A Look at the New Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro 44mm Watches

The gradient dials and unidirectional rotating bezels of the new Submersible QuarantaQuattro watches continue the legacy of the dive watch and its Luminor-inspired foundations

Sometimes, a watch comes along and leaves enthusiasts with their jaws firmly planted on the floor. They’re usually watches that require lengthy waiting times. Game-changer watches like the Ingenieur watch was to IWC Schaffhausen or the Luminor watch was to Panerai. On that note, it was the Luminor watch that led to the building blocks of the Submersible. In fact, the Submersible dive watch belonged to the Luminor watch collection at the beginning. Bit by bit, the manufacturer has been building on the Submersible design, tweaking it here and there, and modifying it to reflect Panerai’s values and its continually evolving ethos.

Panerai’s Maritime Legacy

A couple of months ago, Italian manufacturer Panerai attended the annual Watches & Wonders showcase held in Geneva. Here, the brand presented its watch releases for 2024 to industry specialists, elite collectors and Panerai stockists alike. At the showcase, Panerai made certain to reference its ongoing partnership with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli of whom it has been an Official Timekeeper since 2019. The relationship between the watchmaker and sailing team, and its relationship with the America’s Cup, presents itself in a relentless pursuit of innovation, where materials and style come together to reflect the brand’s deep-rooted connections to the marine world. Panerai has always committed itself to crafting precision instruments for those who need them most. The Radiomir and Luminor watches, both icons themselves, were supplied to the Italian Navy before they were made available to the general public in the 1990s. When this turning point happened, enthusiasts were sold by the brand’s horological capabilities, which in turn, led to the success of the Submersible.

Just like when the IWC Ingenieur watch was first released, that groundbreaking design attracted watch collectors worldwide. Once they’d checked the watch out and began wearing it, they were naturally passed down to other IWC models and introduced to an entire universe of impeccable pilot watches and classic dress watches. Similar to the Panerai Luminor watch, enthusiasts soon realised what an exceptional manufacturer this Italian Maison was. Gradually, more and more military watch collectors and dive watch fans entered the Panerai cult, adding icon after icon to their collections.

At the Watches & Wonders 2024 event, Panerai’s booth echoed the industrial flair of the Luna Rossa’s hangar with a prototype of the boat that had been transported especially for the event from Cagliari. Besides the high-tech design of the Ti-Ceramitech Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rosso watch, which we covered in a little more detail here, were the Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro 44mm watches in different designs, which we’re going to cover in a little more detail now.

Why Collectors Love the Panerai Submersible

First thing is first, we need to talk about why the Submersible is such a popular model to begin with. It’s designed to go underwater and stay underwater, and this is an important feature for the watch since many water-resistant watches aren’t made to withstand very long periods submerged. Unlike those, the Submersible is primed for diving, swimming, and water sports, among many other pursuits. Whether exposed to salt water or freshwater environments, it will hold up, thanks to its design, which is now a separate entity from the Luminor watch – another iconic Panerai design. In observing the appearance of the Submersible, you’ll see characteristics that are shared with the popular Luminor range. These include the cushion-shaped case and crown-protecting bridge among some other features. However, it can be set apart from other models in the brand’s portfolio for several reasons.

For a start, it features a unidirectional rotating bezel, designed for use underwater. The bezel can be aligned with the central minute hand on the dial to measure elapsed time once submerged in water The handy feature of the bezel is that it can only move in the counter-clockwise direction, ensuring that dive time can never accidentally become extended with a quick knock or bump to the bezel. It’s also worth mentioning that Panerai Submersible watches adhere to ISO-certified standards.

The New Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro 44mm Watches

The new Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro 44mm watches all measure 44mm in diameter and all feature the 60-minute unidirectional rotating bezel that proves handy when wanting to measure elapsed time underwater. For this reason, these watches are closer to the traditional dive watch, making them practical assets to any collection. The “Quattro” part of the name referenced in the title of these watches, nods to the brand’s four pillars; sustainability, partnerships, high-tech materials and lifestyle.

The 44mm Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro watches are a nice sweet spot, sitting in between the smaller 42mm size watches and the larger 47mm models. For this reason, they’re definitely more versatile and will appeal to a wider audience, for sure. Saying that, they are still bold and confident, bearing cases and bezels that are strong and eye-catching. The steel core versions have dials in white and black with an unadorned bezel in matching steel. These models are available in a choice of a “recycled materials” fabric strap or a rubber band. Supremely legible, these simple dials with luminous details are beautifully pared-back and readable. In the white dial version, you’ll see applied indices framed in black, whereas, on the black model, the indices are polished with splashes of blue, as seen in the small seconds hand.

Two other additions to the line worth noting are the blue-to-black and grey-to-black gradient dial versions. All of the models have a closed caseback that conceals the movement working within, yet it is in the design of the bezel where we see a difference. The Submersible QuarantaQuattro Grigio Roccia boasts an anthracite polished gradient dial in the usual format of central hour and minute hands, a small second sub-dial at 9H and a date window at 3H. These features are framed by a colour-coordinating bezel in ceramic. The Submersible QuarantaQuattro Blu Profondo watch is designed in the same way, with a tone-on-tone subsidiary seconds function and the Submersible lettering displayed under the Panerai name at 12 o’clock. Inside these brushed steel watches, adorned with coloured ceramic bezels, is the Calibre P.900. This automatic engine, comprising 23 jewels, performs at a rate of 28,800 vibrations per hour and delivers a power reserve once fully wound of 3 days.

If you’d like to get your hands on any of the new Panerai Submersible watches for 2024, get in touch with a member of our Jura watches sales team today on 01335 453453 or send us an email at help@jurawatches.co.uk