PANERAI Luminor MARINA 8 Days STEEL [PAM00590]

By TLex This is the Luminor Marina 8 Days Steel AKA PAM00590. Like all Luminor Marina models, it can trace its roots back to the original examples that were made for the Royal Italian Navy.

Although it lacks the typical timing bezel that a modern dive watch has, make no mistake this is a true military diver. Its water-resistance pays tribute to the historic Panerai models and it has been tested to 30 atmospheres, the equivalent of a depth of about 300 meters.



Its water-resistance is ensured by a case made of Type AISI 316L Stainless steel, an alloy that is widely used for dive watches as it is particularly resistant to corrosion. Further divers features include its screwdown caseback engraved with a human torpedo (Siluro a Lenta Corsa or S.L.C.) that was used by the commandos of the Italian Navy for carrying out their underwater missions -

and of course by the recognizable feature that distinguishes all of Panerai’s divers, the iconic lever device that protects the winding crown, which is designed to improve water-resistance and to protect the case from any accidental shocks.



The Luminor Marian has a really lovely minimalist aesthetic, which is emphasized by its simple black dial with a sub-seconds counter at nine o’clock, another distinctive feature of all Luminor Marina models, and a white ring of text at three o’clock that reads ‘8 GIORNI BREVETTATO’ , which means ‘ 8 days patented’ -

a reference to the power reserve of the P.5000 hand-wound manufacture movement that powers the watch, which is indeed eight days and is yet another historic tribute to the long-lasting power reserve of the historic Angelus movements, the first of which also had a sub-seconds counter.



The P.5000, like the Angelus is a hand-wound mechanical movement with 8 days of power-reserve, but that’s where the comparisons stop. The P.5000 was manufactured entirely by Panerai comprising 127 components, it’s specifications include 15 ¾ lignes, 4,5mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance, 21.600 alternations/hour and KIF Parechoc® anti-shock device.

Here’s a little more on Panerai’s choice of steel for fellow geeks - specifically AISI 316L 1.4435 Stainless steel which is Officine Panerai’s metal of choice. As well as being highly resistant to corrosion and it is hypoallergenic, making it comfortable to wear against skin the skin for prolonged periods even when wet with sweat of saltwater.



The Panerai watches that were created for the Italian Navy were made of austenitic Stainless steel, a reliable material that was also resistant to the extreme environmental conditions in which the commandos operated. AISI 316L, a specification of the American Iron and Steel Institute, is an austenitic Stainless steel alloy with a chromium content of 16–18%, 11–14% nickel and 2–3% molybdenum.

Officine Panerai uses the low-carbon variant of this alloy: the lower carbon content of the steel improves its welding qualities where the metal’s thickness is 6mm or less.

Liked this? Watch this VIDEO with Italian journalist and Panerai expert, Giampiero Negretti as he discusses the Florentine brand's birth from the depths of the sea.