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Panerai: a laboratory of ideas and a heritage to defend

Panerai is convinced: it is an issue that concerns us all, without exception and with no ifs or buts. The effects and consequences are right in front of our eyes: record temperatures, droughts, cities in the grip of unprecedented heat, glaciers turning into torrents of water, overheating and the acidification of the seas. What happened in the summer of 2022 cannot be dismissed as an extraordinary event. The exception is now becoming the rule and we are learning this to our cost. At this point, there is no longer any room for doubt or supposition: the time has come to break the deadlock, act and take decisions. At every level and in all areas, including watchmaking. (Here all our posts about Panerai)

Panerai
Radiomir Eilean

Panerai’s message

And here the message from Panerai comes loud and clear. Last year, the Florentine watchmaker caused a stir with the unveiling of the Submersible eLAB-IDTM. Not just any watch, it embodies a vision, that of its CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué, who with this timepiece has opened an important new chapter in the history of Panerai. “We wanted to bring a new message to the watchmaking world,” commented Pontroué. Our ambition is to change the business model and look at this sector with different eyes. A brand like Panerai is justified in doing so; its history tells us as much. 

Panerai
Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel

A laboratory of ideas 

“We are a laboratory of ideas and by virtue of this we have always had a pioneering approach. However, we don’t want to do it alone. The idea behind this project is to create a shared platform where we can make available and share with other watch manufacturers the know-how and expertise we have acquired so far.” There is no turning back from this course, as has been confirmed by the new products presented at Watches&Wonders 2022, including the Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel collection. 

Panerai
Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel

Panerai and sustainability

Pay particular attention to the last word in the name of the new timepieces: it identifies the material from which the case is made: reclaimed steel, or recycled if you prefer. At 72 grams this material makes up 52 per cent of the total weight (137 grams). All this without in any way affecting the physical and technical properties of the steel from a formal and aesthetic point of view.

Panerai
Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa

The watches included in the collection are distinguished by the three dial colours: stone grey, deep blue and emerald green. Another first introduced by the collection, in addition to the new case size of 44 millimetres, is the polished finish of the ceramic ring inserted in the rotating bezel. The Panerai Submersible QuarantaQuattro eSteel, however, is merely an intermediate step on an even more ambitious journey. The medium-term objective, i.e. for 2025, is to extend the use of the recycled components to 30 per cent of Panerai’s entire watch range. 

Protecting the seas

Furthermore, the manufacturer is committed to supporting a whole series of activities to safeguard and protect the seas. The most recent of which has seen the brand partnering with Ogyre.  The goal? To rid the world’s seas of 1000 kg of plastic waste in one year.

Panerai
LUMINOR LUNA ROSSA

The project, which has a worldwide scope including Italy, is cooperating with 80 fishermen. But this is only the beginning. “Plastic in the oceans is one of the biggest environmental problems of our time,” explains Pontroué. “Just think that 8 million tonnes of plastic end up in the sea every year. According to research by the World Economic Forum, at this rate by 2050 the total weight of plastic in the oceans will exceed that of marine animals. The partnership with Ogyre is an extraordinary awareness-raising tool, capable of producing tangible effects in the short term,” Pontroué concludes.

Panerai

Panerai and Luna Rossa

But Panerai’s news does not end here: it continues the Florentine watchmaker’s adventure alongside the Italian team in the 37th edition of the America’s Cup scheduled for 2024 in Barcelona. The partnership has been bolstered with the new Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa (left). The timepiece has a 44mm steel case enclosing a sun-blue dial.

Panerai

The watch is matched with a blue and red fabric strap that reproduces the official Luna Rossa logo. This new feature is joined by another: the Luminor Due Luna Rossa. The 42mm case is in steel and features a white dial. The fabric strap in the same colour features the unmistakable red stripe that has become the symbol of the Italian boat. 

Matteo Zaccagnino

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