Amongst Elite Swiss Brands Panerai is one of the fastest emerging new brands in history. Despite a legacy that goes back to the 1860’s the brand arrived in the consciousness of watch afficianados when The Richemont Group purchased the brand and launched today’s modern product group in 1998. The result is an incandescent ascendance in prominence and brand acceptance that have made the watches extremely rare in relation to supply and highly sought after by the casual and dedicated collectors.
Although discounts are generally minimal (10% to 25% at best for the more easily found models), many hard to get models sell at a premium above suggested retail and retain their value in the secondary market. Most limited edition models sell out rapidly and even authorized dealers can’t supply the hard to get watches that secondary market dealers can provide at a price.
There is today a dedicated following for Officine Panerai, which includes well known celebrities and men and women in all walks. There are avid collectors and groups of “Paneristi” dedicated to the appreciation of the brand and its history. Panerai has close ties to this community of Paneristi and includes some of these collectors in focus groups to survey new products and trends. These groups exist around the world and include many passionate and knowledgeable collectors.
Panerai has taken steps to become a true manufacturer of its own movements and this evolution will continue to add impetus to the prestige and growth of the brand. Popularity is a fickle thing, but all indicators are that this brand will continue to grow in influence and acceptance for many years to come. The phenomenon of very large watches is in part a byproduct of the emergence of Panerai.
We enthusiastically recommend Panerai to our clientele. Some models have a highly recommended position on our suggested acquisitions list.