“Mare Nostrum,” our sea, was the name used proudly by the Ancient Romans for the Mediterranean Sea, and later by Mussolini’s regime. This watch, presented at SIHH in January 2015, is based on a timepiece made for Mussolini’s Royal Italian Navy in 1943, a chronograph for deck officers in turn derived from an earlier 1924 model designed by Guido Panerai, the brand’s first chronograph.
Titanium case
This piece, PAM00603, is very similar in appearance to the 1943 version, with the same massive 52 mm case diameter, and the same tonneau shape. However a fundamental difference is the case material, steel in the original, and brushed titanium in the 2015 piece, making it much lighter. The solid caseback, bezel, pushers and crown are also in titanium.
Chronograph
The watch has a central chronograph seconds hand, and a minutes counter subdial at 3 o’clock. The other subdial at 9 o’clock is for continuous seconds.
Sandwich dial structure
One of the classic Panerai features is the sandwich dial, with luminescent material at the core, showing through the perforations forming the dial numerals and hour markers. In this piece, the luminescent indications are on the peripheral part of the dial. The inner part of the dial is on a lower level. The dial is in tobacco brown, differently to the dark green of the original 1943 watch.
In-house movement
The Mare Nostrum has a hand-wound movement, the OP XXV calibre based on the Minerva 13-22, running at 18,000 vph (2.5 Hertz), like the Angelus movement used in the 1943 watch. The chronograph is of the column-wheel type, and the balance has a swan-neck regulator. Bridges are in the nickel-silver alloy Maillechort, with Côtes de Genève finish. Power reserve is 55 hours.
Details, price and availability
The Panerai Mare Nostrum Titanio 52 mm PAM00603, is water-resistant to 30 metres (3 bar). It is available in a limited edition of 150 pieces. Price £29,700, available summer/autumn 2015.
