Panerai's history is usually told through Florence, and specifically through one address. The boutique in Piazza San Giovanni opened in 1926 as Orologeria Svizzera, and for decades it was where Panerai watches were sold, assembled and repaired. The shop was preserved and reopened to the public in 2001 after a renovation, and it remains tied to the brand's Florentine identity. To mark its centenary, Panerai has made two limited editions, the Luminor Firenze 8 Giorni PAM01734 and PAM01794, both drawn from a rare Ref. 6152/1 prototype from the 1960s.
From 47mm prototype to 44mm
The historical reference was a substantial 47mm watch. For these editions Panerai has brought the case down to 44mm, which is far easier to wear while keeping the cushion-shaped middle case, here polished, with a brushed crown-protecting bridge. Both watches use a slightly domed sapphire crystal that nods to the Perspex crystals of 1960s Luminor watches. From there the two diverge on material. The PAM01734 is made in Panerai's Platinumtech, a proprietary alloy that is 95 percent pure platinum treated to increase its hardness. The PAM01794 is polished steel.
Two dials, two casebacks
The steel PAM01794 is the more rugged of the pair, water-resistant to 300 metres, with a closed brushed steel caseback engraved with the Florence boutique. The Platinumtech PAM01734 instead has an open sapphire caseback and is rated to 100 metres. Both carry the sandwich dials Panerai is known for, with circular brushing and cut-out numerals and indices treated with green Super-LumiNova, and both read Panerai Firenze below the 12, a reference to the historic prototype. The PAM01734 pairs its precious-metal case with a green dial and gold-effect hands; the PAM01794 sets a black dial against blue-finished hands, which is the quieter and, to many eyes, the more attractive of the two.
The eight-day calibre
Both watches are powered by the P.5000, a hand-wound manufacture movement with two barrels and an eight-day, or 192-hour, power reserve. It is built from 113 components, runs at 21,600 vibrations per hour and shows only hours and minutes, which suits the clean sandwich dial. Both come on Tuscan calfskin straps embossed with the Florentine lily, the PAM01734 on black leather with an extra green rubber strap and the PAM01794 on dark-brown leather with a black rubber strap. The presentation boxes are mahogany, with a metal plaque showing the historic entrance of the Florence shop.
Price and availability
The Luminor Firenze 8 Giorni Platinumtech PAM01734 is limited to 100 pieces and priced at EUR 55,000. The steel PAM01794 is limited to 1,000 pieces at EUR 10,700. Both are available in Panerai boutiques from September 2026. The steel model is the more interesting of the two on paper, offering the same movement, the same case and the same dial idea for a fraction of the platinum price, with a caseback that actually tells the anniversary story it is built around.
Sources: Monochrome Watches and Panerai.
