Panerai’s own skunkworks Laboratorio di Idee has revealed a new Submersible dubbed the Elux, which features on-demand lighting at the press of a button, all from a mechanical power source within. If this sounds a bit familiar, it’s because we saw a similar function put forth in the delightful DeBethune DB28GS Grand Bleu from 2019, but it’s presented in a very different manner in the Panera, taking itself far more seriously as a viable dive watch. This technology is a nod to the brand’s past and their creation of electroluminescent panels for use by the Italian Navy. These ‘elettroluminescenza’ or Elux panels inspired the creation of this new Submersible Elux, and they’ve packed some pretty nifty tech inside this one to make it work.
This Submersible Elux utilizes the automatic caliber P.9010/EL containing no less than 6 barrels, 4 of which are dedicated to the lighting function, and two of which are dedicated to the time. There are no extraneous complications present. The 4 barrels channel energy via a microgenerator that converts mechanical energy into electricity, which then lights 13 “panels” in the form of the hour markers, hands, and bezel pip. This process can maintain light to each of these components for an impressive 30 minutes, all without affecting the timekeeping abilities of the watch.
This execution is laudable, if a bit on the conceptual side at the moment. A movement with 6 barrels and a microgenerator was never going to be all that wearable, and at 49mm in diameter, and a movement alone that measures nearly 11mm thick (total thickness is over 20mm), this isn’t exactly the brand’s most approachable watch. But it’s not really meant to be. This feels like a proof of concept more than anything, and the Ti-Ceramitech case material should offset at least some of that size. Further, this will be limited to 50 pieces produced each year for three years, with a total limit to 150 pieces, and carries a price tag of $96,300.
That price happens to be a few grand shy of the DeBethune mentioned above, and while that watch won’t give you 30 minutes of continuous lighting, or anywhere near as legible a dial, it does offer one of the most innovative cases in the game. Two very different approaches for likely two very different customers, but this is exactly the type of concept that’s interesting to see brought to life in multiple ways.
This Panerai provides a glimpse to their technical prowess and their willingness to tackle such ideas and apply them in a practical manner, and while this is clearly just the beginning when it comes to tech like this, and it might not make it any further, it’s building more modern lore for Panerai, which is sorely needed. Panerai