Panerai Calibre P.2002 In-House Movement

Jester's original post offers a rare glimpse into Panerai's in-house movement development, specifically the Calibre P.2002. This article distills key insights from his discussion with Panerai experts, shedding light on the design philosophy and technical advancements that define this pivotal movement. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of Panerai's commitment to integrating historical inspiration with modern horological innovation.

Just attended the 1997 - 2007 exhibition and it was a wonderful exhibition, to say the least.   Got to spend some time w/ a few experts from Firenze and we had a very nice discussion on some background information and insights on the in house movement:

-Was OP XIV used as a bench mark when developing the Calibre 2002?

No, the OP XIV was not taken as a bench mark. The Calibre P.2002 was born with the purpose to integrate some useful complications in the future: the design of the movement has been studied in order to have only integrated movements and not modular ones.
Moreover the first in-house movement had to express the core DNA of Panerai: the 8-day power reserve was inspired by the Angelus movements of the 1940s. The difficulty was to achieve a stable accuracy over a full 8 days power reserve. The solution was provided with the use of three barrels; they work together in order to maintain a constant amplitude.  
The second reset mechanism was also inspired by the past; when the Italian commandos went on a mission, they had to synchronize their watches in order to coordinate their actions. A difference of a few seconds could mean life or death.
The GMT function, using 2 hands indicating 12 and 24 hours, was inspired by the modern world: today lots of people travel and they need a second time zone indicator.      


-In theory, was the performance of P2002 superior to OP XIV? If so, in what respect? If not, why not?

Yes, the performance of the Calibre P.2002 is superior to the OP XIV. The functions of both movements are completely different. For example, the Calibre OP XIV has a double spring barrel whereas the P.2002 has three barrels in series to provide excellent time-measuring performance throughout the whole period of 8 days.
On the OP XIV, the balance spring is adjusted by micrometer screw “swan-neck” regulator and on the Calibre P.2002, the balance wheel ring incorporates four micro-screws diametrically opposed to each other which enables the rate of the balance to be adjusted. By turning these screws it is possible to adjust the rate of the watch by modifying the moment of inertia of the balance, a method giving greater stability and accuracy than the traditional method of regulation by moving an index, which operates by changing the effective length of the balance spring.
Furthermore, the balance spring is protected from shocks by two projections under the balance bridge which limit its movement.
Finally, the balance wheel bridge is fixed on both sides with 2 screws. This provides a higher stability than a bridge fixed only on one side.  

-Any reason why P2002 was not taken to the next level by being COSC certified?

The first reason is that Panerai did not want to give the responsibility of testing its movements to another entity. The tests for the COSC certificate are performed on a movement which is uncased. Once the movements have been tested by the COSC institute, they are sent back to the Manufacture to be assembled and the accuracy of the movement is at risks during the transportation, when the movement is exposed to thermal variation and when it is cased. Controlling its own movements, Panerai wants to reduce the number of stages between the tests and the casing.

Another reason is that COSC certifies only the accuracy of the movement. Panerai has planned some very strict performance tests applied not only to the movement but to the watch as a whole with all its components. According to the Panerai tests, the movements are tested before and after the casing up. Panerai certifies that not only the movement but every single component meets the strictest standards of high-quality watchmaking. All these tests are clearly explained in the booklet that accompanies the watch.

-Any other concern/issue taken into consideration during the development of P2002?
 
The main difficulty lay in the fact that the Calibre P.2002 had to be a base for a large array of integrated useful complications without making any compromise in performance for each new Calibres.  


-Who else provided input in the development of the movement?
Panerai CEO, Angelo Bonati came up with the original idea and then it was a team work. Panerai always works in team.

-The balance wheel of the watch is small, some may consider that a drawback. What do you think of that?

The longer the power reserve, the harder it is to have a perfect chronometric stability: during the development of the Calibre P.2002, it was of the biggest importance for Panerai to find the best compromise between the chronometric performance and the power reserve.
A 4 HZ frequency has been preferred to a 3 HZ frequency in order to have an excellent chronometry. The next step was to choose the biggest balance wheel which could guarantee a power reserve superior to 8 days.
The result is that the P.2002 Calibre has a perfect reliability.
Considering exclusively an aesthetical point of view, a bigger balance-wheel (3HZ) could have been selected, but as Panerai is a technical watch brand, the technical quality and the stable accuracy were the priorities.


-The new cal. 2002/03/04 appear to use similar movement architecture and components. Can you elaborate on the strengths and weaknesses of using a shared platform?

There are no weaknesses on the Calibre P.2002, only strengths: as we said before, it has been developed in order to integrate some useful complications; the common parts are similar in order to simplify the task of the watchmakers who are working in the after-sale service for example.

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added to Editor's Pick   -Anthony