New Panerai watch looks brilliant in bronze

If you're a lover of dive watches, Panerai is a brand which will be well known to you. The Italian brand started life as a manufacturer of pieces for the nation's armed forces, but has since become a style icon for the masses.

That's a theme which looks set to continue with its latest model. The Panerai Luminor Marina Bronzo is a stunning example of the brand's stylish prowess, complete with a beautiful, bronze case.

That measures 44mm across, which is certainly on the larger side. Still, it's not gargantuan by the brand's own standards, and should wear nicely on larger wrists.

Brushing on the bronze helps to keep everything looking sleek, and that material encompasses a blue sunburst dial. It's a deep, dark blue in the centre, fading to black at the edges and is very reminiscent of the gradient divers would see in the ocean as you get deeper.

A small seconds register can be found at the nine o'clock position, with central minute and hour hands rounding things off. That keeps everything looking nice and tidy, and makes it very easy to read.

In modern Panerai fashion, the dial is formed in a sandwich construction. That puts a layer of Super-LumiNova beneath the coloured portion of the dial, for perfect lume performance.

The case also hides a P.980 calibre, which offers 3 days of power reserve from the 4Hz beat rate. The case also offers an impressive 500 meters of water resistance, making this one of the most capable dive watches around.

In a slight contrast to the last point, the model comes with a calf leather strap in a matching deep blue hue. That's not exactly built for serious water activity, though it does look really smart.

Priced at £14,400 (approx. €16,400 / US$19,150 / AU$29,000), this one fits squarely into the Panerai catalogue. I can see it being popular with fans of the brand, and it's certainly one which has caught my eye – no mean feat for a brand with a steady torrent of launches all throughout the year!