There were few brands as hot as Panerai in the 2000s, and now the brand is revisiting its glory days with the Luminor Marina Militare 44 mm PAM05218.

Visually, the PAM05218 a faithful remake of the Luminor ref. 5218-202/A of 1993, a “Pre-Vendome” model that became one of the most desirable watches of the 2000s. The watch retains the same design and many of the details, including the “non matching” hands, but has been upgraded with modern amenities, including a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating for the case and a three-day movement.

Initial thoughts

Enthusiasts who were in the hobby in the 2000s will remember the frenzy around Panerai, which was probably the fastest growing brand during the period. Many models sold over retail, sometimes for multiples. The “vintage” models like the Luminor ref. 5218-202/A were even more valuable; it cost a healthy, mid-five figures at the time. In fact, the ref. 5218-202/A cost more than an F.P. Journe Resonance at the time. In retrospect, most of it was comical yet also seems familiar given the happenings in recent years.

Times have changed, but the PAM05218 is essentially unchanged from the original – which is great for those who appreciate the functional, stark design of Panerai’s core models. I like those designs, and I like the PAM05218. If there’s one Panerai in the current catalogue I would buy, it is this one.

At a distance, the PAM05218 is indistinguishable from the original, but up close it is clearly a new watch that’s shinier and more polished. The size and style feel almost retro today, since the “in” thing is time-only watches with overdressed movements in cases that are 37-39 mm.

The halcyon days aren’t going to come back on the account of the PAM05218, but it is an appealing watch that will definitely evoke nostalgia for “Paneristi”. Beyond the history of the watch itself, the PAM05218 is a sports watch with a distinctive, clean design that has good specs and decent-ish price of US$8,800.

It is pricier than comparable watches in the segment, but for me the difference can be rationalised by the design, which remains strongly appealing. The only downside is arguably the fact that the PAM05218 is “limited” but only annually – 500 will be made each year.

Marina Militare

The story of Panerai is well known by now. The ref. 5218-202/A was one of several wristwatch models that Panerai, then still a small family-owned maker of diving instruments, launched in the early 1990s. These 1990s watches were inspired by the oversized dive watches the brand had made in the 1930s onwards for the Italian navy and other maritime forces, making them remakes of a sort.

The brand’s big moment came with celebrity adoption of its watches starting in the late 1990s, most famously by Sylvester Stallone. And then Richemont, then still Vendome Luxury Group, acquired Panerai, resulting in those 1990s models becoming known as “Pre-Vendome” or “Pre-V”.

An example of a “Pre-V” Panerai, this one the ref. 5218-201/A owned by Sylvester Stallone himself, which was sold by Sotheby’s in 2020. Image – Sotheby’s

The PAM05218 is thus a remake of a remake, but it gets the look and feel right. The 44 mm steel case is very much like the original, but now it’s coated in DLC, which is fortunately more hard wearing than the delicate black coating on the originals.

The famous crown-locking mechanism defines the case, but I assume as with many modern-day Panerai watches it is largely decorative as the cases are water resistant even without the lever engaged.

The dial is similarly faithful, but here rendered in Super-Luminova instead of radioactive tritium. The Super-Luminova has been dyed to match the look of aged tritium, so the large hour markers are a parchment shade. The dial plate is engraved with the markings, which are then filled with lume, resulting in the familiar recessed appearance.

Notably, the dial is “non matching”, replicating a phenomenon found on the originals where the tritium on the dials and hands did not match, resulting in a lighter shade on the hands.

The typography features serifs on the letters

And the case back also echoes the original with the “OP” emblem, though not exactly. Inside is the P.6000, a no-frills movement like most current Panerai calibres.

Like the ETA Unitas in the originals that was equally no-frills, the P.6000 is hand wind, but it has the upgrade of a three-day power reserve.

Lastly, the buckle is also correct. Oversized and trapezoidal in shape, the buckle is a one-piece affair that’s sewn into the strap, making replacement a hassle but being historically faithful to the vintage originals. The size and form also make it relatively uncomfortable, but it fits the look perfectly.

Key facts and price

Panerai Luminor Marina Militare 44 mm
Ref. PAM05218

Diameter: 44 mm
Height: Unavailable
Material: Steel with DLC coating
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 300 m

Movement: P.6000
Functions: Hours and minutes
Winding: Manual wind
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Calfskin with sewn-in buckle, additional black rubber strap

Limited edition: 500 pieces per year
Availability: Only at Panerai boutiques
Price:US$8,800; or €8,500

For more, visit panerai.com.

Citizen marks 30 years of its up-market The Citizen collection with two limited-edition watches featuring washi paper dials inspired by Japanese nature. Both use solar-powered quartz movements accurate to ±5 seconds per year, housed in titanium cases treated with ultra-hard Duratect coatings.

Initial Thoughts

Citizen’s somewhat clumsily named The Citizen sub-brand is 30 years old but little known outside Japan and enthusiast circles. Most The Citizen watches are distinguishable by an eagle crest on the dial, as well as their obvious quality. While the line has since grown to include mechanical watches, which are quite good, it remains a quartz-first brand – which is good as its quartz offerings are excellent and amongst the most advanced in the world.

While often compared to the Grand Seiko cal. 9F models, The Citizen’s quartz offerings have more functions, and thus have more in common with the three-hand Seiko Astron 3X models, or Casio’s premium G-Shocks. These share solar charging, a perpetual calendar, and a power saving made which pauses the hands to save energy while not in use, like F.P. Journe’s Elegante.

But unlike GPS-reliant Astrons and G-Shocks, Citizen’s high end quartz movements are fully autonomous, and accurate to within five seconds per year with a maximum deviation of two seconds per month during normal use. More important still, The Citizen’s traditionally styled offerings are much easier on the eyes than any G-Shock or modern Astron, striking a technological and aesthetic balance between the nostalgic 9F and wrist computers.

Washi Dials and Very Hard Cases

The first anniversary model, the ref. AQ4103-16W, is inspired by the sun setting over the Japanese alps. The dial depicts mountains’ ridge line in gold leaf against a black dial with a subtle brown gradient made of washi, traditional Japanese paper.

It is paired with a titanium case, protected by Citizen’s “Duratect Amber Yellow” ultra-hard coating. According to Citizen, the amorphous carbon coating is in the range of 1,700-2,300 HV, which is exceptionally hard, comparable to sapphire crystal even.

The second edition, the ref. AQ4100-22A, paints the sun rising over freshly fallen snow, with platinum leaf dusted across a “Tosa” white washi paper. Citizen treats the titanium case of this model with blinding white “Duratech Platinum”, which is not nearly as hard as the previous gold tone at 1,000-1,100 HV, but still several times the Vickers hardness of unprotected grade five titanium. This configuration is extremely similar to the bracelet-borne ref. AQ4100-65W from two years ago.

The Citizen’s case work holds its own against comparable priced Grand Seikos. The conical bezel, and flat lug chamfers are black polished using a spinning tin-plate, creating a distortion-free mirror finish that will remain that way for a very long time thanks to the Duratec treatment.

The pin pusher in the case flank allows you to commune with the Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) inside the watch. Reading the instruction manual before attempting is mandatory, but you can use it to adjust the perpetual calendar, fix misaligned hands, and factory reset the watch.

While the hands and dial furniture and certainly reminiscent of a high-end Seiko, the washi paper dial, made from pressed gambier bark fibres, is distinctly Citizen. The washi paper hides the unsightly solar cell and adds visual interest while still allowing enough light to reach the movement.

As a result of the protective clear layer over the paper, which is likely polycarbonate or acrylic, the dial printing and float appears to float. These dials reward close inspection, especially under high magnification.

Key facts and price

Citizen “The Citizen” 30th Anniversary Iconic Nature Collection
Ref. AQ4103-16W (Black dial, Duratech Amber Yellow)
Ref. AQ4100-22A (White dial, Duratech Platinum)

Diameter: 38.3 mm
Height: 12.3 mm
Material: Titanium with hard amorphous carbon coating
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 m

Movement: Caliber A060
Features: Hours, minutes, seconds, perpetual date, solar charging, power save mode, lower battery indicator.
Frequency: 32,768 Hz
Power reserve: 18 months in power save mode

Strap: Crocodile leather

Limited edition: 400 each
Availability: At Citizen boutiques and retailers starting October 2025
Price: US$3,300 (Black dial, Duratech Amber Yellow), US$3,200 (White dial, Duratech Platinum)

For more, visit Citizenwatch-global.com.

While the industry resumes normal operations following Geneva Watch Days, we’re taking a quick detour to the Czech Republic to see what Ondřej Berkus has been up to. The Deadbeat Seconds 2.0 is the latest delivery from the self-taught watchmaker and is a good example of how far his watchmaking has come in recent years.

As the name suggests, the DS 2.0 is the second watch Mr Berkus has made in this style, but like all of his creations, the two are remarkably different in execution.

Initial thoughts

There’s a reassuring degree of predictability to the luxury watch industry. It’s a conservative industry built on tradition, which reinforces unspoken norms about what counts as a high end watch. The result is conformity; most watchmakers march to a similar beat and stick to their respective niches. This uniformity helps customers understand the products, but as a consequence many of the products can be criticised as homogenous and impersonal.

In contrast, the watchmaking of Ondřej Berkus is refreshingly human. He has no formal website, and conducts business via Instagram. He does not release collections, and no two pieces are entirely alike; each watch is created in dialogue with a collector. A self-taught watchmaker, Mr Berkus manages to pull this off thanks in part to his distinctive approach to finishing.

While most contemporary independent watchmakers focus on simple movements executed to a high level, Mr Berkus flips the script, and strives to deliver watches that are unique technically and finished selectively. His latest delivery, the DS 2.0, features a regulator-style display that reveals the movement beneath, namely the motion works and the mechanism for the deatbeat seconds. The hands, like most of the screws, are heat blued to a purple finish.

The case is unusually compact at just 36 mm, and is a reasonable 10 mm thick. Thanks to his background making knives, Mr Berkus has experience working with exotic materials like meteorite and mammoth ivory; his watchmaking makes full use of this skillset, and the DS 2.0 benefits from a case made from Damascus steel, which gives it a highly textural look.

It’s difficult to guess the price of a hodinky (Czech for “watch”) from Mr Berkus. One one hand, he builds bespoke watches with exotic features like differentials and tourbillons. On the other, the finishing is miles apart from what one would typically expect to find in a high end watch.

In the end, the price varies dramatically depending on the technical features specified by the buyer, from mid-to-high five figures for most watches to six figures for the most extravagant complications. His watches won’t appeal to everyone, but they’re not meant to. Mr Berkus’ singular aesthetic and down-to-earth approach to customisation has attracted a loyal following and by all accounts he has enough orders to keep him busy for a few years at least.

Rebellious watchmaking

Unsurprisingly, most independent watchmakers have some formal watchmaking training and many of the best spent years doing restoration work or working on complications for brands. It’s a pipeline that works, but it’s also predictable, which makes it difficult for individual watchmakers to stand out. But as a self-taught watchmaker who got his start making high-end knives, Mr Berkus has no difficulty standing out.

The craftsmanship required for watchmaking is not dissimilar from that required for making collector-grade knives and firearms, and there’s some precedent for this type of crossover. American gunsmith Dewey Vicknair has recently begun applying his skills to watchmaking, and Hungarian watchmaker Aaron Becsei collaborated with renowned American knife maker Todd Rexford to produce a watch with a hot-hammered zirconium dial and movement bridges.

The reuleaux triangle

Without question, the central focus of the DS 2.0 movement is the jumping seconds display at nine o’clock. The look is dynamic; the prominent jeweled lever unlocks once per second thanks to a triangular reuleaux cam attached to the escape wheel pinion. As the escape wheel rotates, this rounded triangle causes the lever to rock back and forth, allowing the seconds hand to jump forward under the power of its own coiled hairspring, which is under constant tension from an auxiliary gear train.

The reuleaux cam has been used to good effect in the past by firms like Ferdinand Berthoud and Urban Jürgensen, each inspired by the work of Derek Pratt. In these comparative examples the system is employed ‘upstream’ of the escapement, which offers the additional benefit of delivering a nearly constant amount of energy to the balance. In the case of the DS 2.0, the deadbeat seconds display is just that, and isn’t acting as a remontoir for the escapement. In this sense, the arrangement is similar to that of the Seconde Vive from Dann Phimphrachanh.

Not your average milk carton.

Mr Berkus makes most of these components himself to his own designs, but there are a few familiar tried-and-true ingredients he tends to use in his movements, and the DS 2.0 utilises a Unitas mainspring and a hand-setting train from an A. Schild cal. 1130. But Mr Berkus deviated slightly from his own norms by making the train wheels himself, and by using a wolf’s tooth profile.

Invented by Lepine in the eighteenth century, the wolf’s tooth profile gives the impression of smoother transmission of power, but was later discovered to confer no technical advantage compared to regular cycloidal tooth profiles. That’s largely beside the point, since their relevance today is derived from their look, which is genuinely striking.

As rare as wolf’s teeth are, it’s even more unusual to see them used in the gear train. The contemporary watchmakers who use wolf’s teeth, like Voutilainen and Parmigiani Fleurier, use them exclusively for winding wheels. This is another playful example of how Mr Berkus is willing to depart from accepted norms.

Of course, the wheels in the hand-setting train, which must be able to rotate in both directions, employ conventional (symmetrical) tooth profiles. The rest of the movement is fairly traditional in its design, ticking at 2.5 Hz for at least 48 hours.

Rustic finishing

The most shocking thing about the watchmaking of Mr Berkus is his unique approach to finishing, which defies convention. In this sense, he reminds me of Logan Kuan Rao, a Chinese independent watchmaker who believes that the mainstream obsession with finishing is misplaced. Like Mr Rao, Mr Berkus intentionally leaves many components in a visually rough state; it’s part of his aesthetic and helps define his work.

This approach results in an interesting tension between the observed and the expected. Take the grande sonnerie-style winding click, an elaborate feature that is typically used as a showcase for decorative finishing. In the DS 2.0, however, the non-functional surfaces of the winding click are left with visible tool marks. I’d usually consider this a major flaw, but Mr Berkus shows enough skill in other parts of the movement to indicate the lack of finishing is a clear stylistic choice.

The polished steel anchor bridge shows what Mr Berkus is capable of.

That said, Mr Berkus did recently spend some time learning traditional haute horlogerie finishing with decoration specialist Philippe Narbel, and it shows. Compared to his earlier work, the DS 2.0 benefits from polished steel caps for both the upper and lower escape wheel cocks, and at least a dozen neat inner angles on the movement bridges.

But instead of finishing the entire movement to a given standard, as is convention, Mr Berkus instead uses these flourishes selectively to drive home the point that his own rustic style is intentional.

This philosophy clearly resonates with collectors who are looking for something with a little more humanity and artistic flair than a typical luxury watch delivers. From concept to finishing, Mr Berkus’ willingness to ignore conventional rules sets him apart. In an industry that thrives on tradition, his rebelliousness is an artistic statement that arguably elevates his work.

Key facts and price

Ondřej Berkus Deadbeat Seconds 2.0

Diameter: 36 mm
Height: 10 mm
Material: Damascus steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: Splash resistant

Movement:Deadbeat Seconds 2.0
Functions: Hours, minutes, and jumping seconds
Frequency:  18,000 beats per hour (2.5 Hz)
Winding: Hand wind
Power reserve: 48 hours

Strap: Leather strap with pin buckle

Limited edition: Yes; unique piece
Availability: Direct from Ondřej Berkus
Price: Varies depending on specification

For more, follow @hodinkyberkus on Instagram.