Panerai Radiomir Automatic PAM00391

The Luminor has been a staple of Panerai’s collection since the Italian company first opened its doors to the public in 1993, this Base the purest and simplest iteration. It’s been discontinued now—and cost around £4,000 before it was—by something that looks exactly the same but costs over £1,000 more. Why would anyone want to pay that?

You could be forgiven for thinking the watch I'm holding right now is a fake. After all, it says 'Panerai' on it, yet looks nothing like the Radiomir or Luminor shapes the brand has become famous for. I can assure you, however, that this is a legitimate Panerai model, and not just any Panerai model—the Panerai Mare Nostrum is one of the most mysterious Panerai has ever made.

In 1936, dive gauge manufacturer Officine Panerai and watchmaker Rolex joined forces to build a watch at the request of the Italian Royal Navy. Intended for use during covert, night-time dives, Panerai's expertise gave what was essentially a complete watch from Rolex that extra level of functionality: a glowing dial. With numerals that shone clear and legible at a consistent and unfaltering rate, the Panerai watch was unstoppable. There was just one tiny problem with it, however—that glowing dial was deadly.

You may have noticed the trend for larger watches growing in recent years. Case sizes have been expanding from 40mm to 45, 50 and even 55mm. These watches are coming from brands like Hublot, Audemars Piguet, Panerai, and here's the biggest of the lot: the Panerai Radiomir Egiziano 341 at a whopping 60mm. Only this watch is different to the others; this watch set standards in size before it was cool. Way, way before.