While the watch uses the very latest, modern materials it is inspired by Panerai’s design from the late 1940’s to be worn on the wrist of Italian navy Commandos. The bezel rotates only anticlockwise and enables the time of immersion to be calculated: a very useful function for a professional underwater instrument which is tested for water-resistance up to 30 bar (about 300 metres).
The watch has an uneven, matt black appearance, which varies according the cutting of the material: the result is that each example is unique. The structure of Carbotech is designed to enhance both the aesthetics and the performance of the material, which is used to make the case, the rotating bezel and the lever bridge which protects the winding crown.
To form the plates of Carbotech, thin sheets of carbon fibres are compressed at a controlled temperature under high pressure together with a high-end polymer, PEEK (Polyether Ether Ketone), which binds the composite material, making it even stronger and more durable. With this structure, the mechanical properties are much higher than those of similar materials or of other materials used in the world of watchmaking, such as ceramics and titanium. Carbotech is lighter than these and much more resistant to external solicitations, as well as being hypoallergenic and not subject to corrosion.
The watch was unveiled at this years annual luxury watch exhibition, the SIHH, in Geneva and if you wanted to get your wrist on one of these will set you back a reported €15,900. Time to get saving.