Panerai Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militaire (PAM01296)
Panerai has just unveiled two new models, the Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militaire (PAM01296) and the Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramic (PAM01298). Both watches measure 44mm in diameter and are equipped with the self-winding P.9100 calibre, however, they look very different from one another courtesy of their respective case materials and colourways.
Approximately 18 years ago, I purchased my first Panerai, a Luminor Marina Automatic (PAM091). Housed in a 44mm brushed titanium case, with a steel and titanium bracelet, the habillage was sublime. Indeed, the bracelet was wonderfully over-engineered and looked capable of post-apocalyptic survival. At the heart of the watch was the Calibre Panerai OP III, a modified Valjoux 7750 movement. Personally, I’ve always held this movement in high regard because, despite lacking the cachet of a Manufacture movement, it promised years of flawless operation. Foolishly, I sold my PAM091, something I have always regretted.
However, my stint of Panerai ownership has always left me with a warm feeling and an overriding interest in everything that emanates from the firm’s Neuchâtel-based Manufacture. Indeed, I am a self-confessed ‘Paneristi’ who always keeps track of everything the brand produces.
Over the last 20 years, Panerai has implemented many changes. For example, in 2006, the Florentine-Swiss brand made its first Manufacture movement, the P.2002 calibre. The following year (2007), Panerai unveiled additional Manufacture calibres, the P.2003, P.2004 and P.2005. I don’t know whether all the brand’s watches now feature a Manufacture movement but, certainly, Panerai has shown it has the necessary expertise to make in-house calibres.
Furthermore, in more recent times, Panerai has shown a penchant for innovation, creating watches in various cutting-edge materials including Fibratech™️, Goldtech™️, Carbotech, BMG-Tech and titanium cases made using DMLS technology. Since my initial encounter with Panerai back in 2003, it seems the brand has relentlessly pursued innovation while upholding much of the design language, that many Paneristi know and love.
Now Panerai has unveiled two new models for the delectation of horophiles. The first, Panerai Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militaire (PAM01296), is housed in a 44mm stainless steel case suffused with highly polished surfaces. The crown protector, sandwich dial and small seconds hand at 9 o’clock uphold the brand’s historical design codes.
However, in this instance, the model features a chronograph movement, the Calibre P.9100, equipped with a flyback function. When the chronograph is operational, the wearer merely needs to press the pushpiece at 8 o’clock and the timing function stops, returns to zero and restarts all in one user-friendly step. The flyback proves ideal when timing consecutive events. The flange encircling the dial is marked with a tachymeter scale, a useful feature when measuring the speed of an object over a known distance. The scale of the tachymeter on this model is calibrated for relatively slow moving objects with a maximum speed of 30 knots.
As its name implies, the dial of the Panerai Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militaire (PAM01296) is suffused with eye-catching green hues, reinforcing the military-themed symbolism.
A second model, the Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramic (PAM01298) shares much in common with the Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militaire (PAM01296) save for the dial and case treatment. The case is formed of black ceramic that exhibits a stealthy character, making it ideal for ‘night ops’. Likewise, the dial is also dressed in black, but enlivened with tinctures of orange and white.
Once again, Panerai has embraced modernity and cutting-edge know-how whilst incorporating many of the historical design codes much loved by the Paneristi.
Prices
- Panerai Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militaire (PAM01296) – £12,100 (RRP as at 29.11.2021)
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Panerai Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramic (PAM01298) – £13,900 (RRP as at 29.11.2021)
The brand’s press release
Two forces that inspire the Panerai manufacture include an inexhaustible drive to honour an illustrious history developing instruments for generations of heroes and an urgent ambition to define the leading edge of imaginative watchmaking.
The Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramica and the Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militare are a true expression of these dual goals, representing Panerai’s legacy in the sphere of timepieces developed for marine exploits and an embrace
of advanced materials and design. They are the new entries in the Chrono Complicazioni segment of Panerai, a watch family characterized by a combination of high-tech materials, complex calibres and small quantities. Both models will be available in limited numbers: the Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramica will be available at both Panerai brand boutiques and independent retail partners, with a millesimation of only 500 pieces, while the Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militare is an e-commerce exclusive, available only on Panerai.com, with a millesimation of only 110 pieces.
A monochromatic black palette defines the bold aesthetic character of the Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramica. The matte black 44mm ceramic case and bezel are lightweight, highly scratch-resistant and retain their tactile surface and deep, saturated colour. Light glints off the sun-brushed surface of the sandwich dial in the same inky-black hue. The matte Verde Militare dial together with the polished steel case convey an elegant attitude for the Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militare. Numerals and hour markers in white Super-LumiNovaTM that glow green in the dark and central chronograph second- and minute-hands in orange optimize the watches with contrasting details that support the sports functions.
The P.9100 movement, an automatic calibre with a power reserve of three days, characterizes the engines of both watches. Thanks to the flyback function, even when operating the chronograph hands will reset and restart with one press of the pusher at eight o’clock. The same pusher returns both hands to zero once the chronograph has stopped. A nautical tachymeter scale present on the dial allows the measurement of speed, a tool that recalls the brand’s history of designing instruments for sea-centred pursuits.
Water-resistant up to 10 bar (about 100 meters), the Luminor Chrono Flyback Ceramica features a black alligator strap with a matte finish, a second strap in black rubber and a trapezoidal pin buckle in titanium with DLC coating, while the Luminor Chrono Flyback Verde Militare matches an alligator military green strap with tone on tone stitching, combined with a green rubber as second strap and a trapezoidal brushed steel buckle.
Further reading