As far as the replica Panerai collectors are concerned, the brand’s rare bronze watches have always been greatly prized – especially as they were only ever made available to well-connected Paneristi and not the general public. Now Panerai replica is breaking with that tradition by providing a new Luminor Bronzo diving watch, with only five examples launched each quarter.
Sized at 47mm, which could be regarded somewhat out of fashion these days, the new PAM 968 Bronzo is a throwback to the original XL size of the military-derived diving watch. But the fake Panerai is literally going big with this piece, declaring it to be “rare, iconic, and tough” as well as “for heroes only.”
The new Luminor Bronzo PAM 968 characterized a ceramic bezel, giving the copper-heavy alloy a modern makeover, and it is powered by the automatic caliber P.9010 movement. Developed completely in-house at the fake Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, the caliber P.9010 features central hour and minute hands, small seconds dial at 9 o’clock, and the date at 3 o’clock.
Bronze, which Panerai first used for a diving replica watch back in 2011, “reinforces the brand’s connection with the sea where bronze is used not only for its resistance to the corrosive elements of seawater,” Panerai notes. Besides, it is also “a unique and fascinating material which matures with time, acquiring a patina which gives a particular character to each timepiece.”
A true professional diving watch, the Luminor Bronzo is water-resistant to a depth of 300 meters and features a transparent sapphire crystal caseback. Also, the new PAM 968 Bronzo is supplied with both a hand-stitched brown leather strap with a titanium buckle and a military-style green rubber strap for undersea adventures.
The Italian-Swiss watchmaker declares that the release of this impressive piece “proves that Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee can match the past and the future, technology, and design, with impeccable skill,” and we’d be inclined to agree – even if we can’t actually picture ourselves wearing this beast out to dinner.
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