It’s tough to shake the grip that Rolex has in the minds of watch enthusiasts and film buffs alike as the James Bond watch – first of all, it’s the watch that Ian Fleming wrote into the books; Fleming himself wore a Rolex, and the prototypical and original cinematic James Bond – Sean Connery – wore a Submariner in Dr. No. Connery will always be the original Bond, and the Sub will always be the original movie Bond watch, but that doesn’t mean – as subsequent years have shown – that there aren’t worthy successors to both, and Daniel Craig’s take on Bond as a barely restrained borderline sociopath on a collision course with himself has gone a long way towards rehabilitating what had become something of an exercise in camp.

Panerai is once again reviving the Mare Nostrum, this time in the form of a titanium cased special edition with a design reminiscent of the original prototype developed in 1943. So named for the Royal Italian Navy’s WWII victories in the Mediterranean Sea, Mare Nostrum translates to “Our Sea.” The naming dates back to 1924, used on what was likely the first Panerai chronograph, but any hint of these watches has long since disappeared.

Seiko Chronograph 1977 Movement 6139-0012 Automatic

156.1 - A unique combination of past and present: this is probably the essence of the unmistakable charm of this historic pilot's chronograph. Responsible for this is a contemporary interpretation tha