Brand new PAM 514 gaining time

[dexson]

Dear MWF..

I know that people out there agreed that buying a Panerai is not for the reason of the most accurate timepiece but to enjoy the history and looks of it.

However, as for my personal case.. spending so much money on an expansive watch (at least it is considered expansive to me, and it took me quite a while on both research and fund preparation) i would expect a piece that will at least give me considerably accurate timekeeping.

This is the 5th day owning my PAM 514. It is gaining around 10-20 seconds a day. I started noticing it after I sync my watch with atomic time and found that it gained roughly 17 seconds the day after (24h later). Repeated the sync yesterday morning and fully wound it. Checked it this morning again and it gained 11 seconds.

I went to the box, pull out the certificate booklet and saw that their tests on the watches on various positions are maximum within +4/-5 s/d. What I am seeing on my watch here is far from their statement.

Should I send it back to Panerai ? Or should i wear it for a little longer and observe more ? Could it be due to a new watch and the movement has not run for a long time and needs time to run-in ?

Any advises would be appreciated.

Apologize for being over-reacting if this is normal 

[CKL1213]

give it few more days...

however by right it should perform within specs out from box

[Everdying]

hmm isnt it a 3hz movement...i would think its abit hard to get it at +4/-5?
seems they used to claim +/-10.

anyway, if it really bothers you, then just bring it to the service center for regulation...ideally should only take a couple days.

[Cocas]

@dexson bro

I will recommend you to send it back for rechecking while still under warranty.

[stone_gossard]

new watch? try give it a month if there is any break in period. u still have plenty of warranty left i assumed ?

[leonggyooi]

Not COCS certified is like that..for panerai I would never buy new. It's like a fashion watch rather horology..

[Timeless]

Just a thought that your watch might be magnetized, perhaps bring it to SC for checking if this really bother u.

[dexson]

Dear MWF
 
Thanks for everyone's advise, suggestion and input on this matter.

Yup. Bought it new have have 23 months+ warranty left. Gonna leave it till end of the month and see if it'll run in which I also doubt. Will send it to panerai early April. Hopefully everything goes well after that.

Some friends told me that sometimes we will face more implications when we get our watch opened.. Finger crossed on this.

Regards

[dexson]

Just a thought that your watch might be magnetized, perhaps bring it to SC for checking if this really bother u.

Told my dealer about this. But they advised that better send it back to panerai to avoid voiding the warranty. So they didn't demagnetize for me.. I'm also thinking about this but the Internet told me that if a watch is magnetized it will gain more than 60s/d..

I wonder..

[Timeless]

I guess not many dealer/3rd party repairer willing to touch an inhouse movement, SC would clear the mist for u then.

[dexson]

UPDATE : It has been almost a month (sent to SC @ 19th March) since I sent my PAM 514 to SC for the purpose of regulating the time gain issue (15-20 seconds/day).. Contacted them and has been told that no updates are available.

 

[D'Andy]

UPDATE : It has been almost a month (sent to SC @ 19th March) since I sent my PAM 514 to SC for the purpose of regulating the time gain issue (15-20 seconds/day).. Contacted them and has been told that no updates are available.

 

To regulate the time and test it thereafter should be quite an easy job. I forgot if it was the Black Bay or Pelagos, that I brought to Rolex to regulate the time under warranty previously; but I remembered that it was a pretty quick affair. And that was for the ETA 2824-2, prior to the in-house caliber; and they did a great job. Perhaps you need to step up on your monitoring with them- 1 month and counting, seemed to be pretty long for such a small job.

[seale_navy]

yea it shouldnt take too long for them to regulate the movement. Do you know if they have ship the watch to Switzerland instead?

[dexson]

yea it shouldnt take too long for them to regulate the movement. Do you know if they have ship the watch to Switzerland instead?

According to AD, they have to send to richmond KL then send it to Richmond Singapore.. KL office do not have a watchmaker..

[dexson]

UPDATE NUMBER 2 :

Just received my PAM 514 recently after 2+ months of waiting.. was super excited to collect it..

But that feeling doesen't last long....

It went from +20spd before sending it back to -20spd now..


Maybe ill just send it to some reliable local watchmaker to regulate instead and settle this once and for all..dont feel like sending it back and wait another 2+ months.

Any reliable watchmaker that you guys can recommend ? Your kind pm is much appreciated.

Regards

[chenht]

I guess most Panerai owners have to live with this problem.  I have a 312 (bought new) and notice the same problem. I have a 20 years old Rolex with no service but it is keeping perfect time. The contrast between the  two watches is huge.

[Cocas]

As long as it goes well with your dress code and the watch makes you happy. To me the +/-20spd is not a big deal......

[dexson]

I guess most Panerai owners have to live with this problem.  I have a 312 (bought new) and notice the same problem. I have a 20 years old Rolex with no service but it is keeping perfect time. The contrast between the  two watches is huge.

Did you do anything with your 312 ? Or have you just accepted it and kept it as it is ?

[dexson]

As long as it goes well with your dress code and the watch makes you happy. To me the +/-20spd is not a big deal......

No doubt I am happy with the watch.. Just that when i think that my Ball Engineer master aviator runs 4 times more accurate than this 4 times more expansive watch I feel very "lauya".. if you get what i mean.

Based on your experience, is it a "norm" for this movement to behave like this  ? If it is.. I might as well give up regulating it and take it as it is.

[davidtth]

sorry to say but i'm disappointed for most of the PAM i owned, none are accurate altho with COSC or send back to service center etc. My guess is u gonna live with it

is a nice looking watch, but sad for their movement regardless in house or ETA

[chenht]

I guess most Panerai owners have to live with this problem.  I have a 312 (bought new) and notice the same problem. I have a 20 years old Rolex with no service but it is keeping perfect time. The contrast between the  two watches is huge.

Did you do anything with your 312 ? Or have you just accepted it and kept it as it is ?

I did nothing. I was disappopinted in the beginning but I got over it soon. I just treat it like a fancy watch and give up on its accuracy.

[D'Andy]

Given that the P.3000 is an in-house movement, I would opine to leave it as it is rather than to risk an external watchsmith opening up the caseback and invalidating the warranty. If Panerai could't sort out the problem despite having it for 2 months, then you might as well just live with the situation. In any case, the Radiomir 1940 case is a beautiful piece of work, so at least you have a relatively accurate watch in a pretty handsome case.

[meoramri]

Better not void the warranty.

Wear it for a few months before deciding what to do next. IMHO +20 (or -20) spd error is livable. I would also like to suggest you check accuracy only once in two weeks instead of daily.
   

[dexson]

Given that the P.3000 is an in-house movement, I would opine to leave it as it is rather than to risk an external watchsmith opening up the caseback and invalidating the warranty. If Panerai could't sort out the problem despite having it for 2 months, then you might as well just live with the situation. In any case, the Radiomir 1940 case is a beautiful piece of work, so at least you have a relatively accurate watch in a pretty handsome case.

Thanks for your input. I guess ill be leaving it as it is for now and enjoy the lovely watch first.

[dexson]

Better not void the warranty.

Wear it for a few months before deciding what to do next. IMHO +20 (or -20) spd error is livable. I would also like to suggest you check accuracy only once in two weeks instead of daily.
 

Thanks for your input. Decided to keep it for now rather than send it back or send it to an external watchmaker. Also will monitor the rate from time to time and see if it improves. Maybe finding a resting position will decrease the error over time.