PANERAI OFFICINE COMES TO CANADA’S PACIFIC COAST
Vancouver’s Luxury Row has another addition worth celebrating in the new Panerai Boutique. Telling watch aficionados about the merits of a Panerai watch is preaching to the choir. Panerai’s timepieces are so well known in collector circles, that some find it hard to believe the brand’s watches have only been available commercially since 1997, when the company was acquired by the Richemont Group.
Panerai’s history, of course, goes back much further, to 1860, when Giovanni Panerai opened Officine Panerai in Florence, Italy, and it was under the leadership of the founder’s grandson, Guido Panerai, that Officine Panerai became the official supplier of watches and precision instruments to the Regia Marina (the Royal Italian Navy) by 1900.
PANERAI CLASSIC YACHTS CHALLENGE
Although Panerai no longer supplies the military with watches, its ties to the nautical sphere remain strong, and the brand has long promoted traditional sailing culture by sponsoring such events as the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge, the foremost international circuit for vintage yachts. In 2007, the company acquired and restored its own classic yacht, a 1936 Bermudan ketch dubbed “Eilean,” which now represents the brand at vintage and classic boat rallies and regattas.
DESIGN
Panerai’s maritime connections are emphasised in the design of its timepieces. Panerai timepieces are a balanced amalgam of Italian design, expert Swiss technology, and the brand’s maritime connections.
Today, the Panerai line of watches is divided into five collections: Radiomir, Radiomir 1940, Luminor 1950, Luminor, and, its latest addition, the Luminor Due series. Inspired by the Luminor 1950’s classic lines, the new Luminor Due’s collection represents the next phase in Panerai’s history, offering Panerai enthusiasts a contemporary revision of the classic— the thinner Dues fit comfortably under a sleek suit jacket—without compromising the iconic aesthetic of the original.
The Luminor Due collection is comprised of the Luminor Due 3 Days and the Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic, both of which are available with stainless steel, titatinium, or red gold cases and with alligator straps in a choice of colours.
All Panerai watches are numbered limited editions and each of these editions is faithful to the tradition of the brand as the flawless marriage of distinctive design and precision watchmaking.