Special Mission

Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué reflects on the most impactful initiatives he has introduced since stepping into the role five years ago, from exclusive owner experiences to sustainability programmes

- Annabel Tan

This June, Panerai unveiled Casa Panerai, its new global flagship—and largest boutique to date—on Madison Avenue in New York. It is but one of several major milestones the Italian watch manufacturer has had in the past few years, especially since Jean‑Marc Pontroué joined as CEO in 2018.

With Pontroué at the helm, Panerai has opened about 100 boutiques around the world in the space of five years. This fiscal year alone, it will open 35 new stores. “We’re continuing to expand the brand’s visibility, which is much more spectacular than what we’ve had before,” Pontroué tells Tatler when he was in town this May to introduce Panerai’s 2023 novelties. “Ten years ago, the principle was still very much to be in multi‑brand stores, with just a couple of boutiques, but today, the focus is on our boutiques. It’s a big transformation and decision. The best platform to really showcase a brand today is through a mono‑brand platform.”

Not only is Pontroué growing the brand’s presence and visibility, he has also been nurturing its relationship with customers by offering them rare, once‑in‑a‑lifetime experiences only available through Panerai, such as free diving in Bora Bora with French free diving champion Guillaume Néry, and training with the Italian special forces. Each one of these unique experiences is tied to a limited‑edition Panerai watch, neither of which can be purchased independently.