PANERAI LUMINOR MARINA 8 DAYS – 44mm PANERAI LUMINOR MARINA 8 DAYS ORO ROSSO – 44mm
The power reserve of eight days is part of the history of Officine Panerai. Between the end of the 1940s and the early 1950s Panerai used a 16 ligne Angelus calibre which would run for eight days without being wound: a very long power reserve to meet the requirements of the commandos of the Italian Navy, who during their operations had to be able to rely on an instrument of complete and enduring reliability. This tradition lives again today with the P.5000 calibre, the new hand-wound movement with an eight-day power reserve which makes its debut in the new Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days and Panerai Luminor Marina 8 Days Oro Rosso.
The two new timepieces respect the classic aesthetics of the Luminor Marina, notable for the minimalist design of the case and dial. The case is 44mm in diameter and it is immediately recognisable by the bridge device with locking lever to protect the winding crown. It is available in AISI 316L stainless steel or in 5Npt red gold, a distinctive alloy with a high percentage of copper that gives it a particularly deep colour, and a certain amount of platinum that helps to prevent oxidation. Constructed of two superimposed discs ensuring the clearest legibility, the dial has large baton hour markers and figures, with the small seconds dial at 9 o’clock. It is black in the steel model and brown in the red gold one. The P.5000 hand-wound mechanical calibre, visible through the sapphire crystal window set in the back, has been completely developed and made in the Officine Panerai manufacture at Neuchâtel.
With a diameter of 15¾ lignes and a thickness of 4.5 mm, it is very robustly constructed. A large plate with brushed finish and diamond-polished chamfering almost completely conceals the mechanism, while revealing the variable inertia balance which oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour. The long running time is achieved by two spring barrels connected in series which store the power reserve of eight days. The Luminor Marina 8 Days (PAM00510) and the Luminor Marina 8 Days Oro Rosso (PAM00511) are part of the Historic Collection. They are completed by a strap of black leather in the case of the steel version, and brown alligator in the red gold version, with a buckle made of the same material as the case.
A power reserve of eight days and hand-wound: the P.5000 calibre combines these two characteristics which are part of the history of Panerai watches since the first models created for the commandos of the Italian Navy. With a diameter of 15¾ lignes (35.7 mm) and a thickness of 4.5 mm, the P.5000 calibre has 21 jewels, it is made up of 127 component parts and its balance wheel oscillates at a frequency of 3 Hz, equivalent to 21,600 vibrations/hour. Its original, very strong structure recalls that of old movements in which the mechanism was contained between two plates concealing most of the wheels and allowing only a few details to be seen, such as the balance cock and the intermediate wheel.
The P.5000 calibre has a variable inertia balance, its period of oscillation being adjusted by turning the little timing screws on the outside of the balance wheel. Using this system the balance spring is free, without the curb pins which would otherwise be used to modify its active length. The bridge supporting the balance is fixed by two screws beneath which are threaded rings which turn in both directions, the purpose of which is to adjust the endshake of the balance staff pivots. This technical solution helps the escapement to continue running perfectly in the event of shocks. The long power reserve of 192 hours, that is 8 days, is achieved by coupling the two spring barrels with toothed rims in series. The twin assembly enables longer, thinner springs to be used, resulting in a longer duration and greater uniformity in delivering energy to the movement.
(Photo credit: courtesy of PANERAI)
Gaetano C. @Horbiter – Watches & Luxury
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