If there is a brand that sparks off enthusiasm on a planetary scale these days, it is OFFICINE PANERAI. How, from a watch making brand known only by collectors of military watches, with a so limited production, the VENDÃâ€ME/RICHEMONT Group have turned it into an absolute Must ?
In the space of a few years, OFFICINE PANERAI has changed our behaviour towards watches. The LUMINOR models have imposed on fashion their XXL cases, and ever since then, the average diameter of our watches has gone from 38 to 42 cm. (So when do we get the shirt cuffs to match?)
Giovanni Panerai was born in Florence, capital city of Tuscany (and briefly capital city of the new Kingdom of Italy at that time) in 1825.
In 1850, Giovanni Panerai opened a small watch-making store, G. PANERAI & Co on le Ponte alle Grazie (Pont des Grâces), in Florence.
In 1876 PANERAI settled at 3, Place San Giovanni, in the Palais de l’Archevêché, after several changes of address (Rue Cavour, Rue Cimatori, Cours Volta, Rue Bixo, Rue Aminci, and Place Galiléo Ferraris)
Giovanni Panerai died in 1897 and Léon Francesco Panerai(1851-1918) succeeded his father, expanding the business and wedding Giustina Toricelli (1853-1916). Their marriage produced four children: Guido, Emma, Dario et Pilade.
In 1900 the name OROLOGERIA SVIZZERA (Horlogerie Suisse) was added to the store, and by 1907 The family business wasn’t just a watch sales outlet, but also a large store of spare parts, accessories and tools for precision mechanisms.An adjoining workshop dealt with repairs and the assembly of watch parts that arrived from Switzerland, and also the first School of Horology in Florence. The 1907 edition of the PANERAI catalogue, with a print run of 50,000 copies, was the biggest watchmaking catalogue in the world. It presented every model the Swiss watch industry produced, from the most modestly priced to the most expensive.
PANERAI became a representative of ROLEX, VACHERON & CONSTANTIN, LONGINES, ANGELUS, BUREN, MOVADO and PATEK PHILIPPE.
In 1914, Guido Panerai (Grandson) went into partnership with Carlo Ronconi, a relative and Naval officer, and this was the start of close collaboration and the beginning of the RADIOMIR objective. In 1915 PANERAI patented this innovation and it enabled them to deliver thousands of rifle, cannon and torpedo objectives.
In 1917, Carlo Ronconi ceded his share to Guido Panerai who decided to use the RADIOMIR procedure to produce dials, altimeters, compasses and tachymeters. New patents were taken out in Italy, France, England and the United States.A close collaboration then developed between PANERAI and the Italian Navy.
In 1918 Léon Francesco Panerai died. His son Guido (1873-1934) took over and further developed the business created by his grandfather Giovanni; he wed Guglielmina Fracei and they had two children Giuseppe et Maria.
In 1920, Guido Panerai and his son Giuseppe (great-grandson of Giovanni Panerai) came up with the design of a new chronograph: MARE NOSTRUM.
In 1934 Guido died, and his son Giuseppe Panerai (1903-1972) devoted himself almost exclusively to the supply of equipment to the Italian National Navy, while his sister Maria (1897-1993) took care of the horology store at Piazza del Duomo.
In 1936, the company delivered a top-secret prototype of the RADOMIR WATCH to the Italian Navy for an ultra-confidential military project ordered by the 1st Italian submarine group. This prototype was made using a luminescent radium-based material, which was later replaced by tritium, and more recently by Luminova. 1938 was the transition year from prototype to production; 47mm diameter, caliber ROLEX 16-line and 15 rubies, with plexi-glass crystal.
In 1942 appeared the exclusive winding crown lever system known as the Déclic, which enabled diving to a depth of 200M, an absolute outright record for the time.
TRANSLUX, ELUX and LUMINOR were patented in 1945 (along with RADIOMIR.)
During the 1950s, PANERAI OFFICINE supplied 50 special models to the Egyptian army.
The firm prospered from one generation to another for a century and a half, always in the hands of a member of the Panerai family. In 1980, Maria Teresa Abetti Panerai, widow of Giuseppe, took the direction of mark with competence and passion, producing a prototype for a titanium watch, capable or resisting water pressure to a depth of 1000 m.
In 1993, two limited editions of the LUMINOR 44 mm and the MARE NOSTRUM were for the first time sold on the civilian market, and PANERAI OFFICINE entered into the period known as ââ¬Å“PRE-VENDÃâ€ME.â€
In the space of a few years, OFFICINE PANERAI has changed our behaviour towards watches. The LUMINOR models have imposed on fashion their XXL cases, and ever since then, the average diameter of our watches has gone from 38 to 42 cm. (So when do we get the shirt cuffs to match?)
Giovanni Panerai was born in Florence, capital city of Tuscany (and briefly capital city of the new Kingdom of Italy at that time) in 1825.
In 1850, Giovanni Panerai opened a small watch-making store, G. PANERAI & Co on le Ponte alle Grazie (Pont des Grâces), in Florence.
In 1876 PANERAI settled at 3, Place San Giovanni, in the Palais de l’Archevêché, after several changes of address (Rue Cavour, Rue Cimatori, Cours Volta, Rue Bixo, Rue Aminci, and Place Galiléo Ferraris)
Giovanni Panerai died in 1897 and Léon Francesco Panerai(1851-1918) succeeded his father, expanding the business and wedding Giustina Toricelli (1853-1916). Their marriage produced four children: Guido, Emma, Dario et Pilade.
In 1900 the name OROLOGERIA SVIZZERA (Horlogerie Suisse) was added to the store, and by 1907 The family business wasn’t just a watch sales outlet, but also a large store of spare parts, accessories and tools for precision mechanisms.An adjoining workshop dealt with repairs and the assembly of watch parts that arrived from Switzerland, and also the first School of Horology in Florence. The 1907 edition of the PANERAI catalogue, with a print run of 50,000 copies, was the biggest watchmaking catalogue in the world. It presented every model the Swiss watch industry produced, from the most modestly priced to the most expensive.
PANERAI became a representative of ROLEX, VACHERON & CONSTANTIN, LONGINES, ANGELUS, BUREN, MOVADO and PATEK PHILIPPE.
In 1914, Guido Panerai (Grandson) went into partnership with Carlo Ronconi, a relative and Naval officer, and this was the start of close collaboration and the beginning of the RADIOMIR objective. In 1915 PANERAI patented this innovation and it enabled them to deliver thousands of rifle, cannon and torpedo objectives.
In 1917, Carlo Ronconi ceded his share to Guido Panerai who decided to use the RADIOMIR procedure to produce dials, altimeters, compasses and tachymeters. New patents were taken out in Italy, France, England and the United States.A close collaboration then developed between PANERAI and the Italian Navy.
In 1918 Léon Francesco Panerai died. His son Guido (1873-1934) took over and further developed the business created by his grandfather Giovanni; he wed Guglielmina Fracei and they had two children Giuseppe et Maria.
In 1920, Guido Panerai and his son Giuseppe (great-grandson of Giovanni Panerai) came up with the design of a new chronograph: MARE NOSTRUM.
In 1934 Guido died, and his son Giuseppe Panerai (1903-1972) devoted himself almost exclusively to the supply of equipment to the Italian National Navy, while his sister Maria (1897-1993) took care of the horology store at Piazza del Duomo.
In 1936, the company delivered a top-secret prototype of the RADOMIR WATCH to the Italian Navy for an ultra-confidential military project ordered by the 1st Italian submarine group. This prototype was made using a luminescent radium-based material, which was later replaced by tritium, and more recently by Luminova. 1938 was the transition year from prototype to production; 47mm diameter, caliber ROLEX 16-line and 15 rubies, with plexi-glass crystal.
In 1942 appeared the exclusive winding crown lever system known as the Déclic, which enabled diving to a depth of 200M, an absolute outright record for the time.
TRANSLUX, ELUX and LUMINOR were patented in 1945 (along with RADIOMIR.)
During the 1950s, PANERAI OFFICINE supplied 50 special models to the Egyptian army.
The firm prospered from one generation to another for a century and a half, always in the hands of a member of the Panerai family. In 1980, Maria Teresa Abetti Panerai, widow of Giuseppe, took the direction of mark with competence and passion, producing a prototype for a titanium watch, capable or resisting water pressure to a depth of 1000 m.
In 1993, two limited editions of the LUMINOR 44 mm and the MARE NOSTRUM were for the first time sold on the civilian market, and PANERAI OFFICINE entered into the period known as ââ¬Å“PRE-VENDÃâ€ME.â€
