Panerai Expands Submersible Line with Two Marina Militare Pieces Honoring Aviazione Navale

Panerai continues in its underwater adventures with two new Submersible models—the Submersible Marina Militare PAM01697 and the Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech™ PAM01698—both paying tribute to the brand’s enduring partnership with the Italian Navy and its aviation branch, the Aviazione Navale.

The ties between Panerai and the Marina Militare date back to the early 20th century, when the brand supplied Italy’s elite naval forces with precision underwater instruments. That legacy continues today with tool watches designed for durability, precision, and functionality under pressure. The two new references reflect Panerai’s continued commitment to military-grade engineering and design, now filtered through the lens of the Aviazione Navale’s advanced flight gear.

The PAM01697 features a 44mm brushed stainless steel case and unidirectional rotating bezel with a matte green ceramic insert that borders on gray in color. This version retails for $12,500.

The PAM01698 is cased in lightweight, corrosion-resistant Carbotech™, a proprietary carbon composite known for its strength-to-weight ratio. Its uneven matte finish, resulting from the material’s unique manufacturing process, ensures each watch has a slightly different appearance. This model sells for $19,500 due to the Carbotech.

Both Submersible watches boast  color-coordinated green grained matte dials with a black gradient fade, a visual nod to flight helmets and gear used by the Italian Navy’s aviation crews. Grey Super-LumiNova® enhances legibility in low-light conditions, and the applied hour markers have been expanded by 20% in diameter, with a 45% increase in luminous surface area. The small seconds subdial is styled to resemble a radar display and includes a subtle engraving of the Aviazione Navale insignia.

Additional design touches include a first-time engraving of the Aviazione Navale wings emblem on the case backs. Both cases are rated to 30 bar (~300 meters) of water resistance and undergo testing to exceed those specifications. Both models are powered by Panerai’s in-house automatic P.900 movement, which offers a three-day power reserve, date, stop-seconds function, and small seconds counter. Measuring just 4.2 mm thick, the movement maintains a slim profile while incorporating robust shock resistance via the Incabloc® device.

Each watch comes with a green canvas strap featuring tonal T/T stitching inspired by military uniforms, as well as an additional black rubber strap for more rugged wear.