To distil the new watch down to its key feature, this is a mechanical watch with automatic winding that uses four barrels to power a microgenerator that powers electrical features on its display. Those features are the hour markers, hands and bezel indicator, which become luminescent when a current is passed through them. This is because they are made from Elux, a material developed in the 60s for use in instrument panels on ships, which was important at the time because the cold war meant people were looking for radiation-free forms of lume. Panerai produced Elux instruments for the Italian navy during this period.

Of course, the concept of using the mechanical motion of a rotor to power an electric device is not new. The humble bicycle dynamo headlight uses a similar concept. However, where the Panerai Submersible Elux LAB-ID PAM01800 stands apart is the fact that it is able to store power and release it steadily at a later time whereas a dynamo expends its power immediately. By releasing the locking mechanism and using the Elux pusher located at 8 o’clock, you activate the microgenerator, which begins to produce the 240 Hz electrical signal to activate the Elux display for up to 30-minutes. Panerai call this the power light function.

Panerai Submersible Elux LAB-ID