Description

When Panerai started making watches once again in 1993, after a hiatus when it solely produced dive and timing instruments, one of its first models was the Luminor 5218-201/A that was inspired by vintage military-issue watches Panerai once made for the Italian navy.

Known as a “pre-Vendome” model because it was produced before the brand was acquired by Richemont (then known as Vendome Luxury Group), the Luminor 5218-201/A along with a handful of other “pre-V” models became highly desirable timepieces by the early 2000s. Part of the catalysts for that decade’s Panerai mania was the film and sports celebrities who wore one, with one of the pioneer owners of a Panerai being Sylvester Stallone, who sports a Luminor 5218-201/A in the 1996 film Daylight.

The PAM 1084 shares many similarities with the Luminor 5218-201/A, a look that defined Panerai for most of its last three decades.

And the PAM 1084, despite being entry-level, is closer to the Luminor 5218-201/A than many of its fancier peers in the current catalogue. The 5218-201/A did not have a sandwich dial, and neither does the PAM 1084.