Today, Panerai has released a wild watch that I can only describe as “peak Panerai.” Yes, it’s massive, overbuilt, and loud. It’s by far not the watch I would be drawn to from the brand. And yet, the new Panerai Submersible Elux Lab-ID (ref. PAM01800) is extremely cool. The new 49mm by 21.9mm thick Submersible has a Blue Ti-Ceramitech case, bezel, and caseback. But what’s inside (and peeks through the dial) is the shock. The P.9010/EL caliber movement has six barrels that not only give three days of power reserve but 30 minutes of mechanical microgenerator-powered light to the indices on the dial (and the lume pip on the bezel).
This is a highly complicated watch for one that looks so simple, and its functionality is supported by four patents. By flipping open the pusher protector at eight o’clock, the wearer has access to a button that clicks on the power from the four barrels to unwind in a microgenerator that converts mechanical energy into electricity and illuminates what would normally be light-charged lume plots, but in this case, are LEDs.
It also illuminates moving parts like the hands and bezel (lighting only 15 of the LEDs in the bezel at a time instead of all 60), which was an understandably complicated feat. The system runs with custom-made coils, magnets, and a stator and incorporates no active electronics. It also has a linear “Power Light” reserve indicator at 6 o’clock with small seconds at 9 o’clock. But if that 30 minutes of power gets used up, the watch also has Super LumiNova X2 on the indices and hour hand, with Super LumiNova X1 on the minute hand and bezel dot.
The microgenerator system reminds me in some way of the DeBethune DB28GS “Grand Bleu,” which James Stacey covered back in 2019, but the Panerai Submersible Elux Lab-ID is much bolder in practice. That’s probably partially thanks to the black dial covered in carbon nanotubes that absorb outside light and increase contrast when the light is activated. The watch has a light ceramized titanium case – 44% lighter than steel yet has a fracture toughness ten times higher than traditional ceramic. The watch is limited to 150 pieces, 50 released annually for three years, and priced at $96,300. But this idea doesn’t come out of nowhere.
In 1966, Panerai identified a new material they called Elux, an abbreviation of “elettroluminescenza” to mean electroluminescence, that was completely free of radioactive material but could be used to light up technical equipment even in the darkest environments. They made electroluminescent panels composed of uniformly luminous surfaces available in various sizes, all shock resistant, and they were energy efficient enough to be powered by a battery.
The technology found a lot of use within the Italian Navy, from light panels in command and control centers to luminous pathways and signage for helicopter landing on the decks of military ships. The ability of “Laboratorio di Idee” to carry on these ideas from that family-owned Panerai Submersible Elux Lab-ID workshop and make them into a commercial watch – while keeping it mechanical – is one of the coolest things I’ve seen Panerai do in a while.
Everyone will say it, so let me cut you off; yes, this pushes the boundaries of “giant watch” sizing, even for Panerai. The watch nearly unseats the MB&F HM-11 as the thickest watch I’ve ever worn (~23mm), though not quite. Is 49mm by 21.9mm too wide and thick to wear daily? Almost certainly. Is this watch one of the few places I could give a brand a pass? Definitely. If you’re going to make a watch this big, you better damn well be doing something with all that case space. They do all that and then some. I mean, six barrels in the movement? That’s just wild. However, the wearability is still relatively decent because of the blue Ti-Ceramitech case.
The main feature – the toggleable light – isn’t blinding bright like a flashlight in the daytime, but it certainly gets the job done. In a selectively lit boutique like the Madison Avenue Panerai flagship (in which I shot this watch), it was occasionally hard to tell whether I had left the Elux running until I covered the dial to check. That meant that by the end of my half an hour with the watch, I noticed that the power-reserve indicator at 6 o’clock was fully closed by the mechanical striped slider that looked like a dying battery. Whoops. Yes, it turns out that I had left the light on.
But I like the idea of a mechanical light that stays on without your interaction. For my nostalgia toward the Timex Indiglo I had as a kid, holding a button while diving might be inconvenient. Here, you can see the cover for the button that triggers the light. In the next photo, you’ll see that button from the caseback side (honestly, I forgot to take a photo with the cover removed). You’ll also get a better view of the Ti-Ceramitech case. My only concern with the case is that, due to the texture, the sample I viewed seemed to have already picked up some scratches. I’m curious how the material will hold up to wear over time, and as it is a relatively new material, only time will tell.
The new Panerai Submersible Elux Lab-ID is quite expensive. But lately, I’ve been feeling a little bored with most releases; it seems like brands have been lacking in doing something entirely novel. Honestly, I didn’t expect to get my fix of novelty from Panerai, but kudos to the brand for pulling this out.
