The enthusiasts of luxury watch brand Panerai are surely thrilled at the 2010 reintroduction of the fabled Mare Nostrum, a timepiece which was intended as an issue timepiece to deck officers of the Italian Navy in the 1940s but did not proceed to production beyond a few prototypes, all of which were thought lost until the recent discovery of one. It was this surviving example which Officine Panerai watch used for the creation of a revived Mare Nostrum chronograph--an exhibit that has received a most enthusiastic reception at SIHH 2010. The new timepiece, which carries the reference PAM00300, faithfully recreates the prototype in all of its massive 52mm glory and will be produced in a limited edition of just 99 watches.
Imposing and completely purposeful in execution, the case is wrought from brushed 316L stainless steel and features stalk-type chronograph pushers and a winding crown bearing the Mare Nostrum signature. Recessed at the center, where the small seconds and chronograph 30-minutes counter are located, the dial shows off brilliantly luminous minute details, including a minutes scale and a combination of hour markers in Arabics and indices. In addition to the dual "Mare Nostrum" and Radiomir Panerai signatures, those obsessed with fine detail are sure to appreciate the arsenal of richly blued hands that this reference features, to say nothing of the finely crenellated bezel edge and screwed-through strap lugs.
The 2010 Panerai Mare Nostrum chronograph watch utilizes a classical, manually wound movement which originates from the famed Minerva manufacture and has undergone exclusive modifications by Panerai watches. Traditional features of quality include a horizontally-coupled chronograph controlled by a column-wheel, and a shapely swan neck fine adjustment spring. The large balance wheel, outfitted with mass screws on its rim, beats to and fro at the classical pace of 18,000 vibrations per hour. Thanks to a window of sapphire crystal in the stainless steel back, one can fully admire the structural intricacies of the caliber, as well as its fine decorative nuances, the latter including Cotes de Geneve patterned bridges and steel levers with meticulously beveled edges. Power reserve of the barrel is 55 hours, that figure being somewhat less if the chronograph is in operation for a significant length of time.
Completing the authentic appearance and design of the Panerai 2010 Mare Nostrum Chronograph is a strap in green fabric complete with a matching leather lining. The only deviation from the historic predecessor can be found in the buckle--here, the design team of Officine Panerai elected to fit a trapezoidal stainless steel buckle, a detail which connects this very special reference to the other timepieces within the modern-day Panerai watch collection.
Imposing and completely purposeful in execution, the case is wrought from brushed 316L stainless steel and features stalk-type chronograph pushers and a winding crown bearing the Mare Nostrum signature. Recessed at the center, where the small seconds and chronograph 30-minutes counter are located, the dial shows off brilliantly luminous minute details, including a minutes scale and a combination of hour markers in Arabics and indices. In addition to the dual "Mare Nostrum" and Radiomir Panerai signatures, those obsessed with fine detail are sure to appreciate the arsenal of richly blued hands that this reference features, to say nothing of the finely crenellated bezel edge and screwed-through strap lugs.
The 2010 Panerai Mare Nostrum chronograph watch utilizes a classical, manually wound movement which originates from the famed Minerva manufacture and has undergone exclusive modifications by Panerai watches. Traditional features of quality include a horizontally-coupled chronograph controlled by a column-wheel, and a shapely swan neck fine adjustment spring. The large balance wheel, outfitted with mass screws on its rim, beats to and fro at the classical pace of 18,000 vibrations per hour. Thanks to a window of sapphire crystal in the stainless steel back, one can fully admire the structural intricacies of the caliber, as well as its fine decorative nuances, the latter including Cotes de Geneve patterned bridges and steel levers with meticulously beveled edges. Power reserve of the barrel is 55 hours, that figure being somewhat less if the chronograph is in operation for a significant length of time.
Completing the authentic appearance and design of the Panerai 2010 Mare Nostrum Chronograph is a strap in green fabric complete with a matching leather lining. The only deviation from the historic predecessor can be found in the buckle--here, the design team of Officine Panerai elected to fit a trapezoidal stainless steel buckle, a detail which connects this very special reference to the other timepieces within the modern-day Panerai watch collection.
