Panerai has made it abundantly clear that this year they are celebrating the Luminor. Born in the 1960s, the Luminor name came from their switch from radium lume to the non-radioactive alternative. However, in contemporary times, the Luminor is more recognised due to its other signature element, and that is, the crown guard. This unique protective device over the crown was originally designed to prevent water from seeping into the case by adding a lever-style lock over it. Let’s be honest, though, modern Panerai watches no longer require this feature, as the engineering of the case and crown has long been able to keep water out. However, it is still a fantastic piece of Panerai history to have on the watch.

The Luminor watch we are looking at today is the Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech PAM01575 which, as you can probably guess from the name, takes the signature Luminor case and fills it with, in my opinion, one of the most complex complications in watchmaking – the perpetual calendar. And on top of that, it does so with a design finesse that is unlike anything else that is in Panerai’s stable at the moment. This watch moves away from the brand’s more utilitarian codes to offer a perpetual calendar watch that is more modern than historic.

The movement itself, the calibre P.4100, is not new but what is new is the transparent dial that Panerai has decided to use. This dial doesn’t quite reveal the movement from the front side as many other transparent dials seem to do, because the movement is still obscured by the day and date discs. However, this lends a more intriguing look to the watch. For example, if you look closely at the day disc, you will find that there are two sets of days. I wonder if this was an aesthetic choice or a solution to a mechanical conundrum regarding the day disc. Either way like I said, it adds a level of intrigue to the watch.

Also on the dial, looking at it closely, you will notice a few extra hands. One belongs to the GMT function and like other Panerai GMTs, this one also works on a 12-hour scale instead of the 24-hour GMT hands that we have all become accustomed to. I must say I quite like the 12 hour GMT feature as it leaves the design looking much cleaner and less cluttered. And it also helps that on the traditional small seconds subdial there is a smaller hand there to indicate whether the hour is in the AM or PM. If you’re asking, where are all the other things that a perpetual calendar usually has, like the year or the leap year indicator? Well, it is on the back.

To justify the time spent in making this mechanical beauty, Panerai has decided to clad the PAM01575 in Platinumtech material, a proprietary platinum alloy that is significantly harder and therefore more scratch-resistant than the traditional 950-Platinum that other brands use.