This Do-It-All Tool Watch Just Got Tougher and Sleeker

Panerai bets on black with a stripped-down take on a classic style.

Panerai Luminor GMT Power Reserve Ceramica on black background angled slightly

Published December 6, 2024

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GMT watches, with their ability to track multiple time zones, can be very useful. Their functionality also means they can be extremely busy-looking.

But iconic Italian horology outfit Panerai is here to prove that they don’t have to be. To that end, the brand has released a sleek new take on the classic tool watch style, the Panerai Luminor GMT Power Reserve Ceramica.

Panerai Luminor GMT Power Reserve Ceramica on black background — Panerai eschews the traditional look of a GMT in favor of one that’s a little more minimalist.

Backed out and stripped down

All-black watches aren’t anything new for Panerai, but this shadowy Luminor still stands out. However, it’s not because of the blacked-out colorway so much as the material used.

Both the case and bracelet of the watch are crafted from hard-wearing ceramic, making this one of very few Panerais to feature a bracelet made entirely out of the nearly scratch-proof material. With the heavy use of ceramic here, this black beauty will remain looking pristine and unmarred, basically forever.

Backside of Panerai Luminor GMT Power Reserve Ceramica on black background — Save for the titanium caseback, this whole GMT watch is made from ceramic — even the bracelet.

Travel under the radar

Housed inside the 44mm ceramic case is the brand’s in-house P.9012 Calibre automatic movement that’s a powerhouse of functionality. It boasts Panerai’s trademark GMT functionality, which eschews 24-hour time in favor of an easier-to-read 12-hour fourth hand, and features a unique seconds-reset feature that makes syncing your time when traveling dead simple.

The movement also features a date and a full three days of power thanks to its twin-barrel setup, and both appear on the dial as complications via a color-matched date wheel at 3 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 5. There’s also a small seconds display at 9 o’clock, and all dial markings appear in stark white, contrasting brilliantly with the blacked-out case and dial.

Pricing and availability

Given this suped-up tool watch’s status as one of Panerai’s more feature-packed offerings due to the GMT movement and heavy use of ceramic, the Panerai Luminor GMT Power Reserve Ceramica clocks in at an eye-watering $19,100.

It’s also a Panerai boutique exclusive, meaning it won’t be the easiest watch to get your hands on. But if you’re looking for a beast of a travel watch that still flies under the radar and looks seriously badass, you could do a whole lot worse than this.