The Making of an Officine Panerai Watch

Officine Panerai’s historic Florence boutique in Piazza San Giovanni, which was opened in 1860, recently got a facelift and to celebrate the occasion, the Italian watchmaker has released the Radiomir Firenze 3 Days Acciaio. The limited edition of 99 pieces, which highlight the savoir faire of Florence artisans in steel engraving, will only be available at the boutique.

Like the inlays that adorn the marble facades of a Florentine church, the engravings enhance the structure of the case, covering the case band and the winding crown with geometric figures and lilies, the emblem of the Tuscan city.

Each case requires more than a week of work on the part of one engraver. The motifs are first drawn as a temporary outline – using powdered chalk or magnesium powder – and then engraved with a burin. Very thin parallel lines engraved on the surface give depth to the design, accentuating the contrasts between light and dark.

Recognizing the city where Officine Panerai was founded and the inspiration of this unique model, Florence is inscribed on the black dial in characters that are typical of vintage Panerai watches.

as first published in Blouin Lifestyle magazine