Watch Paparazzi

Influencer Chul Soon spotted wearing Panerai

Chul Soon, the South Korean-American bodybuilder and MuscleMania Pro champion turned social media fitness icon, was recently spotted on the wrist with a Panerai Luminor 1950 Submersible PAM00382 — a watch that carries considerably more technical depth than its bold aesthetic might initially suggest.

The PAM00382 is a 47mm cushion-case diver crafted in titanium, featuring the iconic Luminor crown-protecting bridge and a unidirectional rotating bezel calibrated for dive timing. Water resistance is rated to 300 metres. The sandwich dial — a hallmark of serious Panerai collector pieces — delivers strong legibility via layered SuperLuminova indices, framed by a black dial with an applied logo. The case back is solid, keeping the movement discreet from the outside.

The real story, however, is the movement. The PAM00382 runs the P.9000, Panerai's first fully in-house automatic calibre, introduced in 2010. That launch was a watershed moment: Panerai had long relied on modified ETA and Unitas ebauches, and the P.9000 represented a genuine commitment to manufacture credibility. The movement beats at 28,800 vph, offers a 72-hour power reserve across twin barrels, and includes a quick-set date mechanism. It was, and remains, a technically serious proposition for the money.

Among collectors, the PAM00382 occupies a solid mid-tier position in the Panerai hierarchy. Titanium Submersibles with in-house movements are considered the sweet spot — offering genuine dive functionality, manufacture movements, and the 1950 case's cleaner proportions, all without the premium commanded by precious metal or limited-edition references. The reference has held its value reasonably well on the secondary market.

For Chul Soon, whose public image is inseparable from physical scale and precision training, the PAM00382 is a coherent choice. Panerai's oversized cases were originally built for Italian Navy divers — the brand's authentic military heritage gives it a legitimacy that resonates with performance-oriented personalities. At a list price of approximately £8,800, it sits at a credible entry point into in-house Panerai territory.