Introducing: The Panerai Luminor Marina eSteel

Quick Take The major talking piece at Panerai this year is a concept watch that boasts 98.6% recycled-based materials by weight, setting a new standard for circular watch manufacturing. This year Panerai has also entered into a partnership with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO to develop ocean literacy activities for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030). Panerai aims to get recycled materials onto quite a few more wrists through the Luminor Marina eSteel, a trio of 44mm automatic PAMs that look very much like your standard Luminor. But for the rubberized color crowns and dials signed "eSteel," these are watches that even a dyed-in-the-wool Paneristo might be forgiven for thinking already existed in the Luminor collection. In all, 89 grams (or 58.4%) of the Luminor Marina eSteel's components are made of recycled-based materials. That's from a total watch weight of 152.4 grams. The case and the dial both feature eSteel, a new alloy that incorporates recycled materials. These are the first Panerai watches to feature eSteel. The Luminor Marina eSteel is available in three different versions. There's the grey version you see directly above, the green version directly below, and a blue version below that. Each has a rubberized crown and a recycled PET strap in the corresponding color. The watches have solid casebacks that are also marked eSteel. Initial Thoughts The Luminor Marina eSteel's three dial colors carry Italian names that evoke the ocean –Blu Profondo, Verde Smeraldo, Grigio Roccia. This makes sense for Panerai, of course. These are pretty conservative-looking watches, even with subtly colored dials. The eSteel logo on the dial is something I would personally forego if it were an option. But I can also see people coming to these watches and to Panerai at least partially on the basis of their efforts to tap into recycled materials and circular manufacturing methods. Mechanical watches are already made to last, and from that standpoint, they're a product category ideal for customers interested in sustainability. That a brand is actively looking to rethink its supply chain and incorporate previously used materials feels like the next logical step – one that could welcome in more consumers as well as the critical next generation of watch enthusiasts. It's a smart idea, and here we see it brought to bear in a familiar design that watch enthusiasts of pretty much any generation would recognize from across the room. The Basics Brand: Panerai Model: Luminor Marina eSteel Reference Number: PAM01157 (Blu Profondo gradient eSteel), PAM01356 (Verde Smeraldo gradient eSteel), PAM01358 (Grigio Roccia gradient eSteel) Diameter: 44mm Thickness: 15.45mm Case Material: Brushed eSteel Dial Color: PAM01157 (Blu Profondo gradient eSteel), PAM01356 (Verde Smeraldo gradient eSteel), PAM01358 (Grigio Roccia gradient eSteel) Indexes: Sandwich cutouts Lume: Super-LumiNova Water Resistance: 300 meters Strap/Bracelet: Recycled PET The Movement Caliber: P.9010 Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, date Diameter: 13 3/4 lignes Thickness: 6 mm Power Reserve: 72 hours Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 vph Jewels: 31 jewels Pricing & Availability Price: $8,700 Availability: October 2021 For more, visit Panerai.eSteel your face – and case.