Panerai has recently its growing range of in-house movements with yet another nice job. Called Caliber P.5000, the new hand-wound engine offers an impressive combination of beautifully laconic decoration with surprisingly efficient design and impressive power reserve.
The first timekeeper to be equipped with the new caliber happened to be the new Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days Oro Rosso (PAM 511) that was presented in New York in July 2013.
The Caliber P.5000 is not their first movement, which is capable of running up to 192 hours without compromising its accuracy. However, compared to the Caliber P.2002/9 -yet another hand-wound, in-house job from the Italian watchmaking legend that happened to power their Luminor 1950 Destro 8 Days Titanio model- this new mechanism is significantly larger in diameter, which makes it look more organic in Panerai’s oversized timekeepers, and is also almost two times thinner measuring just 4.5 millimeters in height.
Built on 21 jewels and comprising only 127 components, the new caliber also is a lot less complex, which makes it less prone to failures and probably easier to repair if the mechanism actually breaks down.
Offered in a traditionally massive 44 mm body fashioned in red gold (there is also a dramatically less expensive version in stainless steel), the watch features the same iconic cushion-shaped design with its huge winding crown protected from accidental shocks with its patented crown guard.
Although not positioned as a diver (and definitely not a tool watch), the new PAM00511 sports a pretty impressive water resistance rating of 300 meters, which makes it a nice choice if you happen to own a yacht or a luxury motor boat.
The rest is pretty much the same as with the rest of Luminor Marina range. The watch sports the traditional sandwich-style dial with a bright luminous compound that looks beige or light brown in broad daylight but emits the familiar greenish glow in the darkness.
The layout allows for superb legibility and the Arabic numerals are large enough to be easily read in any situation, as well as to successfully balance the slightly oversized subsidiary seconds indicator at 9 o’clock.
It is reported that the version in red gold will be offered at $26,500 and the one in stainless steel (ref. PAM 510) will retail for $7300.
See also: SIHH 2013: Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic Titanium PAM 389
Photos: Officine Panerai
WWR preliminary verdict:
Originality 3/5
Build quality: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Legibility: 5/5
Value for money: 4/5
Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days Oro Rosso (PAM 511) specification
Price: $26,500 (in red gold) / $7300 (in stainless steel)
Movement: Hand-wound, Caliber P.5000, in-house, two barrels, 127 components, Swiss Made
Number of jewels: 21
Movement frequency: 21,600 vph
Power reserve: 192 hours (8 days)
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds
Case, Bezel & Crown: Stainless steel / Red gold
Shape: Cushion
Bezel shape: Round
Size: 44.00 mm
Dial: Black (in steel) / Brown (in red gold)
Numerals: Arabic, luminous
Hour markers: Luminous
Hands: Luminous
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Brown alligator strap on 18-carat red gold buckle or black strap on steel buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, antireflective
Back: Sapphire