Panerai Joins The America’s Cup With Five Limited Editions
The America’s Cup has to be the most exciting and challenging nautical event. This year it celebrates its 35th anniversary and does so with Panerai. This year’s event also means the introduction of the new America’s Cup Class foiling catamarans, which will reach speeds over 90 km/h, making this the Formula 1 of the seas. Only the world’s best sailors participate, and for this, they need a rugged watch to withstand this highly demanding and competitive environment.
The Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic certainly fits the bill. For this special occasion, Panerai fitted the 300 pieces limited edition of this model with a red seconds hand, as well as a strap with blue and red stitching, the official colors of the America’s Cup. The watch is still powered by Panerai’s manufacture caliber P9000, but this is now hiding behind a solid steel caseback engraved with the logo of the famous cup.
Next, to being the official partner of the America’s Cup does Panerai also sponsor two contestants. The first is ORACLE TEAM USA, the two-time winners of the cup, for which Panerai made three limited editions. The first is based on the Luminor 1950 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic in black ceramic, now adorned in official America’s Cup colors and with a special engraving of the ORACLE TEAM USA boat on the back. Most interesting is that Panerai also equipped the watch with a nautical Tachymeter scale, allowing you to measure your speed on the water.
The next watch Panerai made for ORACLE TEAM USA features a very nautical complication, that of the regatta timer. This allows team members to keep track of the countdown to the start of the race, which is crucial because they pass the starting line at speed, but can only do so without being penalized after the start signal has been given. Time is therefore of the essence, making the Luminor 1950 Regatta 3 Days Chrono Flyback Automatic a great companion for the race, especially when crafted from titanium, as Panerai did for this limited edition.
Last of the limited editions for ORACLE TEAM USA is the Luminor Marina ORACLE TEAM USA 8 Days in steel, which also features color details referring to the cup colors, as well as an engraved case back. Just as the other two watches, it also has a strap with the Cup’s logo in it, as well as matching stitching.
Panerai also sponsors the SoftBank Team Japan. A memorable occasion, because Japan is competing once again in the America’s Cup for the first time in 15 years. This team’s watch is the same as the official watch of the America’s Cup, yet with a strap in different colors and an engraving of the competing boat on the case back. With these limited editions, Panerai sets the stage of what is most likely going to be a very exciting edition of the America’s Cup.
