All Things Panerai with their CEO, Jean-Marc Pontroué

In your opinion, what sets Panerai apart from other timepiece brands?

What sets us apart is our Laboratorio di Idee which is essentially the ideas hub for all our new products, experiences, research. It’s the lab where the magic happens. Panerai is known amongst other things for its use of different materials, indeed we have patented many including Carbotech™, Sportech™ and this experimentation & creativity starts with the Laboratorio di Idee.

Panerai also has its own fan-base community called the Paneristi, without a doubt a unique feature of the brand. The group have been around for about 20 years & members are based all over the world. They have annual gatherings which take place in a different city each year. They’re our great friends of the brand.

In your opinion which is the most significant collection or piece from Panerai and why?

The piece that has certainly had the most hype is the Bronzo. It’s the most sought-after collection piece, and we only make a very limited quantity. First launched in 2010, we were the first to make a diving watch made from Bronze and our clients loved it.

Which is your favourite ever piece from Panerai, and why?

I really like the bigger watches, so the Submersible 47mm Luna Rossa piece is a favourite. It uses parts of the Luna Rossa boat which I love.

Which piece or pieces, would you recommend to our audience in order to start building their Panerai collection?

This one’s easy, our most iconic piece is a great place to start. That’s the Luminor Marina PAM01312. It embodies the Panerai brand and is our most popular watch.

As Watches & Wonders Geneva is upon us, can you tell us a little more about your new launches at the fair? Which piece is a personal favourite, and why?

Personally, I really love all the novelties we are launching, particularly because of how they have been conceived and the fact that we are using new materials that no one has ever seen before.

But the one that melts my heart is the Chrono Luna Rossa, which reminds me about the importance of Chrono in Panerai’s history, but also about our strong partnership with Luna Rossa sailing team, and that’s the reason why the dial is enriched with red and white details.

Finally, looking even more toward the future, what are you most excited about for Panerai in 2021?

I am most excited about our ecological efforts. Last year we announced that our packaging would be from 100% recycled material and now we are going a step further and creating the first watch made from recycled materials. Its case, sandwich dial and bridges are composed of EcoTitanium™, a recycled titanium alloy that is lightweight aerospace-grade metal made of more than 80% pure recycled content. We are passionate about sustainability & environmentalism – it’s one of the pillars of the brand & is adopted not only in our new products but also our offices & ways of working.