Panerai has just unveiled the new Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218, and it’s one of those releases where the brand goes back to its modern roots. This release coincides with the opening of the exhibition “The Depths of Time” in Florence. The watch pays tribute to the Luminor Marina Militare ref. 5218-202/A, first introduced in 1993 as a piece exclusively issued to the Italian Navy, while its siblings—the 201/A and Mare Nostrum 301/A—marked Panerai’s very first civilian models.
Florence, September 10, 1993: a turning point when Panerai stepped out of its classified past and into public view. From the 1910s until 1993, Panerai watches were strictly military tools—commissioned by the Royal Italian Navy and kept under wraps. Only in 1993 did these rugged, functional timepieces reach the civilian market, opening a new chapter in the brand’s history.
The new PAM05218 keeps the same 44mm case size as the 1993 original, which itself was already a departure from Panerai’s traditional 47mm Navy-issued watches. This time, however, the steel case is finished with a modern DLC coating, giving it the same blacked-out look as the PVD-coated 5218-202/A, but with greater durability and scratch resistance. Water resistance remains at 300 meters, and the caseback stays faithful to the 1993 reference with Panerai’s classic Firenze engravings and the historic OP logo.
The dial is where Panerai enthusiasts will probably smile. It brings back the “Marina Militare” inscription and even the quirky “non-matching” lume effect from the early 1993 pieces. Back then, the tritium on the numerals and the varnished hands aged differently, creating an accidental two-tone effect that became highly collectible. On the new PAM05218, that look is recreated intentionally: caramel Super-LumiNova on the engraved numerals, paired with hands in a lighter shade.
Unlike Panerai’s usual sandwich dials, this one is a monolayer engraved dial, filled with lume and finished with a subtle concave effect. The typography was also redrawn to stay true to the 1993 original.
Inside is the P.6000 calibre, Panerai’s hand-wound, entry-level movement with a 3-day power reserve. It beats at 21,600 vph and uses a traversing balance bridge for extra stability.
Completing the tribute is a straight, vintage shaped golden brown calf leather strap with a black steel DLC trapezoidal buckle, sewn-in by construction, as on the 1993 model. The watch also features a second black rubber strap, paired with an additional buckle.
Debuting in boutiques September 2025, the PAM05218 is available upon request. Further details on panerai.com.
