Hot Take: Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM00968

SIHH was just two months ago and yet we have again something awesome and new from Panerai, the PAM00968.

The Italian-Swiss manufacture is releasing a new model today; the Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM00968. As you might remember 2019 is the year of the Submersible for the brand. Their SIHH line-up only consisted of said models, some of which we’ve already featured for you. You can find those articles here and here. Today, however, Panerai is introducing a watch to the market that we have not seen in Geneva this January. The Submersible Bronzo PAM00968 isn’t the first but the latest Panerai that comes in a bronze case. 2011 was the year when the brand came out with their first bronze case watch, the PAM00382. It surprised the industry and started a trend (although it was not the first watch with a bronze case). The PAM00382 watch was limited to 1000 pieces and it sold out in no time. For the first time, this new Bronzo comes in a collection.

PAM00968

Just two years later, in 2013, Panerai released yet another bronze, the PAM00507. It shared the case with the first Bronzo, the PAM00382 but that was the only similarity. The 507 had a new movement and a power reserve indicator on the dial. In 2017 yet another bronze Panerai came to the market, namely the PAM00671. That one looked very much like the first model. Fast forward to 2 years later, in 2019, the PAM00968 pays tribute to the original bronze watch with its look. The case is still 47mm wide, brushed bronze with a unidirectional rotating bezel as you’d have on a true divers’ watch. This is where we see the first upgrade; the bezel insert, that is an applied brown ceramic disc. The case back, just like on the 382 and the 671, is see-through sapphire crystal. Panerai’s trademark crown guard has the same finish as the case.

Dial

As you’d expect it form a dive watch the Panerai PAM00968 has a water resistance of 300 meters. If the watch spends enough time in the water the unique patina will develop on the case, making each and every 968 an unmistakably different watch. To offer perfect visibility underwater the brown dial has huge bronze-color hour markers and dots with luminous coating. You can find the date at the 3 o’clock position. While the second’s subdial is at 9, just like you’d have it on the first Bronzo. When we speak of the dial it is worth mentioning that the brown dial and the bezel, which has the same tone, work very well together giving a great contrast to the yellowish tone of the bronze case – which is, by the way, 161 grams making this Submersible not only huge but pretty heavy too.

Evolution

Inside the Panerai Submersible, Bronzo PAM00968 is the successor of the P.9000, the caliber you’d find the PAM00382; the caliber P.9010. this is not the first time Paneria puts this movement in a bronze case as the previous model, the PAM00671 already features the P.9010. While the two movements are pretty much identical in size, the 9010 has 31 jewels compared to the 28 jewels on the P.9000. Other features of the movement are the 3-days (or 72-hours) of power reserve, Incabloc anti-shock protection and a ticking number of 28,800vph. The new PAM00968 comes on a brown leather strap with beige stitching and the classic Panerai-style buckle. Furthermore, there is a second alternative in the package, a military green rubber strap for when you want to test the waters with your new Panerai Submersible Bronzo PAM00968. All of this, if you’d like one, would set you back €16,000.

Please follow this link for Panerai’s website.