The Panerai Submersible PAM01697 Marina Militare Green Dial

Salt on the wind. Green grained matt dial catching a low step of light. The crown guard clicks shut and you feel that quiet, get-on-with-it energy. Panerai Submersible Marina Militare PAM01697 takes the Italian Navy story and turns it into a 44 mm tool you can actually wear.

Overview and Specifications

Case: 44 mm AISI 316L steel, brushed, with Panerai’s lever-lock crown guard and a screw-in back.
Bezel: Unidirectional with a matte green ceramic insert for timing.
Dial: Grainy military green that fades darker at the edge, applied markers with gray Super-LumiNova Grade X2, small seconds at 9, date at 3.
Water rating: 300 meters, with the crown guard and screw-down hardware ensuring a tight seal under pressure.
Movement: Caliber P.900 automatic, 72-hour reserve, 4 Hz, 23 jewels, stop-seconds, Incabloc shock protection, 4.2 mm thin.
Wear notes: Approximately 13.45 mm thick in steel, with a lug-to-lug measurement of roughly 53.5 mm, and a curved back for a better fit.
Caseback detail: Aviazione Navale wings engraving, a direct nod to Italian Naval Aviation.
Straps: Dark-green textile canvas with a pin buckle, plus a spare black rubber strap; quick-release lugs for easy swaps.
Sibling model: PAM01698 utilizes Carbotech, a layered carbon-fiber composite that reduces weight and introduces a marbled appearance, paired with a DLC-coated titanium back.

Design

Brushed steel that shrugs off scrapes. A green ceramic bezel that clicks with purpose, stays put, and stays legible. The case keeps Panerai’s lever lock guarding the crown, which feels right in the hand and looks unapologetically functional on the wrist.

The dial is military green with a quiet fade to the edge. Big markers. Gray Grade X2 lume that pops at dusk and doesn’t shout at noon. Small seconds at 9 has that radar-like sweep, anchor motif included, which doubles as a running check for divers. Date sits at 3, easy to read, not hogging space.

Flip it over and you get the Aviazione Navale wings on the back, a direct nod to Italian Naval Aviation. The strap set keeps things honest, too. Tough dark-green textile with tone-on-tone stitching for daily miles, plus a black rubber strap for water time. Quick-release at the lugs, pin buckle you can trust, and you’re done.

Carbotech PAM01698

Carbotech looks like storm clouds caught in carbon. It’s the sibling PAM01698 to the steel PAM01697. Panerai builds it from stacked carbon-fiber sheets fused with PEEK at high heat, so each case has its own marbled pattern. It’s lighter than steel, resistant to knocks and corrosion, and it warms to skin fast, which makes it easy to wear all day.

The hardware keeps the Submersible brief intact. Same unidirectional bezel, same crown-guard architecture, same 300 m rating. Caseback is black-coated titanium, chosen for strength and comfort. The buckle matches the darker kit, and the green dial plays well with the deep charcoal case. Different material, same mission: purpose first, drama second.

Movement and Performance

Panerai fits the PAM01697 with the P.900 automatic. It’s a slim, modern caliber with a 72-hour reserve, so you can set it down on Friday and it’s still running on Monday. Frequency sits at 4 Hz for steady seconds. You get hacking seconds for precise setting and a quick, clean date change.

Real-world use is the point. The case is rated to 300 meters, the crown locks under the lever, and the bezel turns one way for safe timing. Shock protection keeps the balance safe from the odd knock. Service is straightforward through authorized centers, and accuracy is stable once the watch is worn regularly. No magic tricks, just a solid spec sheet that backs up the tool brief.

At a glance

• Automatic winding, 72-hour reserve
• 4 Hz beat rate, stop-seconds
• Date at 3, small seconds at 9
• 300 m water rating, screw-down hardware
• Unidirectional bezel, crown-guard lock

Heritage

Panerai built gear for Italian naval divers long before the Submersible line existed. Instruments, depth gauges, early Radiomir and Luminor cases, all made for crews who worked underwater in low light. That history is why “Marina Militare” on the dial carries weight, not as decoration, but as a link to real service use.

The PAM01697 taps that story without turning into a costume piece. The crown guard comes from the old Luminor thinking, the bezel and lume answer dive needs, and the caseback engraving of the Aviazione Navale wings ties it to naval aviation units. It reads as a modern kit with a clear line back to the units that used Panerai gear in the first place.

Wear and Fit

The case hugs the wrist, so the 44 mm footprint feels planted rather than floaty. Curved lugs help it sit low. Around 13.5 mm thick means it slips under a casual cuff, not a tight dress shirt. The crown guard has presence, though the slope keeps it from digging in.

On canvas, it breathes and breaks in fast. On rubber, it grips and shrugs off salt and pool days. Bezel knurling is easy to catch with damp fingers, which sounds small until you try timing in the rain. Steel brings reassuring heft for daily wear. Carbotech trims weight and shifts the center of gravity, handy on smaller wrists or long days.

City, shore, weekend bag. Swap straps in minutes, then forget about it until the light hits that green dial and you remember why you put it on.

Who It’s For

• Divers and swimmers who want clear timing, big markers, and a real 300 m rating.
• Collectors who enjoy Italian Navy history that is expressed as modern kit.
• First-time Panerai buyers who want the lever-guard icon with clean specs and no fuss.
• Daily users who prefer tactile controls, solid lume, and a case that can take a knock.
• Anyone who likes a watch that looks purposeful at work, then goes straight to the water without a second thought.

Wrapping Up

Green ceramic bezel. Brushed steel case. Lever-lock crown that clicks with intent. The PAM01697 threads Italian Navy heritage through a modern Submersible that feels ready for real use.

The P.900 gives three days of run time and clean setting. Lume reads at a glance, bezel grips in the rain, 300 m rating keeps nerves calm. On canvas it feels broken-in, on rubber it feels built for water. Like the look with less heft? The PAM01698 in Carbotech delivers the same brief in a lighter shell.

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FAQs

1. Is 44 mm too large for smaller wrists?
   Often it isn’t. The curved back and compact lugs help it sit low, which makes the footprint feel shorter than the number suggests.
2. Can I swim and dive with it?
   Yes. It’s rated to 300 meters with a screw-down system and one-way bezel. Rinse with fresh water after the sea and have the seals checked yearly if you’re in the pool or ocean a lot.
3. How accurate is the P.900?
   Expect stable, everyday accuracy once it’s on the wrist. It beats at 4 Hz and has hacking seconds, so setting to a reference is simple.
4. What sets PAM01697 apart from other Submersibles?
   The green ceramic bezel, the military-green dial with gray lume, and the Aviazione Navale caseback give it a specific character rooted in Italian Navy history.
5. What’s different about the Carbotech PAM01698?
   The case is a layered carbon-fiber composite that cuts weight and brings a darker, marbled look. The caseback is black-coated titanium, which keeps it comfortable.