Introducing: The Panerai Luminor Due PAM01539 With A Bold Burgundy Dial — Just In Time For Valentine’s Day
It has been a while since we covered Panerai’s Luminor Due collection. Mike wrote an article in 2019 when the brand went from the OPXXXIV to the new P.900 movement. He was a fan of the simpler Luminor Due models, mainly because of their dial design, the crown system, and the case shape. We thought the recent introduction of the Panerai PAM01539 with a bold burgundy dial was a good opportunity to refresh your minds on the brand’s lighter and slimmer Luminor Due collection. In addition, it comes on a new stainless steel bracelet.
At the time of Mike’s article, the Luminor Due still had a 30m water resistance rating. Today’s watches have a 50m rating, which makes these slightly more formal and elegant models just that little more capable. Let’s see what else the new Panerai Luminor Due PAM01539 has to offer.
The Panerai Luminor Due PAM01539 and its bracelet
Like the other 42mm models in Panerai’s Luminor Due collection, the stainless steel case of the PAM01539 has a 10.7mm thickness and a 50mm lug-to-lug length. That’s indeed quite modest for a Panerai watch. The entire cushion case has a polished finish, including the brand’s locking crown guard. This finish in combination with the case’s modest size makes the Luminor Due suitable for more formal occasions. It’ll slide under the cuff nicely and reflect the lights with grace.
However, if you want your Luminor Due to look a little more like a tool watch, Panerai offers the new PAM01539 with a new stainless steel bracelet. Its style resembles the characteristic arch of the crown guard. The center links have a polished finish, while the main links have both large brushed and polished parts on a bevel and the sides. Integrated into the end links is Panerai’s PAM Click Release System. This allows you to easily switch the bracelet out for another kind of strap. Included with the watch, you get an additional black rubber strap.
The new bracelet is not exclusive to the new PAM01539. It’s also available for the Luminor Due in different sizes and materials. Take a look at the Panerai website to see if your favorite model has the new bracelet as an option.
Burgundy for Valentine’s Day
As said in the title, this new burgundy color arrives just in time for Valentine’s Day. The sandwich dial has a sunburst texture and a gradient from burgundy in the center to almost completely black at the perimeter. At each hour, there’s a lumed hour marker, and at 6 and 12 o’clock, there are big Arabic numerals. There’s also a small cutout for the date at 3 and a sub-seconds register at 9 o’clock. Apart from the Panerai logo and the “L Swiss Made L” text, the dial is very clean, without any further printing.
As mentioned in the intro, Panerai’s P.900 automatic movement powers the Luminor Due. This movement runs at a 28,800vph frequency, features 23 jewels, and holds a comfortable 72-hour power reserve. It has quite a basic finish, but you won’t be able to see it anyway because of the all-steel case back. What is nice, though, is that the watch is water resistant to 50 meters, so you won’t have to be overly careful around water with this one.
Quick thoughts and pricing
Like Mike, I think the Panerai Luminor Due looks elegant with its smaller case and clean dial design. I’d prefer a version without a date, but the burgundy sunburst vignette dial does look good and a little mysterious at the same time. The Panerai Luminor Due PAM01539 costs €8,400 on the new bracelet and includes an additional black rubber strap. There’s also a version with reference number PAM01424, which comes on a black leather strap and costs €7,400. However, we’ve been told that this is only available in China as a boutique-exclusive model.
Let me know in the comments below what you think of the Luminor Due in general and with this bold burgundy dial.
