When it comes to watch brands and sailing teams partnering, few relationships make as much sense as the one between Italian watchmaker Panerai and Italy’s America’s Cup contender Luna Rossa. 

Panerai’s maritime roots are well-known. Founded in Florence in 1860 as a supplier of high-precision instruments to the Royal Italian Navy, the brand has an authentic connection to the sea. The oldest and most prestigious international sailing competition, the America’s Cup represents the pinnacle of maritime innovation, extreme performance and cutting-edge technology.

The Luna Rossa team is born in Milan one February evening in 1997 from the meeting between entrepreneur Patrizio Bertelli and Argentine yacht designer Germán Frers, who both decide to participate in the 30th America’s Cup (Image: Panerai)

The synergies are all there — modern America’s Cup boats, like the AC75 foiling monohulls used by the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing team, are built with advanced materials like carbon fiber, titanium, and ceramized steel designed for aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. Panerai mirrors this with its robust construction, use of innovative materials such as Carbotech and Ti-Ceramitech, and high-performance movements. Both the boats and the watches are designed for demanding conditions with both pushing the boundaries in their own fields.

What makes the Panerai-Luna Rossa collaboration different from other sports partnerships?

In America’s Cup racing, fractions of a second can determine victory or defeat. Precision timing, countdowns, and reliable chronographs are essential for race strategy and execution. Panerai’s watches, particularly the chronograph and regatta timer models, are designed for exactly these scenarios. The partnership allows Panerai to demonstrate its watches in real-world conditions proving the durability and legibility of its timepieces in the most extreme and competitive maritime environment. The fact that the Luna Rossa team members wear and test these watches adds to their credibility.

The Luna Rossa shore team is divided into several units: composite and carbon manufacturing, hydraulics, electronics, riggers, sailmakers, mechanical workshop, deck equipment and painting. The team is responsible for the maintenance of the boat and builds custom-made small-to-medium-sized parts that connect the boat’s standard features with its more specific components. (Image: Panerai)

(Image: Panerai)

The Panerai-Luna Rossa partnership goes beyond simple logo placement. Panerai often incorporates materials, design cues, and insights from the Luna Rossa team and their boats into special edition watches. This close collaboration ensures the watches are not just themed but genuinely inspired by the demands of the sport and the team.

Panerai’s partnership with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing team began in 2019 for the 36th America’s Cup and is set to continue to the upcoming 38th America’s Cup in 2027. Over the past six years, Luna Rossa has featured heavily in Panerai’s watch Luminor and Submersible line-up using materials like Carbotech — a carbon fiber composite used in the AC75 yachts — and with design cues linked to Luna Rossa including accents in the team’s colors of red, white, black, grey.

Luna Rossa has also made into Panerai’s special range of Experience Edition watches, which come bundled with a unique opportunity for the owner to engage directly with the Luna Rossa team, such as attending training sessions or races. 

The new Panerai × Luna Rossa watches for 2025

The most recent Panerai x Luna Rossa watches launched last week: the Luminor Chrono Flyback Luna Rossa PAM01654 and the Luminor Luna Rossa PAM01653. 

Starting with the most technical of the duo, the Luminor Chrono Flyback Luna Rossa PAM01654 is a limited edition of just 150 pieces. It features a beefy 44mm case in brushed grade 5 titanium with a polished titanium bezel and water resistance to 100 meters. The matte grey sandwich dial uses white Super-LumiNova X1 and the central chronograph minutes and seconds hands and dial accents are in the vibrant red shade of the Luna Rossa livery. At 3 o’clock there is a chronograph hours counter, a small seconds counter at 9 and a tachymeter scale is printed on the inner flange.

Within the case is Panerai’s in-house automatic mechanical P.9100 calibre with dual barrels that provide 72 hours of power reserve and a flyback chronograph function — useful for timing segments of a regatta. 

The piece is equipped with two straps — a bi-material black rubber and grey textile strap with a distinctive red Luna Rossa stripe, and an additional black rubber strap. 

The second model is the Luminor Luna Rossa PAM01653 with a more minimalist and accessible take on the AC theme. Again, the case is water resistant to 100 meters and is a generous 44mm but here it is a weightier stainless-steel version. But, of course, for this technical timekeeper, it’s not just any steel, it is AISI 316LVM stainless steel, a specific version of the metal that has undergone vacuum arc remelting to increase its purity and enhance its corrosion resistance. 

Like the chrono model, it has a matte grey sandwich dial with white Super-LumiNova X1. The Luna Rossa logo is prominently displayed at 6 o’clock, and the small seconds hand at 9 o’clock is red, again aligning with the team’s colors.

The watch is powered by the manually wound P.6000 caliber with 72-hour power reserve and stop-seconds mechanism and like its sibling, it comes with a black rubber and grey textile strap with the red Luna Rossa stripe, and an additional black rubber strap. 

Tech Specs: Panerai Luminor Chrono Flyback Luna Rossa PAM01654

Movement: Automatic P.9100; Incabloc anti-shock device; two barrels; 302 components; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Central hours and minutes; small seconds; flyback chronograph
Case: 44mm; brushed titanium middle case, lever and crown; polished titanium bezel; screwed-down titanium exhibition caseback; water resistant to 100m
Dial: Grey sandwich with white Super-LumiNova X1; chronograph hour counter at 3 o’clock; small seconds at 9 o’clock; central chronograph seconds and minutes hands
Strap: Bi-material black rubber and grey textile with Luna Rossa red stripe; grade 2 titanium trapezoidal buckle; additional black rubber strap
Price: USD 16,400
Availability: Limited edition of 150 pieces 

Tech Specs: Panerai Luminor Luna Rossa PAM01653

Movement: Hand-wound P.6000 caliber; Incabloc anti-shock device; 110 components; 72-hour power reserve
Functions: Central hours and minutes; small seconds; stop-second
Case: 44mm; AISI 316LVM – 1.4441 stainless steel polished middle case and bezel and brushed lever and crown; AISI 316LVM – 1.4441 stainless steel caseback; water resistant to 100m
Dial: Grey sandwich with white Super-LumiNova X1; mall seconds at 9 o’clock
Strap: Bi-material black rubber and grey textile with Luna Rossa red stripe; STD, 24/22. AISI 316LVM– 1.4441 stainless steel trapezoidal buckle; additional black rubber strap
Price: USD 6,900