In a world where most sporting pursuits are gradually becoming safer, extreme mountaineering remains a bastion of real danger. Few men understand this better than mountaineer, adventurer, filmmaker, and Panerai brand ambassador Jimmy Chin. Over a career that has seen him ski from the summit of Mount Everest and win an Academy Award for co-directing the feature documentary “Free Solo,” Chin has built a sterling reputation among mountaineers, and for its latest release, Panerai celebrates the man and his career with a pair of limited edition chronographs. With the new limited Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition and Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition models, the Italian marque brings rugged modern colorways and handsome graphic nods to Jimmy Chin to its highly capable dive chronograph line.

With both models sharing the same 47mm titanium case, there’s no denying both the Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition and the Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition are hefty watches. In typical Panerai fashion, this massive presence is accentuated by the Luminor Submersible’s signature cushion case, tall coin edge dive bezel, and unique locking crown guard, while short narrow lugs should help to keep the profile nearly square on the wrist. Like other Luminor Submersible chronograph models, the massive semicircular crown guard necessitates the unorthodox placement of screw-down pushers at 8 o’clock and 10 o’clock. While the form may be familiar to fans of the brand, both the J. Chin Edition and the J. Chin Xperience Edition interpret this form in new ways. The standard J. Chin Edition opts for a fully brushed titanium look, accentuating the darker tone of titanium with a tough, purposeful monochrome matte look and raised polished accents on the bezel dive scale. In aiming for a stealthy black look, the J. Chin Xperience Edition becomes flashier than its stablemate in images, with the brushed black DLC finish shot through with brightly contrasting polished titanium elements on the bezel and additional titanium touches for the pushers, crown, and crown guard lock. Around back, both models feature a bespoke caseback engraving featuring a pair of crossed skis, an American flag, and a rugged mountain motif to symbolize Chin and his achievements. Both models also boast a robust 300 meters of water resistance.

For the dials of the Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition and the Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition, Panerai begins with the same heavily textured grainy matte dial surface in stone gray. This neutral matte tone is accented with cool ice blue for the chronograph elements, including the outer seconds scale, the central chronograph seconds and minutes hands, and the chronograph hours hand at 3 o’clock. This 3 o’clock subdial also preserves Panerai’s signature rounded, open Arabic numerals, while the rest of the dial design is given over to classic diver style indices. Like other members of the Submersible family, the main handset is a pair of polished skeleton Roman swords, adding an aggressive and easily legible touch in images. To set itself apart from the more standard model, the J. Chin Xperience Edition adds a strong degradé finish to the dial surface, with a striking gradient from gray at the center of the dial to black at the edge. In the interest of cleanliness and visual balance, both models omit a date window, keeping the look handsome and symmetrical in images.

Panerai uses its in-house P.9100 automatic flyback chronograph movement for the Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition and Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition. Beyond the complexity of its flyback chronograph complication, the P.9100 also carries a number of advanced components, including a Gluycdur balance and a pair of twin mainspring barrels. These two barrels provide excellent performance, with a 72-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate.

Both the Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition and the Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition are packaged with a pair of straps. The first of these is a durable dial-matching gray fabric strap lined with black rubber for added durability and comfort. The second is a fabric made primarily from recycled plastics, in gray with ice blue contrast stitching. Both straps use Panerai’s signature wide trapezoidal buckle in titanium. As an added bonus, buyers of the J. Chin Xperience Edition can also take part in a multi-day excursion in the mountains above Jackson Hole, Wyoming, with Jimmy Chin himself. Buyers will participate in climbing and wakeboarding adventures, as well as discovering Chin’s favorite leisure and dining destinations around Jackson Hole. Lastly, the trip will include a hands-on seminar with Chin to discover his secrets of nature photography.

With an icy, mountaineering-inspired look and highly capable performance, the limited Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition and Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition offer a bold new take on the brand’s flagship dive chronograph for well-heeled adventurers. The standard J. Chin Edition is limited to 100 examples, while the more exclusive J. Chin Xperience Edition is limited to only 14 pieces. Both models are available now, exclusively through Panerai’s authorized dealers in the United States. MSRP for the Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Edition is $19,400, while pricing for the Panerai Submersible Chrono Flyback – J. Chin Xperience Edition stands at $41,500. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.