PANERAI

Officine Panerai could be considered one of the watch industry’s oldest overnight successes. Tracing its origins to 1860, when it was founded as a watch shop and watchmaking school in Florence by Giovanni Panerai, the company started making watches at the request of the Italian military shortly thereafter. Worn by frogmen of the Royal Italian Navy, Panerai’s original model, the Radiomir, took its name from the proprietary luminescent material (originally developed for use in firearms) applied to its dial to enhancer underwater legibility. The Radiomir, one of the first dive watches, was superseded by the Luminor, which added a newer luminescent dial material and a patented crown protection device to seal the case against water penetration. These watches, originally built for Panerai by Rolex, were exclusively available to military clients until 1997, when Panerai was swallowed up by Richemont and finally started offering its watches for commercial sale. When the modern-day Luminor and Radiomir caught the eye of alpha-male Hollywood actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone — and worn on screen in their blockbuster films — Panerai’s status as a luxury watch brand with masculine, retro-military appeal was assured.

Founded: 1860

Headquarters: Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Ownership: Richemont Group

Notable models: Luminor, Radiomir, Submersible

Did you know: Sylvester Stallone wore a Panerai Luminor in the 1995 movie Daylight,and the movie has since lent its name to that model, now one of the brand’s most collectible