Panerai Dropped a Pair of Rugged New Submersible Marina Militare

Panerai is back at it again with another rugged watch duo.

The watchmaker has just unveiled a new pair of new Submersible Marina Militares, each building upon its long, prestigious connection to the Italian Navy. The timepieces themselves reflect that history, paying homage to vintage diving instruments worn by naval divers in the mid-20^th century—with a modern twist.

Made from brushed steel, the Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758 and the Submersible Marina Militare Destro PAM01757 have quite a few similarities. Both share a black ceramic dial with touches of warm, beige Super-LumiNova across the hands, indices, and bezel bots, a hue that nods to the natural patina found on vintage Panerai models as exposure to the elements turned the original white material into a more muted color over time. The casebacks, meanwhile, are adorned with an engraving of the Slow Speed Torpedo, an underwater vehicle used by the Italian Navy in the 1940s. And, as you’d expect, the duo is water-resistant up to 50 bar, or nearly 1,700 feet.

The differences in the new models start in the caliber. The 42 mm Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758 is home to Panerai’s P.900/GMT24H 3 Days Automatic movement, which is one of the thinnest the watchmaker offers at just 5.2 mm thick. The watch offers up a small seconds indication at 9 o’clock alongside a date display across the dial at 3 o’clock, as well as a stop-seconds function. An orange GMT hand, done up in the hue for high visibility while on the sea, also makes its way around the 24-hour display.

The 44 mm Submersible Marina Militare Destro PAM01757, meanwhile, brings back two elements from Panerai’s watchmaking past. One is the Destro design, which places the crown bridge on the case’s left side at 9 o’clock instead of 3 o’clock—a configuration meant to free up a military diver’s left hand to use a compass or other instruments. Only four such Destros models have been made by Panerai since 1998, making it a rarity in its lineup. The other feature is the no-date dial, which was done to keep the divers’ focus on key details such as the hours, minutes, and running seconds. As for the movement, the new model is equipped with the P.980 3 Days Automatic caliber.

“The new Submersible Marina Militare timepieces are a profound homage to our brand’s storied past and an affirmation of our future,” Alessandro Ficarelli, chief marketing and heritage officer of Panerai, said in a press statement. “From the Destro configuration to the practical GMT function, they blend Panerai’s historical design codes with uncompromising technical innovation, further enhancing our legacy and enduring partnership with the Italian Navy, a relationship that began in 1910s and remains a cornerstone of our DNA.”

Even the straps pay homage to the watches of yesteryear, with golden-brown leather that recalls the material used on early Panerai diving watches. The Submersible Marina Militare GMT PAM01758 is priced at a cool $13,100, while its Destro sibling will run you $12,700. Both are currently up for grabs on Panerai’s website now.