What: The Panerai Luminor Marina Militaire PAM05218 is based on a watch from 1993 — the Luminor ref. 5218-202/A — which was created for exclusive use by the Royal Italian Navy.
It has a 44mm steel DLC case and bezel. DLC being a carbon-based coating applied to metal surfaces that offers hardness, resistance to wear, and corrosion protection, while giving the case its distinct black appearance. The case features a closed, screw-down caseback design and is water-resistant up to 30 bar (approximately 300 meters).
The watch is powered by the P.6000 calibre — a hand-wound movement with a three-day power reserve and the font used for the numerals and letters has been specially redrawn to reflect the original typography of the 1993 reference.
It comes with a vintage-inspired brown calf leather strap with a black steel DLC trapezoidal buckle as well as a second black rubber strap for a sportier look.
Who: Panerai was founded in Florence in 1860 as a workshop, shop, and, subsequently, a school of watchmaking. For the better part of a century Panerai supplied the Italian Navy — and its specialist diving corps in particular — with precision instruments, including watches like the Luminor Marina Militaire PAM05218.
The designs developed by Panerai during that time were covered by the Military Secrets Act and were launched on the international market only after the brand was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997.
Why: The first time I saw a Panerai watch was on TV in the late ‘90s. I was watching a fashion news program on the Style channel — I can’t remember which one — and they were talking about this buzzy new Italian watch brand. Well, not new new, but new to the public. I remember being captivated by the boldness of the design — the black face and large, simplified numerals — and the squared shape of the case. My father always wore a gold Rolex with diamonds, which, to me, felt stodgy and fussy — though I have since come to appreciate that it just wasn’t my personal style. The Panerai watch, on the other hand, felt modern and masculine and rugged. And it still does.
What’s particularly cool about this watch, to me, is that it takes what was a flaw in the original 1993 design and turns it into a feature. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the hands are a lighter color than the numerals. This color difference was originally caused by a chemical reaction between tritium and varnish, which caused the early production pieces to develop orange-brown numerals while the hands remained greenish. Viewed as a flaw and soon corrected, this mishap actually made the watches that had it some of the most highly collectible in Panerai’s portfolio.
Where (to buy): Panerai boutiques worldwide
How (much): $9,200
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