Officine Panerai

With this new Marina Militare, it was all the contrary. My first positive impressions were totally confirmed, the kind of watch which makes your heart beat faster. 

The 5218 is the watch which makes you understand ( for those who didn't " live " the Panerai experience ) why this brand can provide madness. A pure, simple, clean and powerful look with a lot of charm and character. and it gives you a taste of what were the Pre Vendome references ( from 1993 to early 1997 ). 

Il ritorno della leggenda: 

After 4 months of ownership, I can tell you that this is the watch I most often wore. I tried to give the watch a rest, and it didn't last one week before I felt the need to wear it again, and again. I discovered the subtle texture of the dial, the different hues of the indices, depending on the light, the very comfortable and good looking brown strap, even if, here, I would have preferred a thinner one, and the incredible presence on the wrist.

About the strap, I have to say that on the leather one, the DLC buckle is sewn-in. So, it is not very practical if you want to change the strap. BUT you have another strap in the box, in rubber, with a buckle you can remove. But this buckle is different from the one on the leather strap, less nice. 

As for the lume, it is stronger for the hands than for the indices, but it lasts one full night. Good point.

As we speak of comfort, you know my unconditional love for the 47 mm Panerais, but here, I must say that the 5218 and its 44 mm is more comfortable, less heavy, you almost don't feel it! And, on a personal note, I have to confess that this watch is a kind of horological Marcel Proust's madeleine, a personal reminder of these Pre Vendome I had the pleasure and the pride to own, especially the 5218-202/A non matching this watch pays homage to. That was my own nostalgic moment of this article.

No wonder why this Panerai was on my wrist everywhere I went, from Cyprus to the South of France, and at work, too. No wonder why it will also be on my wrist for the whole summer. 

Some shots in Cyprus: 

On the mechanical side, the manual winding movement, the P6000, offers an autonomy of 72 hours, which is good enough for me, and a very good accuracy: In one month, it only lost a bit more than one minute, which is around 2 or 3 seconds per day. The downside? The fact that you have to give the crown many turns before being fully wound. But the experience is not unpleasant, at least.

A last satisfactory point, the water resistance. With 300 meters, it is largely enough for all the activities. And at least, it is not 30 meters water resistant, as is the case for some of their appealing references such as the Radiomir PAM 249, aka " The Cali " with its ridiculous 30 meters ( and even... From the Beach ). Add the fact that the DLC coated steel case is much more resistant to scratches than the famous Pre Vendome PVD, and it can be treated as a " no fear daily beater " 

I will end this article as I started it: A re edition of a Myth can be a very risky game. I owned the Non Matching Pre Vendome Marina Militare and I adored it. So there was a risk I could be disappointed by this new one. You got it, of course I prefer the Pre Vendome Marina Militare and its tritium dial, but this new 5218 really is the next best thing. 

Yes, this is one of my very favorite modern Panerai, and here to stay deeply buried in my collection. 

Best,

Nicolas

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