Panerai is a successful brand,
making interesting and
unique watches that have a
die-hard following, but it
hasn't always been this way.
There was a point when it
wasn't even possible to get
hold of a Panerai unless you
were member of the Italian Navy, which is
where this story began, over 150 years ago.
The Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy)
Was formed on the 17th Of March 1861 after
the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy,
and it Was at the end of the 19th Century that
they approached a small Florentine diving
instruments manufacturer to supply them
with equipment.
Giovanni Panerai had started his business
in 1860 in a small workshop on the Ponte alle
Grazie. a bridge spanning the Arno River. He
was succeeded by his grandson. Guido,
Whose business sense and engineering mind
brought the company's precision
instruments to the attention Of the Italian
Royal Navy. By the turn of the century, Guido
THE WATCH PANERA'
had moved the workshop to
the Piazza San Giovanni to
accomm Odate the Navy's
eve growi ng requirem e ntS.
Guido began researching
luminous materials that
could be applied to
instrument dials and
telescopic devices to make
them usable at night. Using a
GUIDO BEGAN
RESEARCHING
LUMINOUS
MATERIALS
FOR DIALS
mix of zinc sulphide and
radium bromide, a paint was
made that would glow
indefinitely and not need
recharging by light, and was
patented by Guido. It Was
called Radio mir.
FIRST WORLD WAR
The supply Of instruments continued
throughout the First World War and in 1934,
Guido's children. Giuseppe and Maria. took
over the business. Giuseppe slipped straight
into his father's groove. continuing to
develop and supply underwater instruments
to the Navy. It was his development ofthe
wrist-worn depth gauge that steered the
Company towards its destiny.