After not having had a platinum model in the catalogue for some time, Panerai is returning to the lustrous and heavy metal with the Platinumtech Luminor Marina PAM01116. But the case of the PAM 1116 is not conventional, PT950 platinum alloy used in most wristwatches, instead it is an extra-hard alloy with better wear resistance.

And like many of Panerai’s recent top-of-the-line models, the Platinumtech Luminor boasts a 70-year warranty – which is double emphasised by an oversized emblem on the sapphire back.

Initial thoughts

Panerai’s recent launches have leaned towards lightweight alloys or composites, which makes the Platinumtech Luminor unusual. The brand has made platinum watches in the distant past – in both Radiomir and Luminor format – and they were always impressively heavy watches with a heft that matched their price tag.

The new Platinumtech Luminor is doubtlessly just as impressive in tangible feel, and it is also helped by the olive-green dial that’s unconventional but attractive.

The watch is accompanied by an impressive 70-year warranty, but it feels more like a gimmick than something of practical value. Aside from the decades that stretch beyond the lifetime of most living buyers, the movement inside the watch is a straightforward calibre that doesn’t need a 70-year warranty (which is probably why it’s viable for Panerai to offer one in the first place).

The Platinumtech Luminor  is expensive for a contemporary Panerai, though not all that expensive relative to the broader market given the size of the case and in-house movement. If it were a one-off limited edition in this metal, the watch would be special enough to be arguably worth the US$36,900 price tag.

But given Panerai’s propensity to repeatedly iterate successful editions, that is probably not the case. So it would probably make more sense to wait for a similar watch with the same case metal but less the 70-year warranty.

Extra-hard platinum

The case – and also the crown lock bridge and lever – is made of Platinumtech, a platinum alloy that Panerai says is “harder than conventional platinum with enhanced physical properties” and is consequently undergoes a “manual polishing process”. Little is revealed about its composition, but platinum can be hardened by alloying it with other metals, including iridium or titanium.

To go with the new case metal, the watch has a newish dial of a combination not used before. Featuring the two-layer “sandwich” construction typical of Panerai, it’s a metallic olive-green with blued steel hands and a gilt print “Panerai” at six. They are matched with beige Super-Luminova, creating an unusual mix of colours that works surprisingly well.

Mechanically the Platinumtech Luminor is identical to the more mundane versions of the watch. It’s powered by the P.9010, which is also found in last year’s Luminor Marina Fibratech PAM 1663, which has a conventional, eight-year warranty.

Automatic with a three-day power reserve, the P.9010 is visible through the sapphire back, but only partially, because of the giant emblem on its inner surface. Created via metallic deposition, the logo includes “warranty” twice over, in case anyone forgets.

Key Facts and Prices

Panerai Platinumtech Luminor Marina
Ref. PAM01116

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: 13.4 mm
Material: Platinum alloy
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 50 m

Movement: P.9010
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and date
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: Three days

Strap: Alligator with pin buckle

Limited edition: 70 pieces
Availability: Only at Panerai boutiques
Price: US$36,900; or 54,500 Singapore dollars

For more information, visit Panerai.com.

Correction Feb 13, 2021: The cal. P.9010 has a power reserve of three days, and not three hours as stated in an earlier version of the article.