Does the Italian-spirited Swiss get the attention it deserves?
Panerai was one of the brands I discovered when my interest in mechanical watches started. The simple dials in those huge and unusually shaped cases were both very different and very interesting to me. It was more like love at first sight for me when I wore a Panerai on my wrist for the first time. The Luminor models had a unique crown guard. Radiomir's lugs were made of twisted wires. I was very impressed by details like those. More importantly, I was not alone.
There was a group of people who called themselves Paneristi. Thousands of people from all over the world came together on the internet and shared their love for the brand. These sharing topics have long exceeded the interest in the brand and its models. Paneristi had become one big family. They also met in real life. They managed to bring the friendship established in the virtual environment to real life.
As I write these lines today, I understand much better how successful and great the Paneristi community is, the foundations of which were laid years ago. No watch brand in the world could have managed to gather such a large number of people without a commercial purpose. This had a profound effect on me.
Of course, the reasons that fueled my interest in the brand were not limited to these. Panerai had an abundant history. The history Panerai had was a blessing, given how much the names and brand values in the luxury watch industry are connected to stories.
The new identity feature gained especially with the strap change
was an exceptionally successful campaign that became synonymous
with the DNA of Panerai models. So much so that the straps were
changed as soon as the watches were bought. A Panerai owner always
bought straps of different colors and materials with his watch.
Each new strap brought felt like a new watch.
The brand was promoting its new models that came out one after another as if they were jumped from the dusty pages of history. In particular, Paneristi was struggling to reach the limited production models introduced every year. How can we forget the launch of the Panerai Luminor PAM00372? It was a blast! Or what about Submersible PAM00382, the pioneer of the bronze watch industry?
From Radiomirs with California dials to Luminors, which were known as high-end watches despite being powered by Unitas calibers, every move of Panerai made a big impact in the world of watches. Then something happened.
think the first blow came with the second bronze Submersible, which was introduced after Angelo Bonati, who was the CEO of Panerai in those years, said in an interview that "the only watch with a bronze case will be the PAM00382". It was commercially a positive move, but it also shook the trust of loyal enthusiasts of the brand. Limited edition models were beginning to repeat the productions of previous years. For Panerai enthusiasts, their watches had an investment value. Watches produced in limited quantities were changing hands well above the list prices, but the new versions of the brand began to negatively affect the values of those previous models. The cold winds blowing in the Paneristi group caused tension among the enthusiasts of the brand.
Panerai was changing its identity. The Italian spirit of the brand was in the process of being renewed, and this was not received well by some hardcore fans. Searching for new markets and new clientele had offended the old fanatics.
Today, Panerai is still among the brands that put their signature on original and remarkable luxury watch models. The brand's new models signal that it is advancing with smaller but solid steps. Panerai has the distinction of being one of the best choices to go to be different these days when everyone else looks the same. The legacy of years is reborn from the ashes. It is possible to see the effects of this renewal in the most recent collection. I hope this Italian gentleman regains his old glory as soon as possible and the Swiss watch industry, which broke ground on monopolization, returns to its exciting times.
