Panerai delves into its history with ‘Immersion’ in Florence

When it comes to celebrating an anniversary, there are two approaches. You can look back, or you can use your history to tell the story of the present. Panerai has chosen the latter. One hundred years after opening its historic boutique in Piazza San Giovanni, Florence, the Italian brand is launching ‘Immersion’, an exhibition designed as a journey to the heart of its identity.

“We wanted this exhibition to be presented in a very modern spirit,” explains Emmanuel Perrin, CEO of Panerai. “That is why the exhibition design breaks away from the usual conventions of centenary exhibitions and offers a range of experiences designed to allow visitors to become literally immersed in our history.”

The venue was, in fact, not chosen at random. Ten years on from the ‘Dive Into Time’ exhibition, held right here in 2016, Panerai returns to the crypt of the Florentine museum. A building steeped in history, this time serving as the backdrop for a display that blends military heritage, the depths of the sea and contemporary exploration. The atmosphere is often sombre, yet the lighting is meticulously crafted and precise. It feels as though one were at the bottom of the ocean, and one finds oneself picking up UV torches to highlight, here and there, the luminescent markings on a historic diving instrument. We are in the realm of King Luminor!

“This exhibition was conceived and designed entirely by our in-house teams,” says Alessandro Ficarelli, Panerai’s Director of Product and Marketing, proudly. “And we wanted a vibrant exhibition – certainly not a stuffy one – that immerses visitors in all the key milestones of our history.”

The idea, therefore, is not to line up display cases full of vintage watches, but to remind us why Panerai makes watches as we know them today. ‘Immersion’ places the object back in its natural environment: one of action, challenge and, at times, extremes. Utility, performance and adventure thus form the common thread of a journey that takes the visitor from the family workshop to the depths of the sea.

For before becoming an international watch brand, Panerai was first and foremost a Florentine story. From 1860 onwards, the family ran two businesses in parallel: ‘Orologeria Svizzera’, a shop that became a local benchmark in the watchmaking industry, and G. Panerai & Figlio, which specialised in professional instruments intended, in particular, for the Italian Navy.

This collaboration gave rise to a set of requirements that would become the brand’s technical hallmark: maximum legibility in the dark, exceptional water resistance, robustness and a long power reserve. At Panerai, the concept of the instrument elevates the watch to a higher level. Technical expertise is always key to understanding the world of Panerai.

The exhibition itinerary brings this spirit to life through a succession of distinct worlds. After the Florence boutique, visitors enter the atmosphere of a secret military workshop adorned with safe doors, before symbolically descending into the abyssal depths. In this dark and silent environment, the instrument ceases to be a mere accessory and becomes an indispensable piece of equipment. Then comes the ascent back to the surface and the contemporary adventures that showcase the brand’s many ambassadors: frozen lakes, polar regions, the jungle, the ocean, and environments demanding endurance and resilience.

“My Panerai watch has already saved my life,” says Mike Horn, the famous explorer, readily. “For me, it’s an essential piece of kit that I take on every expedition. It helps me find my way far better than a compass in extreme conditions! ” (Editor’s note: But I won’t say any more, as we’re planning a major YouTube programme with Mike very soon on the Frank Sans C’s channel.)

This presentation also serves as a reminder of how the instantly recognisable silhouette of a Panerai watch originally stemmed from very real practical constraints. The first orders for precision instruments for the Italian Navy date back to the 1910s. In 1935, Panerai developed its first prototype diving watch, the reference 2533, fitted with a luminescent Radiomir dial. For several decades, this activity remained shrouded in military secrecy.

It was not until 1993 that Panerai watches were made available to the general public. The Luminor 44 mm, with its imposing crown guard, quickly established a distinct aesthetic in a watchmaking landscape that was, at the time, more accustomed to smaller case sizes. A handful of collectors took an interest in ‘these large watches’, which were quite out of the ordinary.

In fact, it was in 1996 that Panerai truly emerged from obscurity when Sylvester Stallone wore a Luminor in the film Daylight. He fell in love with the brand and gave Panerai watches to all his friends. Richemont’s acquisition of the brand in 1997 amplified the phenomenon, and the 1998 Geneva Watch Fair accelerated its international reputation. But one thing is certain: Stallone helped to create the Panerai phenomenon just before the brand came under Richemont’s wing. And he went on to wear Panerai watches in numerous films. Indeed, it is almost certainly to Panerai that we owe the start of this trend for oversized watches, worn not only by men, of course, but also by women – which is more surprising.

But ‘Immersion’ deliberately does not stop at this timeline. Its final chapter explores the contemporary maritime world, spanning recreational sailing and traditional navigation. Nautical instruments and chronographs complement one another here, the former evoking competition and performance, the latter exploration and long-distance navigation.

Ultimately, the entire exhibition seeks to demonstrate a simple idea: at Panerai, technology has rarely been merely decorative, even though it forms part of the beauty of the timepieces. Luminescence, water resistance, robustness and power reserve all arose from a practical need before becoming stylistic elements. This is undoubtedly where ‘Immersion’ finds its appeal: telling the brand’s story not only through the watches it has produced, but through the situations for which they were designed. It is a way for Panerai to celebrate its history without turning it into a museum frozen in time.

Until 19 September 2026.

Museo Marino Marini, Piazza San Pancrazio, 50123 Firenze (Florence), Italy. Until 19 September.

The museum is housed in the former church of San Pancrazio, right in the centre of Florence, about a 5-minute walk from Santa Maria Novella.

BOOK A VISIT:
https://www.panerai.com/ch/fr/focus/immersion.html

TWO SPECIAL EDITION WATCHES

Panerai has drawn inspiration from a rare prototype of the 6152/1 model dating from the 1960s to create the new Luminor 8 Giorni Firenze PAM01794 and PAM01734. Powered by the P.5000 calibre, which offers an 8-day power reserve, and housed in a 44 mm case, they celebrate the centenary of the brand’s historic boutique in Florence.

Luminor Firenze 8 Giorni (PAM01734 )

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, calibre P.5000, 15½ lignes, 4.5 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance wheel, 21,600 vibrations per hour. Incabloc Parechoc® shock-absorption system. 8-day power reserve, two mainsprings. 113 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes.

Power reserve: 8 days (192 hours).

Case: 44 mm, in Platinumtech™ with a crown guard bridge featuring parallel grooves cut into the inner flanks, opposite the crown. Openworked case back in Platinumtech™. Domed sapphire crystal. Water resistance: 10 bar (~100 metres).

Dial: Circular satin-finished green dial with a sandwich construction. Green Super-LumiNova® on the hour markers, indices and vintage-inspired double pencil hands with a gold-tone finish.

Strap: Black Tuscan calfskin embossed with a Florentine fleur-de-lis motif, white gold trapezoidal buckle. Additional green rubber strap.

Presentation box: Lacquered mahogany box with dovetail joints, including a screwdriver for replacing the buckle and a second green rubber strap. The lid features a personalised metal plaque depicting the entrance to the Florentine boutique. Water resistance: 10 bar (~100 metres).

Limited edition of 100 copies. Price: €55,000

Luminor Firenze 8 Giorni (PAM01794 )

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical, calibre P.5000, 15½ lignes, 4.5 mm thick, 21 jewels, Glucydur® balance wheel, 21,600 vibrations per hour. Incabloc Parechoc® shock-absorption system. 8-day power reserve, two mainsprings. 113 components.

Functions: Hours, minutes.

Power reserve: 8 days (192 hours).

Case: 44 mm, polished steel, polished bezel and satin-finished crown guard. Solid polished steel caseback engraved with the Florentine boutique’s emblem. Domed sapphire crystal. Water resistance: 30 bar (~300 metres).

Dial: Circular satin-finished black dial with a sandwich construction. Green Super-LumiNova® on the hour markers, indices and vintage double-tip hands.

Strap: Dark brown Tuscan calfskin embossed with a Florentine fleur-de-lis motif, satin-finished steel trapezoidal buckle. Additional black rubber strap.

Packaging: Matt mahogany box with dovetail joints, including a screwdriver for replacing the buckle and a second black rubber strap. The lid features a personalised metal plaque depicting the entrance to the Florentine boutique.

Limited edition of 1,000 copies. Price: €10,700

https://www.my-watchsite.com/162-panerai

https://www.panerai.com/en/collections/watch-collection.html