Established in 1860, Giovanni Panerai opened his first watch shop in Florence selling Swiss timepieces. The uniqueness of Officine Panerai is the distinctive blend of Swiss technology, Italian design and its connection with the sea. It is historically most known for supplying watches and high precision instruments to the Italian Navy. Panerai have become one of the world’s most well- respected luxury watch brands.
LUMINOR
Introduced in 1950, the highly sought after Panerai Luminor is one of the most popular models. Designed with underwater use in mind, it is both functional and minimalist in its design. Its large, luminous dial is designed for maximum visability, with its most distinguishing features being its impressive water resistance of 300 metres, aided by the crown guard, a power reserve of 56 hours, together with its effective shock-resistant qualities.
RADIOMIR
Panerai spent several years designing a watch with luminous materials in the hope of creating a watch that could be relied on in the dark. This came to fruition in 1936 when the Radomir was presented to the First Submarine Group of the Italian Navy. The soldiers praised both the watch’s durability and performance.
Despite the Luminor replacing the Radomir in 1950, it is still very much sought after by avid Panerai collectors.