A life devoted to exploration, supported by Panerai. “If your dreams do not scare you, they are not big enough.” – Mike Horn.
We’d be safe to call Mike Horn, one of the greatest living explorers and adventurers. This wonderful man is also one of Panerai's oldest brand ambassadors. Let's take a look at Mike Horn's adventures, which started with dreams, sadness, coincidences and plenty of sightseeing and continued with the support of Panerai.
Mike Horn was born in 1966 in Johannesburg, South Africa. His father, who was a professional rugby player, influenced Horn and he became interested in sports as well as a vibrant lifestyle. His goal was to become an athlete successful enough to participate in the Olympics, but in those years South Africa was going through a turbulent period, and this man, who was in love with sports, suddenly found himself in the middle of the war. Meanwhile, Mike Horn's role model, his father, lost his battle with cancer. This made Horn change the post-war order with a radical decision and move to Chateau-d’Oex. At this point, one of the best happenings in his life took place, and Mike met his future wife, Cathy. The passionate couple married afterward and had two children. From this point on, Mike Horn began his discoveries and adventures, never forgetting his respect and responsibility for nature. Mike's wife, Cathy, died of breast cancer in 2015. Today Mike Horn continues to lead adventurers in many areas, including professional sports consultancy, reality show host and personal trips and continues to impress the millions with his environmentalist-conscious activist attitude.
Now let's take a look at this wonderful man's connection to Panerai. Panerai has been collaborating with Mike Horn for many years and supporting him in his adventures. There are also limited edition timepieces dedicated to Mike Horn. The first limited edition watch dedicated to Horn by the brand is the PAM00092 Luminor Arktos. Based on the 44mm diameter stainless steel Luminor Submersible model, the watch features a compass bezel and a unique dial design. The model, which was limited to 500 units only, had a self-winding caliber and was water-resistant to 300 meters.
The second fruit of the partnership came in 2006 with the reference PAM00252 Luminor North Pole GMT. The 44mm diameter stainless steel case was housing a GMT function movement and a blue dial. The model was limited to 500 units and had an anti-magnetic feature.
In 2008, the PAM00307 Luminor 1950 Pangea Depth Gauge, which was an extraordinary model for Panerai, introduced in collaboration with Mike Horn. The thickness of the 47mm diameter titanium case exceeded 20mm due to the electronic depth-gauge module built into it, which made it one of the boldest case designs in the history of the brand. Produced in a limited edition of 500 units, the model also tribute to Mike Horn's passion for the oceans.
In 2016, the brand introduced the PAM00719 Luminor Submersible. The model, which is limited to 500 units only, refers to Mike Horn’s three –year adventure around the poles with its Pole 2 Pole text and yellow details.
Finally, here we are with the latest models for Horn, PAM984, and PAM985. Recycled titanium 47mm cases, recycled PET straps, in-house movements, a unique bezel design... Briefly, there are very specific details about PAM984 and PAM985. Even more interesting is that while the PAM984 is a standard production model, the PAM985 is limited to 19 units only and these 19 lucky people will have the opportunity to participate in a discovery event with Mike Horn himself.
Panerai offers Horn signed case backs in all its Mike Horn editions that are inspired by nature and the sea. I believe Panerai should be appreciated for supporting someone who strives to preserve and show us the beauties of our planet. Yes, it is possible to find other celebrities who may be more famous and trendy for the brand, but I believe that the codes of the Panerai DNA and the expectations of its fellow fans are much more compatible with such social responsibility projects. I hope that we will have the opportunity to meet other timepieces more advanced, more environmentally friendly and will not fail to reflect the Panerai spirit.
