fit specific watch models, including the Panerai Luminor 44 and the Luminor Submersible.
By: Meghan Clark
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