New Panerai watch celebrates the hidden history of the brand

If you look into the wonderful world of Panerai prior to 1993, you'll probably find less than you'd expect. The Italian watch brand was classified prior to that point, with its watches made exclusively for the wrists of the Italian military from around the 1910s.

Then, in 1993, that all changed. The brand's work was made available to the general public, and received a positive response when it was finally uncloaked. Still, that didn't stop Panerai from keeping some models military-only.

In the same year, it offered the Luminor Marina Militare ref. 5218-202/A as an exclusive piece for members of the Italian military. Now, a new model – the Luminor Marina Militare PAM05218 – pays tribute to that piece, as the brand launches the depths of time exhibition.

The 44mm case diameter of the original is retained – though remarkably, that was considered the svelte, sleek option at the time – and also keeps the black hue. It's achieved in a different way, though – DLC treatment is used instead of the PVD coating on the original.

Inside, the P.6000 calibre keeps things ticking away, offering a three-day power reserve. That's a manually wound movement, and utilises a 3Hz beat rate.

The dial is where this piece really comes to life. On the original, a reaction between the tritium in the lume and the varnish of the dial resulted in an orange-brown colour on the numerals, but not on the hands. Once that was corrected, only a few mis-matched pieces were left in the wild, making them a sought-after, collectable piece today.

That mis-match has been recreated here, using a caramel-coloured Super-LumiNova for the indices. That's also laid into a monolayer dial – not the sandwich construction we see on more modern Panerai examples.

Users will also enjoy 300m of water resistance for a proper dive watch experience. And for those who like to change their watch straps, there's great news – two are included in the box, giving you a choice between the brown calf leather and a black rubber option.

Priced at £7,200, this feels like quite a bargain. It's a really well-worked example of a brand paying homage to its history with respect, but also adding just enough modern touches to warrant its existence. Bravo, Panerai.