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Officine Panerai  Watches UK. Contact us: shop@blowers-jewellers.co.uk

Tel: 01482 323921. Outside UK:  00 44 1482 323921

www.blowers-jewellers-watches.co.uk

Officine Panerai is a luxury Italian watch brand. It was founded in 1860 in Florence by Giovanni Panerai (1825–1897). It later became the official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy and expanded to building precision instruments. The company is famous for its Radiomir and Luminor watches, notable for their use by Italian commando frogmen.

The Florence-based watchmaker produced approximately 300 watches exclusively for the Italian Marina Militare between 1938 and 1993^[1]. By that time, the company ceased to provide watches to the Italian Marina Militare, as they were no longer cost-effective. The company then moved to launch its products to the civilian market, but remained in relative obscurity until the actor Sylvester Stallone spotted and bought a Panerai Luminor in a jewellery store in Rome in 1995 to wear during shooting of the film Daylight^[2]. Stallone ordered a small batch of such watches 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 .

Among its famous watches, are the historic, Radiomir series, in particular, the Base and the Black Seal Model which were deemed rare and unknown just a few years ago, but have become highly commercialized recently.

Panerai's success with large watches has also led other companies to introduce larger watches, including Audemars Piguet, IWC and Swatch.

Panerai issues Special Editions every year. In 2006 they 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 Panerai are known as "Paneristi", a term coined along the lines of "Ferraristi".

When the contract between Girard-Perreguax Watch Company and Ferrari Motor Company expired a new partnership was signed with Panerai to develop, manufacture and distribute watches under the Ferrari trademark. A New York representative for the watch company has called Panerai the official timekeeper to Ferrari.

These wristwatches, available in the US from early August 2006, have 11 models and cost between $ 5,300 and $ 26,500. Panerai Ferrari watches are divided into 2 collections: Granturismo and Scuderia.

Etymology of the surname Panerai

This surname Panerai is typical of the Florence (Firenze) area, and is rarely enountered elsewhere in Italy. It is most probably derived from an old professional name panieraio or paneraio, meaning person who made bread baskets with osiers.

Noted Paneristi

Below is a very short list of noted Paneristi (Panerai aficionados):

·         Pierce Brosnan

·         Bill Clinton

·         Hugh Grant

·         Roger Dela Rosa

·         Nirvair Singh Khalsa - Author

·         Heidi Klum

·         John Mayer ^[4]

·         Greg Norman

·         Brad Pitt

·         Wolfgang Puck

·         Ryan Plantin

·         Arnold Schwarzenegger

·         Sylvester Stallone - Unofficial Ambassador

·         Malcolm Pascotti-Bello-Lusso President

·         Jason Statham

·         Touré

·         "Evil" Mark Bradford

·         Chris "White Face" Robson

·         "Sig" Steve Fisher

·         Tong-Chia Yeoh

In The Movies

In recent times Panerai has had its share of screen time. Some notable appearances include

1996

·         Eraser (imdb) - Arnold Schwarzenegger wearing a Panerai Luminor Marina

·         Daylight (imdb) - Sylvester Stallone wearing a Panerai Logo

2001

·         Exit Wounds (imdb) - DMX wearing a Panerai Automatic Marina

·         Bridget Jones's Diary (imdb) - Hugh Grant wearing a Panerai

2002

·         The Transporter (imdb) - Jason Statham wearing a Panerai Luminor Daylight w/ custom strap

·         Two Weeks Notice (imdb)- Hugh Grant wearing a Panerai

2003

·         The Rundown (imdb) - Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson wearing a Panerai Pam 91 (discontinued)

·         Hollywood Homicide (imdb) - Josh Hartnett wearing a Panerai Luminor Marina

·         The Italian Job - Jason Statham wearing a Panerai Luminor Marina

2004

·         After the Sunset (imdb) - Pierce Brosnan wearing a Panerai Pam91 (discontinued)

2005

·         Transporter 2 (imdb) - Jason Statham wearing a Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight (44 mm)

·         Elizabethtown (imdb) - Orlando Bloom wearing a Panerai Luminor 1950

2006

·         Inside Man (imdb) - Clive Owen wearing a Luminor Model

·         The Break Up (imdb) - Cole Hauser wearing a Radiomir, Keir O'Donnell wearing a Luminor.

2007

·         Gridiron Gang (imdb) - Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson wearing a Panerai Luminor Submersible

·         For Your Consideration (film) (imdb) - Christopher Guest wearing a Luminor

·         Wild Hogs (imdb) - Tim Allen wearing a Luminor model. Martin Lawrence wearing a Submersible model.

In Television

·         Grey's Anatomy (imdb) - Dr. Preston Xavier Burke played by Isaiah Washington wearing a Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 196 (44mm) in the popular television series.

·         CSI: Miami - David Caruso wearing a Panerai Luminor in the television series

References

·         The Panerai Website

·         The Paneristi Website

·         The ViaPaneristi Website

·         Panerai in the movies 1996 - 2005 taken from Paneristi.com