The world of diving watches has met the style standards of James Bond with the Panerai Submersible Watch Collection. Each of these watches is completely waterproof up to 300 meters (1000 feet) below the surface, making each a survival instrument ready for sea or air. All of the collection’s timepieces share a few key similarities — quality materials, precise and accurate timekeeping, the classic Panerai square design with the trademark dial protector on the right-hand side — but each submersible option comes with its unique features and form.
While there are 24 submersible options to choose from, we will focus on two of the most admired submodels in the following paragraphs: the $8,700 brushed steel Submersible and the $189,000 Limited Edition Mike Horn EcoPangaea, made from the arctic explorer’s very ship. Don’t take our word exclusively; let the masterful timepieces speak for themselves.
Submersible Bronzo 47mm Dive Watch — $16,500
The bronze used in the Submersible Bronzo reacts to external agents individually. Bronze is naturally resistant to corrosive elements like seawater, making it the perfect choice for a dive watch. The slowly emerging patina neither alters nor degrades the bronze’s properties; it’s merely the aesthetic result of time spent in its environment. This quality imbues each Bronzo with a unique personality.
The Bronzo movement is automatic and rated to P.9010 calibre. The case, measuring 6 mm thick and 47 mm in diameter, holds 31 jewels to reduce friction, an Incabloc anti-shock device, two barrels, and 200 components total. The interior mechanics make 28,800 alternations an hour, or a total of four hertz.
The winding crown is protected by the trademark casing on the right-hand side but leaves enough room to pull out the crown to stop the hands, allowing the watch to synchronize with another reference device. You can adjust the hours hand without interfering with the minute hand, which will come in handy with daylight savings time.
Style-wise, you have your choice of buckles, from coated titanium to brushed steel. The bracelet is dark brown calf ponte vecchio leather with eye-popping beige stitching. The face sports a brown background with luminous bronze hour markers and dots and small seconds at the nine o’clock. The day marker is at the three o’clock, as well.
Submersible EcoPangaea Tourbillon GMT – 50mm Mike Horn Edition — $189,000
Mike Horn is an expeditionary adventurer like none other in the modern world. His explorations from solo traversing the Amazon to a solo trek around the equator to launching the Young Explorers Program on a 4-year journey around the globe on the vessel Pangaea. This last expedition aboard the Pangaea has produced this exclusive five-unit release of the Mike Horn Submersible EcoPangaea watch, made from the very recycled metal of the sailing vessel.
The production process echos the environmentalist efforts of Horn’s projects: the case, crown protecting casing, bezel, and case backing are all made from EcoTitanium and EcoPangaea (recycled from the ship Pangaea), while the bracelet is recycled plastic.
See-through sapphire crystal with inscriptions allows you to see the very inner workings of this incredible 277-component timepiece. This watch also includes a tourbillon, or “whirlwind” in French, to increase the accuracy of the timekeeping and 31 jewels to reduce friction.
The casing is 10.05 millimeters thick and 50 millimeters in diameter. Included in this watch is an Incablock anti-shock device, along with three barrels. This watch sports a power reserve of 6 days and includes an indicator, so you know your power levels at all times. It is a skeleton hand-wound mechanical watch so that that power indicator will serve you well.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime watch that will empower you with the adventure only a polar explorer can experience — but this adventure sits directly on your watch.
