Panerai Engineers An Electrifying Breakthrough With The New Submersible Elux LAB-ID Which Lights Up On Demand

Bringing electric lights to your wrist, the new Panerai Submersible Elux LAB-ID can literally brighten your day. A journey that draws from the historic patented Elux Panerai invention and a perfect expression of the purpose of the Laboratorio di Idee has culminated in the Panerai Submersible Elux LAB-ID PAM01800. Reflecting eight years of dedicated Research & Development at Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, the new timepiece represents a watchmaking achievement that can power light on demand in a mechanical watch.

Fitted with four patent system, 50 bar (~500 meters) water resistance and a 30-minute power light feature, all encapsulated in a 49mm case diameter the Submersible may look like any other Panerai timepiece but it is surely not. The on-demand lighting powered by fully mechanical energy storage is a breakthrough innovation that sets it apart from the rest. With a simple gesture of opening the patented pusher-protector system and activating the mechanism through the pusher, the watch illuminates through a mechanism conceived by the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee. This feat is achieved through an innovative arrangement of four dedicated energy-storing barrels – out of six available in the movement – precisely engineered to unwind in a microgenerator that converts mechanical energy into electricity.

The compact 8 x 2.3 mm microgenerator features custom-made coils, magnets and a stator and, to optimize energy efficiency, it incorporates no active electronics, a high-speed rotor operating at 80 revolutions per second, and generates a high-frequency electrical signal of 240 Hz. Another remarkable achievement is the mechanism’s ability to provide a duration of continuous light for up to 30 minutes, a significant milestone given the limited energy available compared to traditional batteries. The innovations continue with the Power Light function that relies on four dedicated barrels, with two remaining barrels to ensure the precision of the P.9010/EL over the three days power reserve even if the power light energy is depleted.

To match the intricate inner workings, PAM01800 is set in a Ti-CeramitechTM case, crafted from ceramized titanium, a pending patent material by Panerai. The dial features a linear Power Light reserve indicator, also a distinctive Panerai feature, with a small seconds indicator at the 9 o’clock position, while the patent pending bezel light system illuminates the timepiece’s counterclockwise rotating bezel. Completing the watch’s aesthetics are the indices and the hour hand accented with green SuperLuminova® X2 - a deliberate choice that evokes its luminescent vibrancy. It is now in a new grade that ensures a luminosity 10% higher than SuperLuminova® X1 after 180 minutes in the dark. The accented minute hands and dots on the bezel are illuminated by SuperLuminova® X1. The watch comes with a blue rubber strap and a second bi-material strap. The Elux LAB-ID PAM01800 is a limited-edition of 150 pieces, with an availability of 50 pieces per year over three years.