A quick confession to kick things off: I live on a boat. I wear a watch every day. I rely on it more than most bits of onboard tech. But my watch – a sturdy, dependable Tissot – is simple. It tells the time, gives me the date, and has just enough extra features to feel clever without making me feel stupid.
So when Panerai announced two new Luminor Luna Rossa models last week – celebrating their continued sponsorship of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team ahead of the 38th America’s Cup – I was intrigued, but also a little out of my depth. These are not just watches. They are high-performance instruments, finished in brushed titanium or polished stainless steel, with enough dials and functions to make my autopilot a little bit jealous.
We covered the sponsorship renewal in last week’s edition, and this follow-up is all about the timepieces themselves. Whether you’re a Luna Rossa fan, a Panerai aficionado, or just curious how a watch can cost more than a new main, here’s the lowdown.
Luminor tre giorni Luna Rossa – three days of hand-wound style
Let’s begin with the simpler of the two: the Panerai Luminor Tre Giorni Luna Rossa, priced at (what turns out to be a modest) £5,700 – or around NZD $12,300. It’s a classic Panerai design: large (44mm case), bold (matte grey dial with white Super-LumiNova), and deeply tied to the Luna Rossa aesthetic via the red seconds hand and a black rubber/textile strap with the team’s stripe front and centre.
The name Tre Giorni – “three days” – refers to its power reserve. The calibre P.6000 movement is hand-wound and will keep ticking for 72 hours once fully wound. That’s a deliberate departure from Panerai’s usual automatic movements in this range and speaks to a kind of mechanical purity. No battery. No solar charging. Just old-school, precision watchmaking.
It also means, of course, that you need to remember to wind it every few days. For some, that’s part of the charm. For me, it sounds like something I’d forget until halfway through reefing the main.
One nice touch: because it doesn’t need to squeeze in a date window, this model brings back the 3 o’clock numeral – restoring the clean symmetry some fans have missed in recent iterations.
Luminor chrono flyback Luna Rossa titanio – high-end, high-function
Now to the showstopper: the Luminor Chrono Flyback Luna Rossa Titanio (Ref: PAM01654). Priced at £13,400 (around NZD $28,900), this is a limited-edition chronograph with only 150 produced and sold worldwide.
This model doesn’t just tell the time. It measures it, splits it, resets it, and tracks it with overlapping chronograph hands, a 12-hour counter, a flyback function, and a tachymeter scale (a tachymeter is for measuring the approximate speed of a vehicle over a known distance). The dial stays remarkably clean considering all that’s going on – thanks to clever bicompax layout and that same grey-on-grey Luna Rossa colour palette.
The case is made from brushed titanium, a metal with a high strength-to-weight ratio that’s right at home in the world of AC75s and carbon rigging. Despite its size, it wears surprisingly lightly on the wrist – or so I’m told. The movement inside is the calibre P.9100: an automatic, twin-barrel beast delivering a three-day reserve with a faster 4 Hz beat for extra precision.
And because it’s a flyback chronograph, you can reset and restart the stopwatch function with a single push – useful if you’re timing a racing start. Or reheating dinner.
Beautiful gear, but who’s it really for?
Honestly? Probably not me. I admire the craftsmanship, the design choices, and the commitment to blending sailing tech with Swiss watchmaking. But while I do live aboard full time, I don’t have a chef or a cleaner. I’m still doing the dishes myself and budgeting for the next antifoul. If I’m spending $28,000, it’s going into systems or sails – not wristwear.
That said, I can absolutely see the appeal if you’ve got the means. The Luna Rossa connection is authentic. The detailing is superb. The 100-metre water resistance means these aren’t just showpieces – they’re built to handle the marine environment. Even the straps, while not metal, are bi-material and purpose-designed for function as well as flair.
My only hesitation – and maybe this is just my inner tradie talking – is that I’d worry about wear and tear. That textile-rubber strap looks flash, but will it last 20 years like a stainless bracelet? Will it still look this sharp after a few summer regattas and some sunscreen?
They’re not for everyone, and that’s part of the charm
What Panerai has done here is lean all-in on identity. These aren’t generic luxury watches. They’re designed for people who follow Luna Rossa, who love the America’s Cup, who understand the crossover between carbon sails and chronograph seconds.
And they’re priced accordingly. For the rest of us – the boat owners still washing our own decks and watching the race from home – they’re aspirational. Beautiful. Slightly mad. But deeply worthy of respect.
If you do end up with one – especially the Chrono Flyback – I’d love to hear from you. How does it feel on the wrist? Is the flyback actually useful? Does anyone notice the Luna Rossa stripe at dinner?
Drop us a line. Maybe even let me wear it for five minutes while we talk. I promise not to tack too hard.
