This Is the First Mechanical Watch That Lets You Switch On the Lume With a Push

Panerai has always had a knack for lighting up the deep. Back in the days of the First World War, they were already inventing ways to help divers see in the murky waters. By 1916, they had come up with Radiomir, a radium-based powder, designed to keep the Italian Royal Navy’s maritime instruments visible even in the darkest depths.

Fast forward to 1935, and Radiomir had made its way onto early dive watch prototypes, lighting the way for underwater missions. But Panerai wasn’t done innovating. By 1949, they introduced Luminor, a new tritium-based substance that glowed just as brightly but with much less risk. 

Seventeen years later, Panerai was back at it, breaking new ground with a material called Elux, a game-changer for lighting up command centers, internal signaling boards and even the landing paths for helicopters on military ships. Over time, other top watchmakers like Grand Seiko with their Lumibrite and Rolex with Chromalight joined the luminescence race, each creating their own signature glow. But Panerai isn’t one to rest on its laurels. They’re still pushing the boundaries with the Submersible Elux LAB-ID.

At first glance, this 49 mm by 21.9 mm watch might look like just another Panerai piece. But its case is made from something called Ti-Ceramitech. This isn’t your typical watch material—it’s a blend where titanium is treated with Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation to create a one-of-a-kind matte-blue finish. 

With a simple press of the clicker tucked beneath the Elux-branded protector at the eight o’clock position, the watch lights up. The hands, indexes, subdial, power reserve and even the triangular pip on the bezel all glow instantly. This innovation took eight years of work at Panerai’s Laboratorio di Idee, their R&D workshop and led to four new patents.

It houses P.9010/EL calibre, an automatic movement with 363 components and 6 barrels, which can be wound either automatically or manually, giving you flexibility in how you power the watch. To speed up the winding process, the oscillating weight has been increased by 235% compared to the traditional P.9010 calibre and fitted with a new ball bearing for added shock resistance. 

Inside, four tiny barrels harness the kinetic energy from the watch’s movement. With a press of a button, this energy is released into a microgenerator, turning it into electricity that powers the LEDs for up to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, other two barrels keep the watch ticking with a three-day power reserve. And if the LEDs ever go dark, the indices, hour markers, minute hand and bezel dot all have Super-LumiNova, ensuring they’ll glow brightly in any situation.

The Ref. PAM01800 has a water resistance of up to 1,640 feet and is designed for serious underwater adventures. With just 150 pieces available at INR 80.75 lakh ($96,300) each and only 50 released each year through 2026, snagging one of these watches is no easy feat—it’s more like taking a shot in the dark.