The Panerai P.5000 8-Days Movement

With that, onto the movement we go: dubbed the P.5000, it is one of Panerai’s tirelessly expanding range of in-house movements and pretty much the most affordable among them. It contains two series-coupled mainspring barrels that together supply 8 days worth of power reserve, though you do only get a 3 Hertz operating frequency. I presume to some extent that is in line with some movements Panerai used ages ago, but in truth, here it really is about extending that power reserve as much as possible. Bumping the frequency up from 21,600 to 28,800 beats per hour would have meant a few days less between the necessity of hand-winding the movement.

As far as history goes, in its earliest days Panerai had already used 8-day power reserve watches powered by Angelus movements. This was to meet military requirements in an effort to make the watches more dependable over a longer period of time and also, reportedly, to not necessitate constant adjustment of the time and rewinding of the movement, saving the crown gaskets from premature wear.

Speaking of which, I timed it for you guys out of curiosity: it takes about one minute and 45 seconds to fully wind a stopped movement – and boy, is that a lot of winding! Winding isn’t one of the pleasurable experiences the PAM561 can offer, either. As the crown barely extends over the plane of the concave top of the crown guard, you have to let go and grab hold of the crown countless times while the sharp edge of the guard itself and the coined edge of the crown make things a bit less comfortable.

The movement itself is in line with Panerai manufacture caliber aesthetics: it’s rugged first, interesting second, and beautiful third. It’s one of the most rugged-looking calibers out there, with only one massive plate covering the gear train and the two barrels, and one bridge that holds the balance wheel secure. Revealed is a massive – and I do mean huge – third wheel that is secured by a skeletonized bridge. Deep underneath it, close to the barrel, is the center wheel while closer to the balance wheel, and again deep in the bowels of the movement, is the fourth wheel and the escapement.

The balance wheel itself is of a free-sprung construction, meaning its accuracy is adjusted via the more old-school and clearly more elegant way of variable moment of inertia screws in the periphery of the balance wheel. Panerai explains that the bridge supporting the balance is fixed by two screws beneath which are threaded rings that turn in both directions. The purpose of this is to adjust the “end-shake” of the balance staff pivots. This technical solution helps the escapement to continue running more smoothly in the event of shocks.

All the finishing appears to be machine-produced, but the edges of the plates and the countersinks are nicely beveled and polished still – adding a bit of flair to an otherwise very technical looking movement. Texts are in blue and are very tastefully done in relatively small, discreet letters – and yet this still contrasts nicely against the subtle, horizontal brushed finishing of the plates.

Overall, the P.5000 is a developed taste in the sense that it doesn’t at all want to be the prettiest, most shockingly good-looking movement out there – but, on a personal note, part of me is happy about that and I appreciate that Panerai appears to have thought this through and went with something that complements their military styling and heritage more. The P.5000 also contains an impressively low number of components at just 127 in total.

A power reserve indicator arguably would have been a nice element but would definitely have driven up the price and added more complexity. So, in this instance and paired with the 192-hour power reserve, I didn’t miss it that much.

Alternatives

Price for the the Panerai Luminor Base 8 Days Acciaio PAM561 is CHF 5,700, which is CHF 1,200 dearer than the PAM630, which has essentially the same dial (different lume color and base logo at 6) but the OP I (ETA 6497) hand-wound movement as opposed to the P.5000. In other words, the P.5000 with its 8-day power reserve will run you an additional CHF 1,200 which, for anyone familiar with Swiss luxury watch pricing practices, really isn’t that big of a jump.

Sticking with the P.5000, Panerai has a wide range of alternatives to the PAM561 including the same watch with a black dial (PAM560) as well as a titanium-clad model (PAM562) for CHF 600 more. Needless to say, the exact same movement is packed into the PAM563 which is basically the exact same watch just with a running seconds sub-dial at nine – it even has the same component count for the movement, it is just that the dial has an opening for the seconds pinion to come through and has a hand installed on it. It is a solid CHF 500 more expensive which is quite a lot for the same movement and just an added complication – but the look of the watch does change to something considerably more complicated by it.

Should you want this movement and case size but with vintage styling, the PAM590 is your choice, but the P.5000 also comes in the 45mm Radiomir case for the same price (CHF 5,700). All this is to say that you have an unusually large number of alternative options to the PAM561 making it easier (or more difficult?) to find one that matches your taste more. Add to this the innumerable strap options and you do get a mind-numbing number of variations – maybe a few too many, even.

Summary

Overall, the Panerai Luminor Base 8 Days Acciaio PAM561 is a fun, if not exciting watch in the Panerai Luminor stable and one I wouldn’t mind wearing for an even more extended period of time. This noted, I don’t think it has everything going for it to be a keeper, more like a refreshing addition that you wear and then sell to move onto the next Panerai that tickles your fancy – because that’s often how it works, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

Again, price for the Panerai Luminor Base 8 Days Acciaio PAM561 is CHF 5,700. panerai.com

Necessary Data
>Brand: Panerai
>Model: Luminor Base 8 Days Acciaio PAM561
>Price: CHF 5,700
>Size: 44mm
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Yes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: The one looking for his/her new Panerai – but not the first and not the last.
>Best characteristic of watch: The white dial adds a fun element; wearability and the Luminor case aesthetic are still spot on; solid movement too.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Those hands need to be longer, darn it.