Panerai releases a new Mare Nostrum chronograph in steel based on its much-loved 1993 model, measuring in at 42mm

Whilst watch brands frequently mine their archives for heritage designs to revamp for today?s market, Panerai is looking to its more recent past with the new Mare Nostrum Acciaio 42mm.
The moniker ?Mare Nostrum? literally means ?Our Sea? – an indicator, of course, that it has its roots in Panerai?s history as a supplier to the Italian Navy.

The original chronograph was designed in the early 1940s for the Navy?s deck officers, but was only ever realised a prototype (which later became seriously collectible).
Rather than reinterpret the 1940s original, this model harks back to the 1993 version of the Mare Nostrum (below). It comes in a steel case with several defining features that make it near-enough identical to its inspiration. A “Pre-Vendome” Panerai Mare Nostrum (Antiquorum)
The toothed bezel is marked with ?Km/h?, rather than the ?tachymetre? engraving which came along slightly later. The classic 1993 Mare Nostrum had a navy dial, like the new version, along with the same beige and white markings.
It?s true to size as well: a 2010 re-edition measured a whopping 52mm, as did the 2015 model with a chocolate dial (below), so by comparison this 42mm watch is practically svelte.

The real deal: the Panerai Mare Nostrum Acciaio 42mm with the calibre OP XXXIII
Excitingly for the Paneristi, Panerai is using the same movement that feat...