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More about Panerai Watches

No other brand other than perhaps Rolex or Audemars Piguet has such a dedicated and loyal fan base. This cult brand of Italian origin enjoys a superb reputation, and a loyal following of Paneristi. Founded in 1860 in Florence, Italy, Panerai became the official supplier to the Italian navy. The instantly recognizable oversized case design is a hallmark of this cult brand.

Panerai was founded in 1860 in Florence by Giovanni Panerai. The company later became the official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy and expanded to building precision instruments. Officine Panerai is famous for its Radiomir and Luminor watches, notable for their use by Italian commando frogmen. By 1993, Panerai ceased providing watches to the Marina Militare (Navy), as they were no longer cost-effective. It then moved to launch its products to the civilian market, but remained relatively obscure until, in 1995, Sylvester Stallone bought a Panerai Luminor in Rome to wear during the shooting of Daylight, a movie in which he was the lead. Stallone ordered a small batch of these watches (customized with his signature on the case back), called Slytech. He offered them as gifts to friends, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. The watch gained rapid popularity, and Officine Panerai was eventually taken over by Richemont in 1997.

Panerai's gigantic success with large watches has also led almost all other companies to introduce larger watches. Panerai has four major lines of watches: Historic, Contemporary, Manifattura and Special Editions. Panerai issues Special Editions every year. In 2006 it issued the 1936 California Dial Radiomir special edition, a reissue of the first Panerai model ever presented to the Italian Marina Militare. This model was limited to a run of 1936 units.

Aficionados of the Italian brand are known as Paneristi, a term coined along the lines of Ferraristi (the huge and loyal fan following all things Ferrari). When the contract between Girard-Perregaux and Ferrari expired several years ago, a new partnership was signed with Panerai to develop, manufacture and distribute watches under the Ferrari trademark. Panerai Ferrari watches are divided into two collections: Granturismo and Scuderia.

Panerai watches are amongst the most scarce in the world. In fact, the watch manufacturer can lay claim to being the most elusive watch brand globally - regularly producing fewer watches than the market demands. Retailers only receive a few pieces each per year and it is not uncommon for long customer waiting lists for popular models.