Panerai’s Submersible collection, which spun off from the larger Luminor family in 2019, has been defined largely by its association with rugged adventure and its forays into sustainable materials. Continuing both themes, Panerai has announced the release of its Submersible Chrono Flyback Jimmy Chin Edition. In addition, the Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback Jimmy Chin Xperience Edition was introduced at the same time. With these latest releases, Panerai celebrates the man whose career range includes mountaineer, adventurer, filmmaker, and Panerai brand ambassador.
The standard Jimmy Chin Edition opts for a fully brushed titanium look, accentuating the darker tone of titanium with a tough, purposeful monochrome matte look and raised polished accents on the bezel dive scale. In aiming for a stealthy black look, the Jimmy Chin Xperience Edition becomes flashier than its stablemate in images, with the brushed black DLC finish shot through with brightly contrasting polished titanium elements on the bezel and additional titanium touches for the pushers, crown, and crown guard lock.
Both editions feature a grey dial with luminous dots and hour markers and light blue details, like the chronograph seconds hand, creating a palette that is inspired, says Panerai, by “icy mountain landscapes” of the type scaled by Chin, the Academy Award-winning co-director of the documentary film Free Solo.” This neutral matte tone of the dial is accented with cool ice blue for the chronograph elements, including the outer seconds scale, the central chronograph seconds and minutes hands, and the chronograph hours hand at 3 o’clock. This 3 o’clock subdial also preserves Panerai’s signature rounded, open Arabic numerals, while the rest of the dial design is given over to classic diver style indices. Like other members of the Submersible family, the main handset is a pair of polished skeleton Roman swords.
Both watches’ screwed titanium casebacks are engraved with a mountain range, intersecting skis, an American flag, and a “Jimmy Chin Edition” inscription — all handsome graphic nods to Jimmy Chin. Panerai’s in-house Caliber P.9100 self-winding movement powers both watches’ timekeeping as well as their flyback-equipped chronograph functions that enable resetting and restarting with a single press of the pusher at 8 o’clock. They include a vertical clutch and column wheel and store a 72-hour power reserve in two series-connected spring barrels.
As an added bonus, buyers of the Jimmy Chin Xperience Edition can also take part in a multi-day excursion in the mountains above Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with Jimmy Chin himself. Buyers will participate in climbing and wakeboarding adventures, as well as discovering Chin’s favorite leisure and dining destinations around Jackson Hole. Lastly, the trip will include a hands-on seminar with Chin to discover his secrets of nature photography.
The Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback Jimmy Chin Edition and Xperience Edition are packaged with a pair of straps. The first of these is a durable dial-matching gray fabric strap lined with black rubber for added durability and comfort. The second is a fabric made primarily from recycled plastics, in gray with ice blue contrast stitching. Both straps use Panerai’s signature wide trapezoidal buckle in titanium.
For another new Panerai Submersible, check out the Blu Notte.
