Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 Watch Review
The Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 is an ultra-robust, professional diving instrument. Water-resistant to 500 metres and equipped with an eminently legible dial, this tool watch has been subjected to a raft of tests to ensure it is able to withstand the rigours of military life. Nina Scally explores the composition of PAM01738, the latest expression of Italianate style.
Panerai x Navy SEALs
When the press release for the new Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 landed in my inbox, it prompted two specific thoughts. Glancing over the watch’s brushed steel case and matt black ceramic bezel, I was reminded of just how much we’re conditioned to associate luxury with fragility. Often, a refined precious metal case and intricate complication induce a nervous reverence. But a true tool watch does no such thing, instead it invites us to use it without mercy. In wearing a watch like the Panerai Submersible, one needn’t worry at the sight of a dry-stone wall or a large bramble bush during a long weekend hike. There is beauty in a watch that has been subjected to Panerai’s torturous testing regime. Within its Neuchâtel laboratory, it tests watches to 5000g shocks and 19,000 bezel rotations. This is an instrument almost begging to earn its scars.
Secondly, it made me think of the satisfaction of being able to pull out the crown to its outermost position and observe the seconds hand freeze dead in its tracks. When watching old black and white WWII movies, you would see bomber squadrons huddled in a briefing room, counting down from five to zero, synchronising their watches before taking to the skies. Today, the Navy SEALs still synchronise watches before commencing a covert mission. Historically, this ‘hacking’ function was quite literally a matter of life and death, but for those of us whose daily missions rarely involve anything more perilous than measuring the time it takes to boil an egg, halting the balance wheel provides a deeply tactile connection to that military protocol. It struck me that the ruggedness of the case and the precision conferred with a hacking seconds are not mutually exclusive, but rather two vital halves of a true professional instrument. Indeed, the new Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 is the perfect balance of brawn and brains. It joins Panerai’s Navy SEALs Collection, a growing portfolio of watches that broke cover in 2022 when the luxury marque joined forces with the US Navy SEALs.
Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 – dial
The immediate, overriding impression of any Panerai watch is always one of absolute legibility. For those who have passed their half-century and find themselves increasingly reliant on reading glasses, a Panerai dial is perhaps the one occasion where such myopic aids can be safely left in the drawer. Not a personal concern of mine just yet, but even with reasonably keen eyesight, I can appreciate Panerai’s unwavering commitment to making every dial eminently simple to read.
The shaded anthracite dial of the new Submersible Navy SEALs watch possesses a grained, matt surface that absorbs light, eliminating any glare. The indexes are now broader, having been widened by 20% (when compared to standard models), providing a greater surface area to accommodate luminescent treatment, a speciality of the brand. Indeed, Panerai, using Super-LumiNova X2 compound, has increased the space for lume by a staggering 45%. Should you plunge into darkness, the dial transitions into a scene of blue and green hues. The indexes, hour hand and small seconds indication evince a vivid green glow, while the minute hand and the pip located at 12 o’clock on the bezel glow a brilliant shade of blue. For elite combat personnel, this separation of colour allows them to instantly determine their immersion time without a second’s hesitation. For the rest of us, it ensures that checking the time in a dimly lit pub is handled with the same military precision.
At 9 o’clock, Panerai’s traditional small seconds indication has been reimagined to incorporate a subtle crosshair motif, a tasteful reminder of the Navy SEALs connection. In addition, the seconds hand is also fringed in yellow. Neat text, positioned at 6 o’clock, specifies the maximum water resistance and is accompanied by the words, ‘NAVY SEALS’ in block capitals. Despite the Panerai featuring various texts on its dial, everything remains balanced and uncluttered.
Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 – case
The case of the PAM01738 measures 44 mm in diameter and proffers much wrist presence. Formed of stainless steel, the case is endued with a vertically brushed finish. With its unmistakable cushion-shaped profile and patented crown-protection bridge, there is no question about its parentage. On this specific reference, the crown itself has been dressed in black rubber.
Upholding divers’ watch convention, the PAM01738 is fitted with a unidirectional rotating steel bezel incorporating a matt black ceramic insert, a material that is virtually scratchproof. Panerai has ‘increased the case-back thickness’ to cope with deepwater pressure and the rear of the case bears an engraving of the Navy SEALs’ eagle insignia. Panerai supplies the watch with two straps, one in a practical black rubber and the other in a handsome grey canvas. Thanks to the brand’s interchangeable system, swapping between the two requires no tools and takes mere seconds.
Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 – movement
The Calibre P.980, an automatic movement, resides behind the fortified steel caseback. Produced in Panerai’s modern manufacturing facility in Neuchâtel, it measures a modest 4.2 mm in thickness and comprises 177 components, including 23 jewels.
The balance has a cadence of 28,800 vph (4Hz) and is secured by a traversing bridge. Unlike a balance cock, retained with one screw, the traversing bridge is anchored at both sides, bolstering stability and accuracy. The movement is equipped with one barrel and will run autonomously for 3 days.
Closing thoughts
The Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738 is not a watch for those who wish to go unnoticed. One might reasonably argue that few of its owners will ever parachute into hostile waters or plunge to depths of 500 metres. However, it is perhaps a watch worn not for what it will do, but for what it can do. Even if your tactical training extends no further than navigating a crowded pub, the PAM01738 offers a wonderfully reassuring presence on the wrist. There’s no need to mollycoddle your watch or be nervous wearing it. You can leave your house safe in the knowledge that should your countryside stroll turn unexpectedly tactical, the Submersible Navy SEALs will at least emerge completely unscathed.
Further reading
Technical specification
- Model: Panerai Submersible Navy SEALs PAM01738
- Case: stainless steel, diameter 44 mm, water resistance 50 ATM (500 metres), sapphire crystal front, steel caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds, date
- Movement: Panerai Calibre P.980, self-winding, 23 jewels, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), power reserve 3 days
- Strap: black rubber and grey canvas
- Price: £10,400 (RRP as of 26.6.2026)