Panerai Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 Watch Review
The Panerai Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 masterfully connects the brand’s history with its future, establishing a compelling dialogue between the two. The bronze case, which acquires a unique patina over time, and the sandwich dial narrate Panerai’s history of creating rugged instruments for underwater use.
Bronze Panerai watch
The patina of a bronze watch always reminds me of one of my dad’s old acoustic guitars. It started life as a clean, honey‑blond instrument, but slowly matured into rich, warm shades of golden amber. The wood seemed to bear a dual life: darkened where it had been held most, yet brightened in the spots kissed by sunlight.
Panerai’s new Luminor Marina Bronzo captures that same quiet sense of wonder. Little by little, time will paint its bronze case with layers of colour, gathering character to form a rich, ever-changing mosaic of moods. Unlike other materials used in watchmaking, bronze is highly responsive to its surroundings, recording each moment with subtle nuance. Highly prized by the Paneristi, bronze is a metal with memory, celebrated for the alluring earthy brown and soft verdigris tones it has lent to previous Submersible and Radiomir models. However, the new Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 is notable for being the first Luminor Marina to be housed in the alloy.
The ancient metal of seafaring legends
From the decks of vintage yachts to the rigging of seafaring vessels, the use of bronze for maritime hardware is well documented. Bronze is tough and resistant to saltwater corrosion, making it ideal for stays, rigging screws, shackles, sheaves and nautical instruments. No doubt, it was these historical uses of bronze, its properties and its close ties to the maritime world that led to the brand releasing the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo 47 mm PAM00382, back in 2011.
Since the 1930s, Panerai has been designing and supplying rugged dive watches for the Royal Italian Navy, leveraging its expertise in creating luminous depth gauges, timing instruments and mechanical calculators to continually refine the Luminor series. Bronze has made notable appearances in 42 mm and 47 mm Submersible models, which were initially part of the Luminor family.
Panerai Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 – case
The familiar cushion-shaped silhouette of the Luminor Marina is now imbued with a richer, more indulgent presence thanks to the use of bronze. The 44 mm brushed body features the pronounced crown protection bridge. First appearing on the legendary ‘Egiziano’, the lever device shields the winding stem from harm, prevents the hands from being accidentally dislodged underwater and ensures the case remains watertight.
The brushed and polished finishes on the bezel imbue the watch with a luxurious character that surpasses its utilitarian antecedents of the 40s and 50s.
As of earlier this year, the Luminor Marina now boasts enhanced water resistance of 500 metres. According to Panerai, ‘Water resistance is a domain mastered by the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee, with rigorous testing conducted in water – a practice few brands undertake – at a pressure 25% greater than the guaranteed water resistance value.’
Panerai Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 – dial
When caught flirting with the light, the dial reveals a delicate gradient effect, plunging from a rich, velvety blue at its centre to an almost black, shadowy halo around the edges. Upholding Panerai’s long-standing expertise in luminous technology, the hands and markers are punctuated with warm beige Super-LumiNova accents. They emit a green glow in restricted light, whether submerged in the inky depths of water or sat under a moonless sky.
Consistent with other Luminor Marina models, the dial of this new bronze watch employs Panerai’s signature sandwich construction, complemented by a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The indexes are cut into the upper dial layer, revealing the lower membrane beneath. Arabic numerals mark out the 6, 9, and 12 o’clock positions, whilst the rest of the indexes share the same baton-style profile as the central hour and minute hands, promising simple, no-fuss timekeeping.
Panerai Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 – Calibre P.980
Measuring a compact 12½ lignes, the Calibre P. 980 is Panerai’s latest automatic movement. It features a lone barrel, providing a power reserve of 3 days. For the automatic device bridge and openworked oscillating mass, Panerai has eschewed classical Geneva stripes. Instead, the Italian-Swiss brand has decorated these parts with an understated, contemporary fine brush. ‘A traversing balance bridge’ is secured at two points, aiding stability for improved shock resistance. The slender movement, measuring 4.2 mm in thickness, is revealed courtesy of an exhibition caseback with the dorsal glazing framed in titanium, a hypoallergenic metal.
The Panerai Luminor Marina Bronzo comes fitted with a blue calf leather strap, a bronze trapezoid buckle and ecru stitching that evokes thoughts of vintage timepieces. The model is also supplied with an additional blue rubber strap that proves ideal for aquatic adventures.
Clothing remarks
The Panerai Luminor Marina Bronze PAM01678 achieves an excellent balance between the brand’s historical design elements and modern utility. The look is a clear callback, alluding to Panerai’s cushion case and horn-shaped lugs of the 1940s, while also delivering matchless readability. Meanwhile, the automatic movement bears a finish that gently modernises familiar Geneva decoration without losing any visual integrity, a quality that will reward the keen-eyed observer.
Although its 44 mm size may prove challenging for some wrists, it remains a beloved characteristic among the Paneristi and serves to highlight the watch’s headline feature – its bronzed skin. My dad’s guitar took decades of dedicated practice to achieve its aged aesthetic, but the patina on a bronze watch develops far more readily. By simply sitting elegantly on the wrist, the Panerai only needs to exist for a short while before it begins to attest to its owner’s unique story.
Further reading
Technical Specifications
- Model: Panerai Luminor Marina Bronzo PAM01678
- Case: Brushed bronze, polished and brushed bezel, 44 mm diameter, water resistance 50 ATM (500m), sapphire crystal to the front and exhibition caseback
- Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock
- Movement: Calibre P.980 self-winding movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), 23 jewels, power reserve 3 days
- Strap: Blue calf leather with ecru stitching, bronze trapezoid buckle, additional blue rubber strap
- Price: £14,400 (RRP as of 2.12.2025)