Panerai introduces first city exclusive watch to honour New York
The Luminor BiTempo New York Edition comes in all black — and is only available at the luxury watchmaker’s recently opened world flagship, Casa Panerai, on Madison Avenue
Luxury watch brand Panerai was founded in Florence, Italy in 1860, but is currently designed, developed, and manufactured in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Weaving another influential global destination into the mix, the brand opened Casa Panerai—their first-ever global flagship—on Madison Avenue in New York City this June. And all of these global influences come together to inform the just announced Luminor BiTempo New York Edition, a monochromatic ode to the Big Apple.
Panerai initially crafted the Luminor model in 1949 as a dive watch for the Royal Italian Navy (it would be released to the public in 1997). That influence carries over into the rounded, oversized, and easily legible design of the Luminor BiTempo New York Edition, which bears a highly Swiss accurate P.9010/GMT calibre automatic mechanical movement. As for New York City, it is represented in the timepiece three-fold: First, there’s the fact that only 212 of these watches will be released, a nod to the well-known area code. Second, on the caseback, there’s an illustrated scene of the Brooklyn Bridge. Finally, Panerai engraved “New York” onto the lever of the brand’s signature curvaceous crown protector. And then of course, there’s the black-on-black color scheme — matching the city’s default chic dress code.
Other attributes of the monochromatic timepiece are just as engaging. The Luminor BiTempo New York Edition’s 44mm anthracite titanium case is treated with DLC, lending it diamond-like hardness. Over a matte dial, the face displays two time zones. A small-seconds subdial sits at 9 o’clock, balancing out a date window situated at 3 o’clock. Rounding out the timepiece, a gray strap cites recycled PET as an environmentally friendly source material.
Anyone who’s been paying attention to recent Panerai developments will note that this watch already made an unannounced premiere on the wrist of actor Chris Pratt at the opening of Casa Panerai. In many ways, with other international Casa Panerais soon to open in Milan and Paris, this release teases to future models dedicated to other boutique locations, which are sure to become coveted by collectors.
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