Panerai revives a military-exclusive dive watch icon with the Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218
Jamie WeissWatchmakers love to pay homage to their history, but not all retro revivals are made equal. The Panerai Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218, however, is a reissue done right: a largely faithful recreation of a military-exclusive model released in the same year that Panerai first became available to civilians. Guess some things are just worth the wait…
But let’s quickly step back in time: to wildly simplify Panerai’s history, what is now a global luxury brand was founded in 1860 as a watch shop and watchmaking school in Florence, Italy. From the 1910s, Panerai started to supply the Italian Navy with precision instruments, and from 1935, dive watches. In 1949, Panerai patented the “Luminor” name, and 1956 saw the introduction of the GPF-2/56, later popularly known as the “Egiziano”, which debuted Panerai’s now-unmistakable crown-protecting device. This whole time – indeed, for most of Panerai’s existence up until the turn of the century – Panerai’s dive watches were exclusively reserved for military use, unavailable to the public.
That all changed in 1993, though. The year before, a landmark article on the company was published in a popular Japanese watch magazine, which inspired Panerai to offer watches to the civilian market. Panerai launched their civilian offerings with two watches: a Mare Nostrum chronograph and a Luminor, but it’s not that Luminor that this new reference, the PAM05218, has revived. It’s actually a revival of a third watch released in 1993, the 5218-202/A, which was indeed offered exclusively to Italian Navy personnel. This so-called “pre-Vendôme” Marina Militare has become something of a cult classic in the Panerai pantheon. It’s the kind of watch that hardcore Paneristi really love. But only around 140 were ever made – so it’s very cool to see Panerai give this coveted model a wider re-release.
The case
Now, I say that this PAM05218 is a faithful recreation, but it does have some key differences from the original. Aesthetically, it closely resembles it, but Panerai have brought some modern upgrades to the table. The original had a 44mm black PVD-treated stainless steel case: this reissue keeps the same “Bettarini-style” dimensions, but is DLC-treated instead – so you still get that blacked out look, but with a tougher surface treatment.
The water resistance rating remains the same as the original at 300 metres, with the movement protected by the iconic Panerai crown guard and a screw-down caseback that similarly resembles the one found on the original.
The dial
Similarly, the PAM05218’s dial is a dead ringer for the pre-Vendôme Marina Militare’s – it’s got the same font usage for the text, and unlike most Panerais, it doesn’t have a sandwich dial, but rather a monolayer hollowed dial, which is true to the original – but where the original used tritium lume, this modern recreation uses Super-LumiNova.
A particularly nice detail is the lume choice for the hands and numerals on this reissue. Some examples of the original 5218-202/A had a manufacturing defect where the varnish used on the numerals made them develop an orangey-brown colour, while the hands remained green. This was corrected in later batches, meaning only a few had this “non-matching” lume – but the non-matching watches have become highly collectible. Panerai has recreated that lume difference with this modern model.
I had the chance to try it on when I visited the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee in Switzerland with Andrew and Russell ahead of Watches and Wonders this year, and this is what really stood out to me when I put it on my wrist: firstly, that it didn’t have a sandwich dial, which is surprisingly striking, but secondly that they’ve gone as far to recreate this vintage manufacturing error, which has become so prized.
The strap
Another commitment to period-correctness is its strap, which has an oversized black steel DLC trapezoidal buckle, which is sewn into the extra-thick, golden brown calf leather. It feels very rustic and robust – if you intend on adding this watch to your collection, be prepared to have to break it in a little!
The movement
Another upgrade it brings to the table comes on the movement front. The original used an ETA/Unitas 6497, which was and remains one of the most popular hand-wound mechanical movements in the watch industry, but it only has a 46-hour power reserve. Instead, the PAM05218 uses the Panerai calibre P.6000, which is also manual-winding but has a much beefier 72-hour power reserve.
The verdict
The PAM05218 really does feel like an Italian military watch from a bygone era – it’s almost uncanny. In the hand, it’s appreciably different from other Luminors in Panerai’s current range. The modern upgrades are restrained but welcome: it’s not what I’d necessarily call the most functional dive watch of all time, being that it lacks a seconds hand or timing bezel, but as a design object, it’s killer.
Panerai Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218 pricing and availability
The Panerai Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218 is available now from Panerai boutiques, with production capped at 500 pieces annually. Price: US$9,200
| Brand | Panerai |
| Model | Luminor Marina Militare |
| Reference Number | PAM05218 |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) |
| Case Material | Black DLC stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 300 metres, Panerai crown protection device |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | Monolayer hollowed matte black |
| Lug Width | 24mm |
| Strap | Golden brown calf leather, black DLC steel oversized pin buckle |
| Movement | P.6000, manual-winding |
| Power Reserve | 72 hours (3 days) |
| Functions | Hours and minutes |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | US$9,200 |