If the words Pre-Vendome, Black Seal, Marina Militare, SLC, Maiale, Egiziano, or Bronzo mean anything to you, then you’ve probably been into Panerai for much longer than you dare to admit. Or you might have been spending an unhealthy amount of time obsessing about the most collectible and most desirable models whether past or present. Truth is, everybody has been into Panerai at some point in their watch collecting journey, everybody has felt the emotional appeal of Panerai. But not everybody truly knows how deep the brand actually goes in terms of contemporary watchmaking, how nuanced its brand identity really is. That is what Alessandro Ficarelli considers the most under-explored facet of Panerai right now, and why the brand is on a mission to create fun and unique shared experiences with its clientele.

“We put a lot of emphasis on history because it is something beyond the watch. It is important for us, to this day, to tell the story behind the functional tool watches of Panerai,” says the Chief Marketing Officer.

Indeed, to love Panerai is to understand and appreciate why its watches look the way they do. Why does the Luminor have a crown guard? Why does the Radiomir have loop lugs? Why the sandwich dial? Why is it always about luminosity and water resistance? And for the most part, why are they so big? Well, all the better to see them with, since Panerai always prioritizes legibility in all its watches. And wouldn’t you know it, there was a time when people actually favored extra-large watches, especially those that are large and yet ergonomically designed so they remain comfortable on the wrist.

“So Panerai watches were born for a reason, and this is till today, an important element of everything we create,” he adds.

A Unique Watchmaking Approach

Because of this storied origin that goes back to the time of WW2 and the Royal Italian Navy, Panerai was always associated with creating practical instruments and tool watches. As a result, people were quickly drawn to the striking simplicity of its iconic designs. Designs which, till today, continue to captivate new audiences who gravitate naturally to Panerai’s modern, sporty spirit.

But Panerai today is much more than a maker of military tool watches. Since the establishment of its own manufacture in 2002, it has amassed a staggering product portfolio that includes a dual-axis tourbillon, a perpetual calendar, an annual calendar, a chronograph with minutes countdown, regatta-themed chronographs and of course the classic GMT.

Ficarelli further elaborates, “The objective is to offer choice to our most loyal customers who love complications, but complications in a Panerai way. These are watches we have developed in our manufacture in Neuchatel, unique to Panerai.” When Panerai launched its first tourbillon caliber P.2005, the dial was totally concealed and the only way to see the tourbillon was through the open case back. Everything was very discreet, simplicity in design was paramount, practicality was key. Likewise with the perpetual calendar P.4100 caliber, there are no correctors and the calendar information was distributed across front and back. Information which you require daily like date, day and second time zone was positioned on the dial, and others like month, leap year and power reserve go on the back.

Apart from technical innovation on movements, Panerai has also made significant inroads with respect to materials innovation. Always on the lookout for new, high-performance materials from within and without the watchmaking industry, the manufacture is known to produce watches in futuristic materials such as BMG-Steel, CarboTech, Ti-Ceramitech, along with the usual suspects like steel, ceramic and titanium. There are also models crafted in eco-friendly materials such as esteel or Eco-Titanium, and of course platinum and gold, as well as bronze which is an incredibly attractive material for a Panerai watch.

Suffice it to say, the engineers and watchmakers at Panerai are always experimenting with something new and interesting. It is, after all, the Laboratorio di Idee. “Behind every watch, every development, every novelty, there are choices. Aesthetic choices, technical choices… that are important to explain to our customers,” says Ficarelli. “We cannot only develop 47mm round watches with two or three hands, we cannot only develop for the purists, or only for Paneristis, but we must continue to have this offer for them while also attracting new customers.”

So the brand is presently navigating an interesting crossroads where lifelong diehard fans and new lifestyle audiences intersect. But rather than allow these two, arguably dichotomous, groups to pull it in opposite directions, Panerai has found a better solution: shared experiences. Since pre-Covid times, it has curated a number of highly exclusive, one-of-a-kind global events for some of its best customers.

Panerai Xperiences Program

In 2019 the Panerai Xperiences Program has travelled to multiple exotic locations all around the world including the North Pole where Panerai ambassador the explorer-adventurer Mike Horn completed not one, not two, but three major expeditions, the first of which, Arktos, inspired the special edition Luminor 44mm PAM00092.

While that sounds super fun and memorable, destinations in the Panerai Xperiences Program are never arbitrarily selected. They have all been carefully curated to immerse the Panerai customer in an important aspect of the brand. There was Barcelona for a once in every three-to-four-year opportunity to cheer on Panerai partner Team Luna Rossa at the America’s Cup. There was Florence for a splendorous walk down memory lane in Panerai’s beautiful home city. There was La Spezia for an intense 2-day bootcamp with Comsubin, the Italian Navy Military Special Forces.

And for 2025 there will be Bhutan (once again with Mike Horn) in March and Taormina in May to discover the breath-taking landscapes of Sicily complete with a cruise around the island aboard the magnificent Eilean. These experiences were crafted specially for a small selection of limited edition models as the best way to fully express what the Panerai world is all about.

“Panerai is a very emotional brand,” says Ficarelli. “Experiencing the brand is very important. When you enter the Panerai ecosystem, when you are a Paneristi, you act and react as if the brand were yours. This is great, I think many brands would love this.”

And the great thing about this strategy is that the relationship between brand and customer will only deepen with time. Alessandro Ficarelli also shares that the manufacture had recently acquired the original Panerai family home near Florence and are currently in the restoration phase. He reveals, “Of course there is a lot of work to be done at this moment. The villa is not far from the city center, just a couple of kilometers away, overlooking the city. That was indeed the laboratory where Panerai began, where Giuseppe Panerai worked on his research, producing the instruments, tools and everything.”

Once ready, Villa Panerai will be presented to the world and we could only imagine how perfect a location it would be to discover the pioneering, inventive spirit of the founding Panerai family. And Panerai enthusiasts would finally be able to revisit the heritage home of this beautiful brand — after spending “too much” time at the iconic boutique on Piazza San Giovanni in the heart of Florence. Picture this: wandering the grounds of the very home of Panerai, under the glorious Tuscan sun, looking out at rolling hills and Cyprus trees, with a beautiful Luminor or Radiomir on your wrist. Just promise you won’t get too emotional.