Panerai's New Brabus Collab Is a Titanium Watch Built by Lasers

Panerai has announced the latest watch in its ongoing partnership with Brabus, the ‘luxury mobility brand’ known for its built-to-order blacked-out supercars seemingly targeted at wealthy men with a love of spy films.

The latest release from Brabus is a pick-up truck based on a Mercedes-AMG SUV that comes with a twin turbo-charged V8 engine, six wheels, and a six-figure price tag.

Not every watch will accessorize well with that.

But the new Panerai Submersible S Brabus Titanio might be one. Its 47mm case is made from recycled titanium powder, created entirely from unused scraps of titanium alloy. Its been created using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), an industrial 3D printing process that uses high-powered lasers to melt and fuse the metal together, layer by layer.

The result is a large watch that’s also lightweight—115 grams, something Panerai says is around 30 percent lighter than a standard titanium watch case.

The skeletonized movement shows off a micro-rotor that automatically winds the watch, giving it a power reserve of up to three days. Other features include a GMT function, an AM/PM indicator, and an exhibition case back.

The pops of red on the hands were inspired by the Brabus 'design DNA'.

Photo by Panerai.

Panerai has patented the DMLS titanium process, meaning it now joins other patented features including the crown-protection device and safety-lock system, the rotating bezel system, the stop-second movement, and the polarized date.

All of which proprietary material is just the job for anyone heading out on their next secret mission.

The watch is produced in a limited run of 177—a tribute to 1977, the year Brabus was founded.

From: Esquire UK