Manufacturer: Panerai Year: 2015 Reference No: PAM00603 Case No: BB1718365 Model Name: Mare Nostrum Titanio Material: Titanium Calibre: Mechanical, OP XXV, 22 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Brown Panerai calf leather strap Clasp/Buckle: Titanium Panerai buckle Dimensions: 52 mm. diameter Signed:Case, dial and movement signed, case further engraved R083/150 Accessories: With Officine Panerai International Guarantee Certificate dated 27 January 2016, Certificate confirming the present watch is numbered 83 of a limited edition of 150 pieces only, product literature, instruction manual, fitted presentation box and outer packaging.
Catalogue Essay
Created with enhanced technical accuracy and similar aesthetic elements of the Mare Nostrum prototype produced in 1943, the present reference PAM00603 chronograph wristwatch was presented at the SIHH in 2015. Despite the substantial 52 mm. case, the watch is a faithful recreation of the prototype, initially designed for deck officers of the Italian Navy. The chronograph mechanism is operated by two push buttons in the band and is fitted in a brush titanium flat case. Offered in like new condition and accompanied with original certificate and fitted presentation box, the present watch is numbered 83 of a limited edition of 150 pieces only.
Known for its robust designs and large case sizes, Officine Panerai was established in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai in Florence, Italy. Around 1900, Giovanni's grandson Guido Panerai took over, and Panerai became the supplier to the Regia Marina — the Royal Italian Navy. After supplying the navy with high-precision instruments for a number of years, Officine Panerai created Radiomir, a radium-based powder that gives luminosity to the dials of sighting instruments and devices. By 1936, the Royal Italian Navy approached Panerai again with the request to design a watch resistant to extreme underwater conditions. The watch they created became known as the "Radiomir".
Panerai's watches made during the early twentieth century era were comprised of cases designed and manufactured by Rolex SA, with Cortébert, a Swiss manufacturer, supplying the majority of their movements. The most recognizable designs from the firm are the Radiomir and Luminor. To date, vintage models from the first half of the 1900s, such as the reference 3646 and 6152 models, remain the most desirable among collectors.