Fast forward more than 2,500 years, and bronze can be seen walking in lock step with the modern Panerai luxury watch image. Now a refined companion to collectors who prefer large, expressive, and butch sports models, Panerai harnesses a proprietary CuSn8 alloy of copper and tin to innovate a dynamic metal that evolves with time. More than a factory finish, the weathered accents of the PAM 507 case are designed to grow in scope and complexity over time.
At SIHH 2013, Panerai raised the curtain on a new bronze age: the Luminor Submersible 1950 PAM 507. More than a re-issue of the already legendary PAM 382, the new Bronzo combines additional mechanical refinements with a new dial, new straps, and a unique weathered bronze treatment. The metal alone is worth the price of admission to the limited edition of 1,000 individually-numbered pieces. Thus frenzied was the public reaction to that stunning marriage of bronze to Panerai’s 47mm “1950” case that many in the collector community compared it to the energy that seized the first “Paneristi” brand devotees in the early 2000s. While the Bronze Age spans more Greek history than Roman, Paneristi will forgive the watchmaker’s historical liberties in conceiving a watch that is drop-dead gorgeous. Officine Panerai is a brand with a unique grasp on company heritage, and Panerai’s history is intertwined with seafaring and the nautical landscape. Naturally, Panerai wasn’t prepared to let the magic die with the 2011 special edition model year. Originally a supplier of combat dive replica watches for pioneering Special Forces during the 1930s, Panerai reaches even deeper into Mediterranean nautical lore for the inspiration behind the Bronzo.
Its weathered details, bold lines, and warm golden glow evoke the war galleys that battled Persian empires for dominance of what Panerai’s 20th century Italian commandos will come to call the “Mare Nostrum”: “our sea.” With a depth rating of 300 meters, a unidirectional diver’s bezel, and the iconic Device Protecting the Crown locking lever, this watch is ready for water sports, the beach, the pool, or your morning shower. Hey, every adventure has to start somewhere…
As in the case of bronze fittings on luxury yachts and beachfront homes, Panerai’s bronze draws its enduring strength from the metal’s ability to shield itself from decay with a dynamic patina. Tones of green, violet, copper, argent, and earth slowly join the golden hue of the original bronze until each Panerai PAM 507 becomes a “piece unique” in the most literal sense. In the field, the Officine Panerai PAM 507 can tackle any assignment a conventional Luminor Submersible might face. With a quick-set hour hand for easy transitions between time zones, the Bronzo can go anywhere in more senses than one; a unique mechanism allows the hand to be moved forward or back independently of the minute hand, and it can even drive the date backward without hazard to the best replica watches.
It seems Panerai has decided to channel its inner hipster this year to innovate the very slick looking new limited edition Panerai Pocket Watch 3 Days. Purchased in November of 2014 and complete with filled warranty card from an authorized dealer, this Bronzo contains everything – including full Panerai warranty – that will accompany it from an authorized dealer or factory boutique.
Available from watchuwant.com and virtually unobtainable anywhere else, this Luminor Submersible 1950 PAM 507 “Bronzo” is a modern classic in the post-Vendome epoch of Panerai history. It includes all Officine Panerai factory boxes, manuals, documents of provenance, the original second accessory strap, and the Panerai strap tool.
