In 1977, a German teenager named Bodo Buschmann turned up to his father’s Mercedes dealership in a brand-new Porsche. The elder Buschmann was unimpressed by his car-mad son’s frivolity and insisted he stick to more sensible Mercs in the future.
Bodo obeyed the letter but not the spirit of his father’s wishes – ordering up a solid and reliable W116 S-Class but then modifying it to make it as fast and sporty as the offending Porsche. That drew the attention of his dad’s customers, and pretty soon a new business was born – ‘tuning’ Mercedes-Benz’s and kitting them out with high-end component audio, TV screens and early mobile phones, as well as V8 engines.
Today that company, Brabus, is known as a world leader in cosmetic car modifications that include, but are by no means limited to, low profile spoilers, open racing exhaust systems, engine remodelling and multi-piece alloy wheels.
Brabus has branched out into other areas, too. Luxury dayboats, motorbikes and an apparel line of $150 hoodies. In 2021 it announced it a partnership with Panerai, the Italo-Swiss luxury watch brand best known for its strapping diving watches.
The resulting model, the Submersible S Brabus Black Ops Edition, riffed on the German engineering firm’s hallmark colour palate of gunmetal grey, black and red. It came in a hefty 47mm case made of Carbotech, the robust composite material Panerai has used in watch cases since 2015. The watch was the result of three years R&D.
Further versions followed, the Panerai Submersible S Brabus Blue Shadow Edition (with blue details) and the Panerai Submersible S Brabus Experience Edition (with red details).
Now there is a fourth edition, the Panerai Submersible S Brabus Verde Militare Edition.
As its name suggests, the new watch has a military-inspired design, with green camo accents on the hands, crown, markers and small seconds sub dial.
The watch retains its 47mm Carbotech case and features the same skeletonised movement, GMT hand, AM/PM indicator and power reserve visible on the reverse of the case.
“When we speak about partnership, it’s not just about a logo; it extends to the highest levels and smallest details,” Panerai’s CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué has said of the collaboration. “We offer each other complementary skill sets and synergies. The ideas, materials and technologies of our brands will be a vehicle for developing concepts that are both disruptive and spectacular.”
A sentiment the young Bodo Buschmann would no doubt have approved of.
£POA; panerai.com
