Panerai Just Dropped 2 Bold New Watches Inspired by Italian Navy Aviation

Panerai, the famed Italian watchmaker with roots in the shipyards and decks of the Marina Militare–the Italian Navy–has released a new pair of watches that carry both the grit of naval aviation and the brand’s century-long tradition of building machines for extreme conditions.

The connection between Panerai and the Italian Navy

The partnership between Panerai and the Italian Navy stretches back to the 1910s, when the company was not yet the darling of collectors but an outfitter tasked with supplying precision instruments for naval missions. In the decades that followed, the scope of that work expanded to aircraft carriers and helicopter ships, blending seafaring durability with airborne adaptability.

This DNA—steel, salt, and survival—is the throughline in the new Submersible Marina Militare models, both paying tribute to the Italian Navy’s aviation branch, the Aviazione Navale.

Related: Citizen Just Dropped a Pilot Watch With Serious Flight Credentials

Details inspired by the flight deck

At the heart of both timepieces is Panerai’s P.900 caliber, a compact automatic movement delivering a three-day power reserve. The green-grained matte dial, fading to black at the edges, channels the flight gear worn by Aviazione Navale crews. Grey Super-LumiNova glows under low light, its hue borrowed from the paint schemes of naval aircraft. A small seconds counter mimics a radar sweep, and the Aviazione Navale’s anchor insignia rests proudly on the dial.

Two references lead the line:

• PAM01697: 44mm brushed 316LVM stainless steel case, with a green ceramic disk inset into the unidirectional bezel.
  
  
• PAM01698: Crafted from Carbotech, a carbon fiber–based composite unique to Panerai, lighter than steel yet with a matte black, irregular surface—no two cases look exactly alike.
  
  

Built for the deep

Both watches carry 300 meters of water resistance and ship with a green canvas strap plus an additional black rubber strap for wet work. The casebacks, a first for Panerai, feature the engraved wings emblem of the Aviazione Navale, grounding the watches firmly in their military-aviation heritage.

Pricing and availability

The Panerai Submersible Marina Militare PAM01697 retails for $12,500. The Carbotech PAM01698 is priced at $19,500. Both are available now through Panerai boutiques, the brand’s official website, and authorized dealers.

For collectors, these aren’t just watches—they’re a distillation of a century’s worth of Italian naval innovation, worn on the wrist, ready for whatever mission the day brings.