The fake Panerai Radiomir Firenze 3 Days Accaiaio is a ticking, breathtakingly decorated tribute to the city of Florence which is limited to 99 pieces and is distinguished by finely engraved, historical motifs of the city of Florence, capital of Tuscany, which adorn not only the 47-mm-diameter, brushed steel case, but also the movement, a heavily altered version of fake Panerai’s in-house, hand-wound P.3000 caliber, with a three-day power reserve. The engraving on the case is executed entirely by hand, which makes each watch, in a sense, a unique piece. The movement bridges are similarly laser-engraved. The decorative elements recall the inlaid ornamentation on the facades of Florentine churches; among the most prominent motifs is the Florentine lily, the symbol that has represented the city since the 11th century.
Each fake case demands a full week of work by a single engraver which means that the process is particularly difficult due to the hardness of the case material. The geometric and floral patterns must first be delineated with chalk or magnesium powder before being engraved with a burin, a specialized steel cutting tool. The engraving is, of course, the last step of the casemaking process, performed on a fully finished case, meaning that any error by the engraver would ruin the work already done by those in the assembly line before him.
The black dial, enhanced with a satiné soleil finish, features another example of the Florentine lily, directly below the central hour and minute hands and above the notation “Firenze” (Florence). Formed by two superimposed disks with a layer of luminous paint in the center. The hour and minute hands are also treated for nighttime luminescence. The case is water-resistant to 100 meters.
The fake watch’s clear sapphire caseback yields a view of Caliber P.3000/F, with its four large, brushed, immaculately engraved bridges protecting the wheelwork of the movement. One of the bridges also anchors the large, 13.2-mm-diameter balance wheel, which oscillates at 21,600 vph. In addition to its 72-hour power reserve, the movement is equipped with another user-friendly feature, a device that enables the hour hand to be adjusted quickly, backward or forward, without interfering with the running of the minute hand.
Continuing the Tuscan theme, the fake Panerai Radiomir Firenze 3 Days Acciaio comes on an Italian-made brown leather strap with beige stitching; the Florentine lily makes one more appearance here, as a heat-stamped emblem. The watch is limited to 99 pieces and priced at 25,000 euros. If you’re reading this in the U.S., however, expect to add some travel costs to that: it will only be available exclusively at the Panerai boutique in Florence.