Panerai Takes Platinum To The Next Level With Platinumtech Luminor Marina
These days, many brands have proprietary gold-alloys that improve the properties of conventional ones. Rolex Everose gold is a good example, which not only offers a richer color but combines this with the added advantage that it hardly tarnishes over time. Hublot even achieved significantly increasing the scratch resistance of gold by combining it with ceramic in their Magic Gold. Platinum alloys are far rarer. In part, this is because there is literally less room to innovate. With 18 karat gold, 750 of every 1000 particles in the alloy are pure gold, the other 250 particles are other metals. These are not only needed to make the alloy harder but can also change the color, most commonly into white, pink, or red. Most brands typically use 950 platinum, meaning that only 50 particles per 1000 are a different metal. For Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee this was enough to make a significant improvement.
Panerai named this new alloy Platinumtech. It is not only much harder, but it will also keep its luster even better than regular platinum. Machining and polishing it is, however, far more challenging. The first watch fitted with a case, bezel, crown, and crown protecting device from this new material is the Luminor Marina PAM01116. Measuring 44mm in diameter is this Panerai a hefty watch. It is secured around the wrist by a dark brown strap, made of alligator leather that will acquire a beautiful patina over time. The dial has a sunburst finish, which gives its olive green color an added radiance. While the green dial goes nicely with beige Super-LumiNova of the sandwich dial, the blued hands offer just the right touch of contrast.
The Panerai Platinumtech Luminor Marina is powered by caliber P.9010. This automatic movement can be admired through the sapphire caseback. Thanks to two mainspring barrels it offers a power reserve of three-days. Panerai will make only 70 pieces of this very precious Luminor Marina and offers 70-years of warranty, the industry’s longest guarantee period.
