SpotlightShade o’Clock: Panerai’s Luminor Due 42mm Gets A New Burgundy Dial

Known for their robust and sturdy timepieces that are built to conquer the turbulent seas, Panerai have forged a fine reputation for combining Italian craftsmanship and Swiss haute horlogerie expertise. Best known for their signature ‘sandwich’ dials, cushion-shaped cases, and the oversized crown-protecting bridge—these watches offer high water-resistance and optimum functionality. However, it was in 2016 that the brand introduced a stylish family of watches under the Luminor line, which instantly garnered favour from horophiles, all across the globe for their slimmer, lighter, and sleeker cases, imbued with the watchmaker’s emblematic design. With the Luminor Due, the brand shifted focus on the design aspect of watchmaking as they aimed to position this as a range of dress watches, versatile enough to be worn for any occasion.

The Italian term Due means ‘two’ and this probably indicates that this is the second generation of the Luminor collection—suited to a younger and unisex audience. One can notice the difference in the offerings here—coloured straps and dials complemented by a pared-down case size of either 38mm or 42mm—a conscious breakaway from the usual black or white dials with bulky steel or gold cases.

And in their quest for more colour, the brand have recently introduced a burgundy dial—a deep rich hue—which joins the Luminor Due family and pairs well with a sleek steel case and a black leather strap.

The 42mm steel case features a burgundy dial with a sunray finish that transitions from a light centre to a darker gradient at the edges, and plays on the colour scheme of the Chinese Year of the Dragon

The case, crown, and bezel are all polished while the solid caseback has a brushed finish with a water-resistance of up to 50m when compared with older versions that are water-resistant to 30m

The 42mm stainless-steel case features a burgundy dial with a sunray finish that transitions from a light centre to a darker gradient at the edges, and plays on the colour scheme of the Chinese Year of the Dragon. The case size is comfortable and slim measuring 13mm in thickness (or thinness) and definitely makes a difference… at least in a Panerai watch! Here the case, crown, and bezel are all polished while the solid caseback has a brushed finish. A marked improvement here is in the water-resistance of the timepiece. While the Luminor Due models have a design-centric approach and are not really functional dive watches as found in the Luminor collection, which have a massive water-resistance of around 300m; the burgundy model comes with a water-resistance of up to 50m when compared with older versions that are water-resistant to 30m.

The sandwich dial features the date window at three o’clock and the small seconds counter at nine o’clock, along with hour markers—all filled with white Super-LumiNova that lights up to emit a bright green light when placed in the dark. It is driven by the automatic P.900 calibre, which is 4.2mm thick, and is composed of 171 components. Beating at a frequency of 28,800vph, it contains an Incabloc anti-shock device, and supplies a three-day power reserve. This timekeeper is mounted on a black leather strap, equipped with a new folding clasp with improved ergonomics featuring the PAM Click Release System, offering easy adjustment on the wrist.

The Italian term Due means ‘two’ and this probably indicates that this is the second generation of the Luminor collection—suited to a younger and unisex audience. One can notice the difference in the offerings here—coloured straps and dials complemented by a pared-down case size of either 38mm or 42mm—a conscious breakaway from the usual black or white dials with bulky steel or gold cases

At the time of its launch, Panerai stated that the watch would be solely available in China as a boutique exclusive reference, so one is yet to see if it will be available for other markets as well.