Officine replica Panerai created its first chronograph model, the Mare Nostrum, in 1943 for the deck officers of the Italian Navy. ‘Mare Nostrum’ was inspired by the ancient Romans calling the Mediterranean Sea ‘Mare Nostrum’ (meaning “our sea”), and it was a name that went well with Panerai, which has a deep connection with the sea.
The original Mare Nostrum, which had an oversized steel case measuring a whopping 52 mm and was equipped with an Angelus pocket manual movement, was never produced for commercial use at the time. Its existence could only be faintly confirmed through some archival materials that were not lost in the 1966 Florence flood, and even a single prototype model was discovered through Christie’s Geneva auction in November 2005 and is now in the Panerai Museum. I have it in my possession.
Afterwards, Panerai was founded in 1993 during the pre-Vendome era (formerly before joining the current Richemont Group in 1997), under the leadership of Dino Zei, then product development director and CEO, and the legendary Mare Noss. Trum’s first re-edition model (Ref. 5218-301/A) was introduced. Unlike the original model, it has a more wearable steel case with a diameter of 42 mm, a tachymeter scale that can measure the average speed of a specific section is engraved on the bezel, and a dark blue color dial is used to reveal subtle individuality, and the movement is an ETA 2801 manual base. It is equipped with a caliber equipped with a chronograph module from Dubois-Depraz. Following the unexpected success of the first Mare Nostrum commercial model, Panerai followed it up with several limited edition Mare Nostrum models (with the same reference but with different dial colors).
In 2015, it attracted attention by announcing the Mare Nostrum Titanio (52mm, PAM00603), a special edition limited to 150 pieces made with a 52mm diameter titanium case. This model reinterprets the feel of the original prototype from 1943 in a modern way by applying new materials and dial color (brown), and modifies the base of the manual caliber 13-22 from Minerva, a high-end workshop acquired by Montblanc. Equipped with a caliber, it stands out from the previous generation Mare Nostrum model.
And this year, Panerai introduced another re-edition that recreates the first re-edition model of the Mare Nostrum released in 1993. The main character is the Mare Nostrum Archio – 42mm PAM00716. Like the 1993 model, the 42mm diameter steel (archio) case and dark blue colored dial are also reproduced in the same way, and the movement is also modified in-house by installing a Dub and Defra chronograph module on the same base (ETA 2801), and the official Swiss chronometer institute. Equipped with a manual OP XXXIII caliber certified by (COSC) (frequency of 4 Hz, power reserve of approximately 42 hours). Case water resistance is 50m.
The overall smooth brushed steel case has a brushed bezel (the fluted details on the sides are polished) and a tachymeter scale is engraved in black at the top. If you look closely at the matte blue colored dial, you will see that the numbers 12 and 6 along with the white colored print (logo and counter), as well as the baton indexes and hands are painted with beige colored Superluminova paint, creating a luminous appearance that intentionally looks like it has become slightly ripened due to the age of a vintage model. The color reproduction is also unique.
The special edition Mare Nostrum Acchiio PAM00716, a new reproduction of the 1993 Mare Nostrum model, was produced in a limited edition of 1,000 pieces and was inspired by the name of the naval captain of the same name, ‘Luigi Durand de la Penne’. Supplied in a luxurious wooden box along with a scale model of an Italian naval destroyer and a screwdriver for replacement straps.
