Watch World

How Officine Panerai, former supplier to the Royal Italian Navy, conquered the timepiece industry...

- Jared Paul Stern

In the 19 short years since Officine Panerai first became available to the public, the brand has grown into an astonishing success, renowned for a combination of distinctive Italian design and exacting Swiss craftsmanship. But the Panerai story goes back much further, stretching from the secret ministries of the Royal Italian Navy in the 19th century to the chicest boutique in the Miami Design District today. During that time Panerai watches have evolved from indispensable tools for underwater commandos to highly coveted luxury accessories.

What elevates Panerai timepieces and keeps them from becoming mere pieces of jewellery is the brand’s commitment to its maritime heritage and its rigid adherence to the manufacturing standards that made it essential equipment for Italy’s elite frogmen. A Panerai watch is “not simply an instrument for measuring time, but the witness of history, the hero of a story which over time has become a legend,” says Franco Cologni, Ph.D., chairman of the cultural council of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, a Geneva-based organisation that promotes fine watchmaking internationally.