The latest release from Spinnaker is not a repetition of their past designs but rather a watch that brings something new to Spinnaker’s table of watches.
The Sorrento SP-5067 is inspired by a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy, the town of Sorrento. It’s a famous tourist attraction center due to its variety of small antique shops that sell collections of woodwork, ceramics and lacework. The Spinnaker Sorrento takes a cue from wooden hulled speed boats found on the coastlines and ports of this town.
316L Stainless Steel Case
The Sorrento SP-5067 comes in a 43.0 mm wide and 13.60 mm thick case made of solid 316L marine grade stainless steel offering a blend of lightweight and durability. The watch features a fine quality of construction to make it water resistant to a depth of 100m even with the usage of wood.
To evoke the feeling of the coastlines of Sorrento and the wooden speedboats, the bezel of the SP-5067 is made of rosewood within a well-polished stainless-steel casing. The piece of wood is fixed with six pieces screws proportionally spaced around the bezel. The rosewood has been treated to withstand the test of everyday activities.
Over the case is an ever gently domed sapphire crystal lens offering maximum visibility of the dial. Spinnaker finally uses sapphire crystal in place of the hardened mineral crystal that can be found in previous versions of their watches.
Another prominent feature of this watch is the see-through exhibition caseback that allows you to catch a view of the Miyota 8218 movement. This is a trait fast becoming a mainstay in modern watches. However, see-through casebacks on dive watches just add to the list of things that might fail underwater.
Sorrento Dial and Hands
The Sorrento SP-5067 features a textured matte finish dial which displays two oversized Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock with a fine application of lume. The pencil-shaped hands and all other hour markers are also coated with luminous paint to improve the legibility of the watch especially in low-light conditions like when underwater.
The brushed markers and numerals plate are in contrast with the horizontally etched center making it easier to read the time despite the texture of the inner dial.
The SP-5067 also displays a date window at the 3 o’clock position and a seconds subdial display at the 5 o’clock position. The date window has a large polished steel border which distinguishes it from the rest of the dial. At the 12 o’clock position is the Spinnaker logo.
The hands and date are controlled by the screw down crown on the right side of the watch. The crown is very easy to use because it pops out well from the case and also the serrations that allow for effective grip. The Spinnaker logo is deeply engraved on the end which is not actually a problem as some people see it.
The Sorrento SP-5067 is offered in 3 different dials and strap combinations. The seconds subdial and hour markers colors vary in the different combinations.
Miyota Caliber 8218
Powering the Spinnaker Sorrento is the Miyota 8218 automatic Movement made by citizen in Japan. It is a movement commonly found in microbrand watches alongside Seiko NH series movement.
It is a 21-jewelled movement with a power reserve of about 42 hours. The Miyota 8218 offers the hour, minute, small seconds, and the date function, the balance wheel oscillates at a beat rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour.
Miyota states that it keeps accuracy within -20 to 40 seconds per day with a posture difference of under 50 seconds per day. The movement is unhackable and can be wound in only one direction (counterclockwise), it free spins in a clockwise direction. It uses a “parashock” protection system that safeguards the movement while adapting to the wrist’s motion.
The shortcoming of most Miyotas is the loud “tick-tock” sound they make, but If you’re used to quartz watches, the Miyota 8218 shouldn’t be a problem.
Leather Strap
A water-resistant hand-stitched waterproofed genuine leather strap hugs the watch to the wearer with a snug fit. The strap blends with the colors on the dial of all SP-5067 watches. Comfortability is ensured with the lovely thick strap, and the slightly downturned lugs, providing a comfortable hug to the wearer’s wrist. The strap is secured on the wrist with a brushed tang buckle that matches the case. The tang buckle is popular for its relative ease of use, ease of replacement and its cost.
Final Thoughts
The overall build quality of the Spinnaker Sorrento SP-5067 is solid. However, the correlation of the name of the watch to the elements of the watch is quite weak. The Rosewood is a nice attempt to capture the shores of Sorrento; more elements would be needed to represent the place fully. But who cares about the name except for the time you have to brag to your friends about the name of your watch.
Moving on, the Miyota 8218 movement offers reliability and great time-keeping abilities. In general, the Sorrento SP-5067 is a decent effort by Spinnaker to produce a well-made watch that offers functionality, legibility and a bit of style all at a fair price point.
This watch is now available for purchase on the official Spinnaker watches website.
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