Panerai Review: The Luminor Submersible 47mm PAM01305

This is the Panerai Submersible Titanio, PAM1305. Introduced in 2017, it is the update of the PAM305, introduced in 2009. The 1305 brought a few neat updates to the 305, without compromising the overall execution or design intent of the original. 

At 47mm, it’s certainly a big presence on the wrist. However, with my wrist size coming in at 6”, you’d be surprised to find it’s as easily wearable as a 42mm Luminor Marina, not to mention its weight of only 140g. I’m also a big fan of the accordion style rubber straps that come on the modern Submersibles. Only available in 22mm and 26mm width, they have a design that allows pockets of air onto the wrist due to its hollow folds, to give the wrist some more breathing space and also the ability to stretch in the hotter parts of the day. 

The 1305 is made up of a brushed titanium 1950 case with a uni-rotational bezel. The case diameter is 47mm with a lug width of 26mm.

The dial features round indexes, with stick indexes at 12 and 6, a date, sub-seconds, skeleton hands and of course the text. Opting for these indexes and features gives the dial a clean, cool finish. The dial is extremely legible - It’s not too busy and the text is well-balanced on both the top and bottom, but I’ve never been a fan of dials stating the obvious, such as “automatic” or, more recently for Panerai “chronograph”. The brushed titanium bezel works well with the dial and case, keeping the watch’s aesthetic understated and industrial.

Super-LumiNova is applied to the markers, hands and graduated scale. Interestingly, the bezel glows with a bright blue color instead of the traditional fluorescent green present on the other markers on the dial. I like this design because it practically separates the bezel reading from the other aspect of the watch therefore to the professional diver, this adds more convenience.

Beneath the closed caseback, Powering the 1305  is the automatic mechanical, P.9010 calibre. Compared to the older P.9000 caliber the P.9010 is noticeably thinner and has more jewels, 31 in number compared to 28. The updated P.9010 also has full dual-link balance springs resulting in better protection to the movement from external shocks. It features a time zone function that enables you to move the hour hand forwards or backwards without stopping the movement and hacking seconds. 

Overall, I’m very impressed by the 1305’s design and aesthetic. It’s a comfortable and impressive watch on the wrist, and its modern, industrious look makes this diver watch a pleasure to wear.