I know what you’re thinking. Gold? For a dive watch? Why? First of all, you’re right, gold is a ludicrous choice for a dive watch – but Panerai knows this. And so do all of the other watchmakers that have made gold divers (a long list that includes Cartier, IWC, and and even Rolex). So while you have every right to question why this watch is needed, it's helpful to keep in mind that for a few decades now, mechanical watches no longer need a real reason to exist. And that brings us to the new PAM 684.
The PAM 684 is not a watch I recommend diving with, and I’m pretty sure you’d hear the same thing from the salespeople in any Panerai boutique you happened to walk into around the globe. There’s a long list of professional-grade divers with better depth ratings and more durable cases to choose from, and guess what? They’re all in Panerai’s Submersible range, right alongside the PAM 684.
Rather, this is a watch for the guy (or gal) who probably already owns a more rugged Submersible, loves the look of it, but wants something a little more appropriate than a 47mm wristwatch (ok, so probably not a gal) to wear on a night out. And the smaller, thinner, and more elegant Oro Rosso is exactly that. At 42mm across, it's much smaller than the Submersible's we're used to seeing and it's obvious on the wrist (and even just in the hand) that this makes the PAM 684 a substantially different watch.
The PAM 684 works, despite (and because of) all of its contradictions. Red gold is an odd choice, but I have to admit I love the contrast between the warmth of the case and the functional, almost militaristic elements of the watch, including the black strap, dial, and bezel. Large lume dots and broad hands with filled luminous tips make reading the watch easy and the matte black ceramic bezel is both really sleek and extremely durable. The PAM 684 is still water resistant to 100m, even if you wouldn't want to subject it to any serious diving.
The watch is powered by the recently developed P.9010, which is the new standard three-day automatic movement from Panerai, and which is slightly thinner than its predecessor. The layout of the Submersible has remained the same though, with a small seconds at nine o’clock and a date window at three o’clock. The movement has a total of 200 components, 31 of which are jewels. Importantly, the caliber also has a stop-seconds mechanism and allows the hour hand to be set in single-hour jumps without affecting the minutes hand (for quick timezone changes).
On the movement side, a sapphire case back lets you view the caliber at work. The large, brushed stainless steel rotor does cover a good portion of the view, but you can catch glimpses of one of the two power barrels peaking out at the top left and on the right, of course, is the escapement.
The PAM 684 as seen here in red gold is priced at $26,700. But, importantly, Panerai will also be offering a stainless steel version called the PAM 682, priced at $8,700, and that's the one you might actually want to take on your next diving trip.
For more information, visit Panerai online.