News: Panerai Luminor Due PAM674
Officine Panerai has come a long way since a certain Sylvester Stallone introduced the world to the brand in 1996’s Daylight. A wartime design reimagined as a fashionista’s collectible, it’s been quite the journey from bottom-dwelling diver to boutique best-seller. Keeping things fresh is a big part of the Panerai ethos, and every year we’re spoilt with a raft of new models, much like this PAM674 Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic.
With the PAM674 marking the second chapter in Panerai’s revival—‘due’ mean two in Italian—there’s no better watch to showcase the in-house calibre P.4000, Panerai’s thinnest automatic calibre yet. The slender proportions are achieved with the use of a snugly recessed micro rotor, but that doesn’t mean an equally diminutive power reserve—as the name suggests, Panerai has squeezed three days out of the twin-barrel mainsprings. The jewel count is at an impressive 31, with the balance itself beating at a fairly standard 28,800 vph.
The 45mm case of the PAM 674 is dressed in polished steel in the 1950s styling, yet with a thinner frame than most will be used to. This gives the larger diameter a lower centre of gravity, which makes it wear more comfortably than some of its thicker equivalents. A 30-metre water resistance isn’t going to break any records, but it’s enough to keep it from breaking at the first sign of rain.
But the star of the show is the deep black sunburst dial, radiating from the dial’s centre out in equally spaced brush lines that catch the light in a fan. It’s a move away from the sombre designs of previous years, and although it won’t appeal to everyone, it gives options for someone who wants a Panerai with a bit more pizzaz. At the very least, a thinner variety Luminor is always welcome.
