Panerai’s New Watch Leans to the Left
There exists a small but notable category of timepieces out there known as destro watches.
Designed for people who wear their watches on their right wrists, as opposed to their left, typically the estimated nine per cent of the population who are left-handed, destro watches flip their crown to the opposite side of the case, making them easier to operate for lefties. (Destro = Italian for “right”.)
Any sub dials – eg: showing the small seconds – will usually make the switch to the opposite side of the dial, too.
This design anomaly isn’t just the watch companies being considerate. Due to their niche appeal, destro models often become collectors’ items, too.
In 2022, Rolex launched its first left-hand watch design, the GMT-Master II ref.126720VTNR, a model that had the collecting community reaching for the smelling salts and was immediately heralded as “one of the most significant new design moves” by the company in years. Hmmm.
Tudor debuted its Pelagos LHD (Left Hand Drive) in 2016, a leftie version of its popular dive watch – divers having arguably more reason to have equipment that’s as straightforward to use as possible than anyone else.
Panerai’s roots in diving go deep – anyone even on passing terms with the brand will have been made aware of an underwater heritage dating back to the 1930s, when it made equipment for Regia Marina, or the Royal Italian Navy.
Perhaps because of this Panerai has become one of the most prolific suppliers of destro watches in the business, with around 20 different left-hander models appearing in its catalogue over the years.
These have included the Luminor Marina Left-Handed, the Luminor Power Reserve Destro, the Luminor Submersible Chrono Destro, the Radiomir 8 Days Destro, and so on and so on.
Now it has announced a new watch – the Luminor Destro Otto Giorni.
The original (right-handed) version of this watch came out in 2004, with the Otto/8 designation referring to the eight-day power reserve the watch provided, an impressively long time to go without winding, made possible by three-barrel calibre developed especially by the brand.
Now that watch is back, with a destro makeover – the crown and the small seconds sub dial have swapped sides. There’s also a reduction in size. The original’s 47mm case is now a more manageable 44mm.
“This design,” says Panerai, “is not a mere aesthetic choice but a functional one”, intended to accommodate “left-handers and those who, by choice or necessity, wear their watch on the right wrist”.
The Luminor Destro Otto Giorni has a water resistance of 30 meters and is presented on a brown calf leather strap. It is available exclusively from Panerai boutiques, and costs £7,000.
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