Summer is here, let’s put on a diving watch and head down to the beach. Before doing so, as you probably know, you should make sure the gaskets are not more than 5-10 years old, and after swimming in the ocean you should rinse your watch under the tap. But let’s take a closer look at the incredible amount of work that goes into a diving watch before you jump into the water. “In theory there is no difference between theory and practice, but in practice there is,” said Hugo Trias Research and Development Director at Panerai. Mr. Trias and his team have seen it all when it comes to diving watches, and they also know how much more difficult it is to serially produce the level of precision needed. If you as Panerai also make sure that qualitative measures like water resistance and shock resistance are at least 20% beyond what is stated, it is even harder.
So, what makes for a great diving watch? After talking to Mr. Trias and his team, I feel that there are four things that could be talked about more: 3D-printed cases, tolerances, inner cages, and colors. They are also very proud about the fact that all constructions are rigorously tested in laboratory environments creating the equivalence of thousands of meters of water pressure, 10 years of usage, shocks, vibrations.
3D-printed titanium cases
Used on current models like the Submersible GMT PAM01495, Panerai uses Titanium DMLS, a special technique the brand patented in 2012: 3-D printing of titanium cases. In this process with a high-performing optic laser the cases are built layer by layer of grade 5 titanium powder, each with a thickness of 30 microns, or 0.03 millimeters. This technique gives three advantages compared with traditional CNC or molding: It is 25 percent lighter than normal titanium; it allows you to have sealed hollows inside a case, reducing weight further; and the ensuing monobloc construction reduces the water resistance enemy number one: interfaces, or meeting points between external parts. It is common sense: Wherever parts meet, water can find a way in – thus having as few of these meeting points as possible, is the way to go. Of course, every interface must also be waterproofed with laboratory-developed seals made of the right polymer.
Tolerances
Whether we are talking about the case, the movement or the gaskets, Panerai has 5 microns as its guiding star. That’s 0.005 in millimeters, and then you must also take the water pressure into consideration. The pressure at greater depths may alter some external metal parts like the caseback can move in a caving manner in the tenths of millimeters – which must obviously be considered at all stages. “That is part of the challenge – when we find new materials or new technologies, we have to make it in the Panerai way with these extreme tolerances,” said Mr. Trias.
Colors
As a material pioneer Panerai must not only consider the performance of the material, but also the aesthetic. With the Panerai Ti-Ceramitech™ used on the Submersible Elux Lab-ID PAM01800 and the Submersible Luna Rossa PAM01543, Panerai has invented a process where a plasma electrolyte process transforms the surface from taw titanium to a ceramicized. All thanks to a spa treatment in a little bath with a current of some 10’000 Volts. And ceramics is a tricky partner. You have probably ceramics’ inherent shrinking during firing, and in this electrolyte process the colors will alter significantly if you produce different-sized components in the same manner. “The case components are all different in size, which would give a different color. So, sometimes we have to make the bath bigger or smaller, sometimes the temperature must be higher, sometimes the voltage must be slightly altered in order for the components to have coherent coloring in the end. It is really learning by doing, it has been a long process in which we learnt a lot,” said Mr. Trias. The result of the treatment is an extremely strong surface, as the ceramic material applied through the bath grows both on the surface and also fuses into the top 2/10 of a micron of the material.
Inner cages
Submersible Marina Militare PAM01698 uses Carbotech™, the lightest alternative when it comes to Panerai divers. But when you go for carbon, you must also go for a cage. Despite the 200 layers pressed together with a polymer called PEEK, you must also make an inner cage for the movement to make sure it is completely sealed. “We would love to make a carbon only watch, but it is not possible if you want to have something reliable,” said Mr. Trias, who also praised the knowledge among Panerai clients.
“The best part of being a watchmaker is when you have worked on a movement and the case for 8 years, and you present it – and the client actually understands all the hard work that has gone into it. Here at Panerai we love to deep dive into technical parts, and our clients really appreciate that,” he said.
