Pre-SIHH 2019: Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition PAM00982

Most of us have been in pools as kids, and one recurrent challenge that people like to throw at each other is how long someone can hold their breath underwater. I don’t remember exactly what’s my record but I can say with the utmost confidence that I never managed anything more than a minute. I am but your average example of a land-dwelling bipedal mammal.

On the other end of the spectrum you have people like Guillaume Néry, who we can indubitably call the real life Aquaman. Néry is renowned for the freediving French and World records he has broken over the course of his career. He was twice a world champion and he broke four constant weight freediving world records. Constant weight freediving is the queen of all freediving disciplines, as it requires the diver to descend and ascend using only the fins attached to the diver’s feet. And, of course, in a single breath. I recommend watching a few of Néry’s videos on Youtube to get a better understanding of what it is that this superhuman being, actually does.

Now far from the deep freediving competitions, Guillaume spends his time as an ambassador of the sea, travelling the world to capture incredible underwater images and films. His last freediving record brought him to a depth of 126m in 2015, and to commemorate that achievement Panerai dedicated a dive watch to his name. Which brings us to the subject of the brand’s pre-SIHH 2019 announcement: the Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition.

What Panerai has produced is an extreme divers watch perfect for a freediver such as Néry. The Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition, or PAM00982, combines technical performance and a remarkably powerful, sporty outlook.

Of course, as a diving watch made for professional divers, the timepiece is water-resistant to a depth of 300m (30 bar) and equipped with a unidirectional blue ceramic bezel.

Matching the bezel are the hands and rubber strap, also, in the same hue, which contrasts finely against the shark grey textured dial. Large white lume plots and markers on the watch’s dial allow for clear time-reading in darker dive conditions.

Because weight is important, as well, the case is in titanium which should make wearing the watch a treat even at 47mm. The back is engraved with Guillaume Néry’s signature next to a rendering of his jaw-dropping record. As a bonus, you even get a flyback chronograph complication powered by Panerai’s P.9100 automatic caliber with a 3-Day power reserve.