EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PANERAI SUBMERSIBLE

The Panerai Submersible, as we know it today, was officially introduced in 1998, over sixty years after Panerai’s first military diving watches. While Panerai had been producing professional diving watches for decades, the Submersible marked a turning point with its specific focus on modern professional divers designed for both professional and casual wear.

 When Panerai re-entered the civilian market in the 1990s after its acquisition by the Richemont Group (then called Vendôme), it became clear that the brand needed to evolve to compete in the highly competitive luxury sports watch segment. 

Well-established dive watch making brands like Omega, Rolex and Tudor were already the choice for many watch enthusiasts so Panerai had to do something different if they were to stand out. While the Luminor and Radiomir lines continued to evolve with their distinct cushion-shaped cases and bold designs, the Submersible emerged as Panerai’s true professional dive watch.

The first Submersible, Panerai Luminor Submersible 1000m (Ref. PAM 00087), was released in 1998, and retained the classic cushion-shaped case of the Luminor but introduced several features that catered to modern diving needs. 

One of the most important was the rotating bezel used for tracking elapsed time—a critical function for divers monitoring their oxygen supply underwater. And whilst many people who wear dive watches today may not actually use the rotating bezel to time their dives, it is still a desired feature by many so Panerai decided it was about time they add this feature to their own watches.

 In addition, the Submersible incorporated Panerai’s signature crown-protecting bridge, enhancing its water resistance and giving the watch its distinct silhouette. These elements made the Submersible stand out as a rugged yet refined tool watch that remained true to Panerai’s design DNA.

The first model in 1998 featured a whopping 44mm case, which back then was considered very large, but it definitely gave the appearance of that rock-solid tool watch. The Panerai Submersible was not made that big for no reason, it had a water resistance of 1000 metres which is way over double that of the Omega Seamaster or Rolex Submariner. The case was a rushed stainless-steel case with the classic Panerai levered crown guard. The sapphire crystal was around 5.1mm thick in order for it to be water resistant to 1000m.

Of course, it had a unidirectional bezel with a 60-minute diving scale which was black filled and engraved with 15 minute zones and raised 5 minute markers to make legibility easier. For a watch to go this deep on divers’ wrists and be practical it needed a helium escape valve which is exactly what Panerai added on the left case side.

You had the choice between either a beautiful black dial or a few years in 2002 a deep blue dial. The hands and hour markers on the dial were polished and filled with tritium luminous fill. You had a small seconds sub-dial at 9 o'clock giving the watch a unique look compared to your traditional seconds hand. The Panerai Submersible also featured a date window at 3 o'clock position with magnifying loupe under the crystal.

 The one thing that made Panerai a little controversial back on the first model was the strap options that were available to you, as it only came on a leather watch strap. There is nothing wrong with a leather strap, and if anything, it made the watch more elegant despite its size, however leather is not exactly known for its water resistance. Despite having a dive watch that was capable of deep dives, the strap would be destroyed so that’s why Panerai offered a rubber strap option a few years later in 2002 when they added the blue dial version to the collection.

As Panerai grew in prominence throughout the 2000s, the Submersible underwent numerous innovations, both aesthetically and technologically. The Submersible’s diving capabilities were pushed to new limits, with models offering increased water resistance and technical precision. In its drive for performance, Panerai began experimenting with advanced materials to enhance the durability and wearability of the Submersible. 

For instance, titanium became a favoured material for its combination of strength and lightness, reducing the heft of the otherwise large timepieces on the wrist. The Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Bronzo (Ref. PAM 00382), released in 2011, featured a bold bronze case, sparking a trend for bronze dive watches across the industry. Over time, this material develops a natural patina, giving each piece a unique character.

In more recent years, Panerai introduced Carbotech, a composite carbon material that is lightweight, highly durable, and offers a unique textured appearance. Models like the Submersible Carbotech (PAM 616) demonstrated Panerai’s commitment to cutting-edge innovation while maintaining the watch’s robustness. The great thing with Panerai’s ability to use new material was that it kept what would otherwise be a lump of heavy steel, a relatively light and sleek watch despite its 44mm case size.

 One of the hallmark features of the Submersible is its exceptional water resistance. Panerai offers models with ratings as high as 1000 meters (3280 feet), far exceeding the depth requirements for recreational divers. The Submersible 1950 3 Days Automatic Ceramica (PAM 508) and Submersible 1000m (PAM 87) are perfect examples of this extreme water resistance, making them highly respected among professional divers and adventurers alike.

In 2024, you can now buy a Panerai Submersible with a gorgeous deep navy sunburst blue dial, a clean matt artic white dial, a rich chocolate brown dial, black carbon, grey sunburst, silver sunburst, green or even a skeleton dial. With a GMT model available as well, this is a line from Panerai you can have a lot of choice which allows you to get the perfect model that conforms to your personal tastes. With steel, gold, bronze and carbon cases offered, each Panerai Submersible really has its own distinct look. 

The case size does still remain large but certain models come in at a case size of 42 mm whilst the bigger models have a case size of 47 mm! With over 37 models to choose from in the Panerai Submersible range, you can be sure to not only find the design that pleases you most but they all have kept their strong watch specifications that they were first born with and now feature their own in-house movements.

Panerai creates all of their Submersible watches with a matching leather, rubber or metal strap, which really helps make their dial colours pop. However, for those looking to wear their Panerai Submersible whilst doing sports or even using it for the tool watch it is, diving or swimming, you will have some issues with the leather strap option. That’s why ZEALANDE created the perfect high-quality rubber strap to match the quality of your Submersible and allow you to wear it whilst doing sports like swimming. 

The ZEALANDE strap comes in 5 key colours allowing you to match it to your dial just like the OEM leather strap and if that wasn’t enough, you can also use the OEM buckle strap with your ZEALANDE strap! This really helps to give your Panerai an OEM look yet offer more durability compared to leather as this material doesn’t fare very well against water.