By Stephen Watson By Stephen Watson | April 13, 2022 | Style & Beauty,
By channeling its compelling history, Panerai expands its legacy with the Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo and a memorable Florentine experience.
Panerai’s Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo
By adapting cues taken from its early tool watches and diving instruments, Panerai has evolved the spirit of its early designs into a beloved collection of modern timepieces. Designed to brave Earth’s harshest conditions, modern Panerai watches retain the same uncompromising functionality as their forebears, complete with striking case designs, legible dials and characteristic protective crown guards, making every Panerai timepiece instantly recognizable. Yet, the latest Calendario Perpetuo’s introduction brings about some surprising and extravagant new developments to Panerai’s lineup.
Built in a limited run of only 28 pieces, the Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo is a high complication that took Panerai more than five years to develop. With a perpetual calendar, the watch’s date doesn’t need to be manually reset with the passing months; the correct day will automatically shift into place, no adjustments needed. It sounds like a small detail but becomes exceptionally complicated in practice, especially when you factor in leap years and months with fewer than 31 days, which keep the Calendario’s date accurate to year 2399.
A transparent dial reveals the complexity of Panerai’s Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo.
Legibility is a hallmark of any Panerai dial, and the Calendario Perpetuo is no exception. Deceptively simple at first glance, the watch’s functions are cleverly split between the front and back of the watch, revealed through layers of semitransparent sapphire crystal, subtly showcasing the various discs making up the watch’s multiple calendar functions.
Through its layers, the Perpetuo Calendario provides plenty of practical information beautifully: hours, minutes, a small seconds subdial with day-night indication at nine, a second-time zone, and a day-date indicator at three on the dial. On the back of the watch, you’ll find the month display and leap year indicator, the year displayed in four digits and a power reserve, all visible through the sapphire case back.
Pushing the envelope of new materials and technology through the work of Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee based in Neuchatel, the Luminor Goldtech Calendario Perpetuo utilizes a proprietary polished gold alloy for its case construction; the material includes copper and platinum for remarkable color and strength. Paired with a specially created alligator strap with a shaded patina, natural dyes used in the tanning process ensure no two straps are alike.
Inside the 44 mm polished Goldtech case, the perpetual calendar is powered by the in- house automatic mechanical movement (Panerai P.4100) first introduced in two models last year. The movement can store up to 72 hours or three days of energy in reserve when fully wound, courtesy of a 22K gold micro-rotor decorated with diamond-cut angles providing just enough Italian sprezzatura. The Luminor features a water resistance of 5 bar, or about 50 meters, perfect for dressy underwater endeavors.
The 28 lucky Paneristi who purchase the watch will also receive a luxurious “Xperience,” a private Florentine adventure hosted by Panerai in October 2022. Clients will visit the Panerai flagship in the heart of Florence, where they will discover hidden secrets that are deeply valued by the manufacture. Activities will include wine tastings, traveling the Tuscan hills in vintage cars and discovering the landscape from hot air balloons, all in the birthplace of Officine Panerai. The experience is a rare vision of Italy, seen through the eyes of its most famous Florentine watchmaker.
Photography by: PHOTOS COURTESY OF OFFICINE PANERAI