Top 5 Watch Straps for the Panerai Luminor Marina
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Time to read 8 min
Introduction
Panerai's iconic Luminor Marina has been making waves since its release in 1993. It's military roots, robust design and affiliation with the likes of Sylvester Stallone and Dwayne Johnson have cemented it well and truly onto the horological collectors shopping list. With it's 44mm case diameter, 54mm lug-to-lug and 18mm thickness, this isn't a watch to take lightly, and I mean that literally, at 240g, it's a heavy-duty timepiece.
Here at Watch Obsession we are fixated on swapping out watch straps to create the best combination that we can (you could say were obsessed by it). Today we'll take a brief look at the history of the Panerai Luminor Marina, before diving into some of our favourite strap combinations.
Table of Contents
Introduction Video: Top 5 Watch Straps for the Panerai Luminor Marina Our Top watch straps for the Panerai Luminor Marina are: From Military Roots to Wrist of Movie Stars Our Top Choices 1. Watch Obsession Padded Crazy Horse Watch Strap in Tan 2. Erika's Originals Original MN Watch Strap with Sand Centerline 3. Bonetto Cinturini Model 317 Premium Rubber Watch Strap 4. RIOS1931 Derby Genuine Vintage Leather Watch Strap in Mahogany 5. Original Panerai Brushed Bracelet Conclusion Frequently Asked Questions
Video: Top 5 Watch Straps for the Panerai Luminor Marina
Our Top watch straps for the Panerai Luminor Marina are:
From Military Roots to Wrist of Movie Stars
A Brief History of the Timepiece
1993 was a turning point in Officine Panerai's history, in their attempts to tackle some serious economical and political events in 1992, Panerai decided to venture into the civil watch market. This led to the release of three brand new collections, all of which drew inspiration from their military history in creating timepieces for the Underwater Commandos Division of the Italian Navy.
Alongside the 44mm Luminor and the 42mm Mare Nostrum Chronograph, the 44mm Luminor Marina was born. It soon became a highly sought-after watch for both collectors and enthusiasts alike.
For several years, Panerai saw sales and popularity in the collection steadily grow, but it wasn't until 1996, when Sylvester Stallone teamed up with Panerai to create his own line; Luminor Slytech, that the Luminor Marina was sealed into the lineup for good.
Since then the Luminor Marina has become a mainstay in the Panerai Collection, with new releases, updates and variants growing yearly. It has become the chosen watch brand of action heroes including Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Eraser, Jason Statham and Dwayne Johnson.
The watch we will look at today is the Panerai Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic ref. PAM00328. A classic black dial version with stainless steel bracelet and small second complication at 9 o'clock.
Specification |
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Brand |
Panerai |
Model |
Luminor Marina |
Reference |
PAM00328 |
Dial |
Black |
Case Dimensions |
44mm x 54mm x 18mm |
Lug Width |
24mm tapers down to 20mm |
Bezel |
Fixed Polished Stainless Steel |
Movement |
Automatic Calibre p.9000 |
Bracelet |
Brushed Stainless Steel |
Additional Details |
300m Water Resistance
Sapphire Crystal Glass
72hr Power Reserve
Folding Butterfly Clasp |
"Panerai is a Swiss Manufacturing watch Brand, featuring Italian Design as well as mechanical content and highly performing innovations closely associated to the World of the Sea."
Our Top Choices
1. Watch Obsession Padded Crazy Horse Watch Strap in Tan
The Luminor Marina PAM00328 comes on a beautiful asymmetric bracelet, stepping away from the classic look of their usual leather watch straps. We like classic, but classic with a modern twist. Which is why the first strap in our top 5 is our very own Padded Crazy Horse Leather Watch Strap, available in three colours, but for the Panerai I chose the tan.
The tan gives the watch a wonderfully exotic look, pairing well with it's rugged styling. With it's styling and strap holes being similar to the OEM Panerai watch straps, the Crazy Horse in tan blends in while creating a unique look.
I paired it with a brushed ARD Buckle, but the Panerai would also look at home on the Pre-V Buckle, designed to mimic the original buckles used by Panerai before Vendome acquired Officine Panerai in 1997, hence Pre-V (Pre-Vendome)
Our Crazy Horse straps were designed with large watches in mind, and the Panerai is exactly that. Made from full-grain cowhide, a robust leather named after a Lakota War Leader known for using the leather on his horse saddles. See the other colours in the collection.
2. Erika's Originals Original MN Watch Strap with Sand Centerline
The Erika's Originals MN Straps compliment the military heritage of Panerai with their own Military association, being made from a material based on the French Marine Nationale parachute braiding from the 1960s and 70s. The Original MN green colour, paired with the sand centreline further solidifies the military look.
The weight of the case of the Panerai is nothing for the Erika's Originals MN strap to hold in place, it's ability to micro-adjust its sizing gives the Panerai a perfect fit, allowing it the comfort you wouldn't believe from such a robust watch.
If you've never had the joy of wearing an Erika's Original's watch strap, then you truly are missing out. Erika has developed the straps with materials made in house by her team. Every MN strap they make shows their dedication to their craft.
On Watch Obsession, you will find almost all of the straps Erika offers. When you order from Watch Obsession, you are ordering a strap that is already made up so delivery is quick and you get the strap on your watch quicker. Take a look at the full collection here - Erika's Originals MN Straps
3. Bonetto Cinturini Model 317 Premium Rubber Watch Strap
We've chosen the Bonetto Cinturini Model 317 as a strap for those wanting to create a more subtle dive look to their Luminor Manina. If you don't know Bonetto Cinturini, they are an Italian manufacturer, like Panerai, with over 35 years of experience in crafting premium rubber watch straps. The 317 is the bolder, thicker and more robustly styled of the Bonetto Cinturini straps we have available, matching the Panerai styling perfectly.
The black dial is complimented by the black strap for a completely OEM look, you'd be hard pressed to believe this strap wasn't made for the Luminor Marina by Panerai themselves.
Bonetto Cinturini are known for their specially formulated rubber that is waterproof, hard-wearing and ideally suited for use during exercise, aquatic sports or in adverse conditions; exactly the kind of strap you want to be fitted to a Panerai Luminor Marina.
4. RIOS1931 Derby Genuine Vintage Leather Watch Strap in Mahogany
Next we have special strap made from genuine vintage leather. The RIOS1931 Derby has a rugged worn appearance giving the strap an aged feel, it looks like the strap fitted to your father's watch that has stood the test of time. Its rugged textured leather, complementary stitching and rounded padding complete the look, lending substantial volume to the strap that looks great on the wrist against the Panerai.
Given the Panerai's vintage heritage, the Derby further accentuates this styling, if you want to create the look of a pre-vendome Panerai, then the Derby is the strap for you.
RIOS1931 have been crafting watch straps since 1931 when Oswald Riemer founded the company. Their high quality is ensured in their German manufacturing by their use of only the highest grades of leather. The Derby is no exception to this, with every strap gaining an individual patina with wear, unique for every wearer.
5. Original Panerai Brushed Bracelet
Lastly, and this is something rare for us, we've chosen the original bracelet from Panerai. With it's Asymmetric Double Curved links we couldn't help but keep putting it back on the watch.The Panerai bracelet is as robust, rugged and comfortable as the watch it's designed to compliment.
Adorning a watch with a bracelet is a mainstay for many watch brands. Most brands opting for the bracelet to be the first option, but for Panerai this is a departure from the norm. Out of the 158 watches from their current lineup (at time of writing) only 19 are fitted to a bracelet, and only three of those are from the current Luminor Marina collection.
This bracelet is one of the best I've had the chance to wear; comfortable, perfectly styles and complimentary to the overall design of the watch itself.
More Reasons to love the Panerai Luminor Marina
Panerai have once again made a watch that suits a great range of watch straps, but there are plenty more reasons to add this watch to your collection.
- Panerai's patented Crown Protection, designed not only to ensure the case's water resistance, but it also protects the crown from shock, mishandling and breakage, all while looking fantastic while doing it.
- The signature dial Panerai is known for is unmistakable. Designed to give maximum legibility with it's minimalist design, Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock positions and small seconds indicator.
- Invented by Panerai and perfected in the years since. The Sandwich dial construction further enhances the legibility, even in very low light. Made from two superimposed plates, a drilled upper plate and solid lower, the dial glows from within with it's self-luminating material.
Conclusion
The Panerai Luminor Marina is a fantastic watch with a range of looks and styles to create by changing out the strap. Whether you want to create a more vintage looking timepiece, elevate the watch with a crazy horse leather strap, or double down on the military heritage of Panerai with an Erika's Originals MN strap, the choice is vast.
With the Panerai Quick Release strap system seen on the PAM00328 changing straps over is even easier, check out the video above to see just how easy it is to change the straps.
Overall, the Luminor Marina does what Panerai does best, it's a rugged, large and robust watch, from the kings of robust watches.
The Author: Will Parker
Will Parker is the Head of Media at WatchObsession and has been with the company since 2020. As our dedicated photographer, videographer and content creator, he has changed more buckles, straps and clasps than we can count and his own personal watch collection grows every year, although his strap collection is growing faster.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What size strap does my Panerai need?
The watch strap size, or lug width, of a Panerai depends on the case size, this 44mm Panerai takes a 24mm watch strap, however some Panerai's take anything from an 18mm up to a 26mm strap. To find out exactly what size strap you need for your Panerai, consult our blog post to find out how to measure your watch:
Finding the Perfect Watch Strap
How tight should a watch strap be?
Although a very personal choice, a good rule of thumb is that a a finger should be able to fit behind the clasp, but not be able to slide around the wrist. For more information read our Blog post:
Will any strap fit my watch?
Whether a watch strap is universal is dependent on how the strap attaches to the watch. If the watch has a conventional lug arrangement which will hold a straight ended watch strap, you can attach almost all watch straps to that watch. However, some watches are designed so that you cannot fit a universal replacement watch strap to it.
For more information read our Blog post:
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PANERAI Luminor Marina 1950 44mm - Black Dial
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