Antique Panerai Watch PAM05218

Is it reasonable for me to call Panerai's latest watch an "antique watch"? Yes, it is. Because it is a complete reproduction of the Panerai 5218-202A black-plated model launched in 1993. You read that right, even the new model number is directly inherited from the "vintage watch". Best cheap watches online, discover our affordable replica Panerai Luminor Marina watches collection.

The "orange" hour markers on the vintage 5218 watch were due to a reaction between the early tritium luminescent material and the dial lacquer, turning the markers orange while the hands remained white. However, the new 5218 uses modern Super-LumiNova luminescent coating for its hour markers, with orange being the base color.

These "orange" hour markers have a slightly recessed effect. This is because, like the vintage model, the new 5218 first slightly recesses the dial to create the shape of the hour markers, then fills the recessed area with luminescent coating, resulting in the orange color. Additionally, we can see the Italian inscription "MARINA MILITARE" (meaning Italian Navy) printed below the dial. 

Like the vintage models, the PAM05218 is 44mm in size and 13mm thick, with a black-plated stainless steel case. However, the new 5218 uses DLC black plating, a diamond-coated black finish, which offers improved hardness and scratch resistance compared to the PVD black plating of the vintage models. A subtle detail is that while the case and crown guards are DLC black-plated, the case back remains the silver of stainless steel. This is to maintain consistency with the vintage models. As for the thickness, who cares about thickness when buying a Panerai? The watch is water-resistant to 300 meters.

The exterior is identical to the vintage watch, but the movement is a newer model. The new 5218 uses the Panerai P6000 manual-winding movement, while the vintage 5218 used the ETA 6497. In fact, the current Panerai P6000 was launched to replace the older ETA 6497.