The finest Italian craftsmanship can probably be found in painting and sculpture, and as such, Florence-based Panerai has invited local craftsmen who are familiar with the traditional carving process to decorate its latest watch cover in the Chinese Zodiac limited editions.

First launched in 2009, so far the Luminor 1950 Sealand series has released watches dedicated to the Ox, the Tiger, the Rabbit, the Dragon, the Snake, the Horse, the Goat, the Monkey and the Rooster. The upcoming tenth watch, Luminor 1950 Sealand 3 Days Automatic Acciaio (PAM00858), is dedicated to the Year of the Dog and limited to 88 watches. Each watch case cover is hand-carved by experienced Italian craftsman using the ancient technique named after its tool “sparsello”. Grooves are created in the steel, then the outlines of the dog are inlaid with with multiple layers of gold threads and beaten to make sure the grooves are definitely filled. The cover will be polished before completing the whole process.

The special edition watch features the 44 mm Luminor 1950 case, P.9000 automatic calibre, two barrels, a 3-day power reserve and is water resistant up to 100 metres. It is paired with a retro looking brown leather strap and a spare black rubber strap.