So I was hanging out with some guys that were somewhat keen watch collectors, not the loony kind we have here, but blokes with some money and an inclination towards timepieces. There were a few APs, a Patek Calatrava, many Rolexes and my Omega. I'm asked by my brother to come over and tell a mate of his what I think of his Panerai.

Now for background, this guy is a property developer, a pretty big deal, owns several resorts, housing estates and so-on. Also a very serious guy, great heart, but you get the distinct impression that his enemies don't last long.

So this is a picture of the watch I'm looking at, see if you can spot the problem:



So this is how the discussion goes:

Me: Can you take that off your wrist mate so I can have a closer look?
Him: (quizzical look) Ah yea I guess

*hands me the watch*

Me: Where did you buy this?
Him: I got it from the AD here on the Gold Coast
Me: You sure about that?

Him: Shit mate you're starting to scare me, yea its not fake or anything

*I wind the crown to see if the power reserve works*

Him: You're just winding me up mate there's no way its fake
Me: Well yea just a sec
Him: Come on what can be wrong with it?

*holds it up for him*

Me: See how it says "Luminor GMT" on the dial?
Him: Yeap?
Me: Why isn't there a GMT hand?

*he takes it out of my hand, looks at it up close from every angle*

Him: What the F*CK!?!?
Me: You see what I mean?
Him: Where the F*CK IS MY GMT HAND?!!?

My Brother: BAHAHAHAHAAHA YOU BOUGHT A FAKE YOU SILLY BASTARD

Me: Well that or something's up is all
Him: I'm going to find those bastards, and I'm going to kill the pr*cks
Him: How the F*CK can an AD sell a fake?!?
Me: Has it ever been serviced?
Him: ... Actually yes once, it was dropped not long after I got it and it was sent away for servicing by the AD that sold it to me
Me: Ah yea dude, might want to ask them if they had any parts leftover after servicing it...

*puts it back on his wrist*

Him: I'm going to get the boys, and head around there first thing tomorrow, and they're either going to give me a new watch or my $8.5k back.

 

Thing with these Panerais is there are like 200 of them that all look nearly the same, when you go to an AD they can special order or you can buy off the shelf, and they usually only have a couple in stock. This guy wanted a Luminor with the 1950 3 day automatic movement, and liked the power reserve so he went for it. This model is actually called a PAM321 and the GMT hand is small, subtle, and very hard to read as there are no hour markers, its very easy to miss, especially if you'd just bought the watch and only got it back after a few months at servicing not long after original purchase.

 

Its definitely real, the movement looks entirely legit and the power reserve etc all work correctly.

 

The AD in question is well-known, international. I wonder who did the actual service work?

He could always swap the GMT for something more unique, like the Jules Vern rice-cooker edition.

 

The power reserve hand has a tail on the back end of it like a counterbalance, and that's what's covering it up.

 

Turns out... the GMT hand was hidden under the 24H hand, so when he went off on the store, it had re-emerged and he just looked looked like a psycho lol