Panerai’s New Special Edition Watch Salutes Italy’s Elite Navy Commandos

Go deep with this military-inspired Italian eye catcher.

Some of Panerai’s top-secret diving instruments made for the Italy’s elite underwater commandos in the ’40s had no writing on their dials, while others said simply “Marina Militare” – i.e. the Italian Navy. 

The luxury Swiss-Italian watch brand’s newest model, the Luminor 1950 3 Days, is an homage to those tumultuous times and dangerous missions.

Limited to just 1,000 units worldwide with the inscription “MARINA MILITARE” on the black stealth dial, it’s offered in Panerai’s oversized 47 mm case, made of AISI 316L stainless steel with a polished finish, echoing the original. 

Like the vintage models (above), which had crystals made of polymethyl methacrylate, the dial of the new Luminor is protected by a slightly domed Plexiglas crystal, while the back has a large sapphire glass porthole enabling the Manufacture movement to be viewed.

The brown strap of the Luminor 1950 3 Days (PAM00673) is the Ponte Vecchio, made and treated in traditional Tuscan leather workshops.

There’s also a spare rubber strap recommended when taking the watch on your own nighttime diving missions; it’s water resistant to 10 bar, a depth of about 330 feet. 

And if that isn’t deep enough for you, you need a submarine, not a watch….