WATCHES & WONDERS 2020: MISTERWATCH talks to Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO Panerai

70 years later, Panerai continues to glow and it has gained a well-deserved position among the iconic time-pieces born in the last century. Jean-Marc Pontroué, CEO Panerai, comes with a rich background in the watches industry and for sure he is not satisfied to live on the success of the past. “What makes Panerai so unique is not only  the brand’s heritage. It is the close connection with the marine universe merged with high-tech innovations, Italian design and Swiss horological expertise. All these features together create survival instruments for contemporary heroes that are surrounded by an unparalleled mythical aura.”

For 2020, all the attention gathers around the Panerai story, but the new references that add to the collection are focused around new materials, limited editions and in-house developed and in-house manufactures movements.

“Panerai can look back at one of the biggest success stories in the last 25 years. We have a very iconic product which is a great opportunity but also one of the biggest challenges. We have to maintain the high reputability of the brand. Our mission looking ahead in time is to continuously adapt our strategy to current scenarios being enough bold in rethinking the way we tell stories without losing our distinctive DNA and of course strengthen our creativity.”

Some new references in the Luminor collection celebrate the 7 decades of bringing more light to the seas with a larger luminous drawing that extends also outside the dial. But, most important, they use revolutionary materials as to make the cases lighter and stronger while maintaining a 44 mm diameter. For example, the new PAM01117 weights only 100 grams including the strap thanks to a titanium structure manufactured by a technology known as Direct Metal Laser Sintering, a process of futuristic 3D printing. Among the premieres, there is also PAM01663 that uses the new material called Fibratech obtained with natural and eco-sustainable row fibers that proves to be 60% lighter than steel, resilient and highly resistant to corrosion. It is a clear sign that watches evolve and have evolved a lot during the last 10 years. It is a matter of technology but also of communication.

“Like many other industries the watch industry had to face and adapt to digitalization in the last years. A topic, which is now more important than ever. I strongly believe in the power of e-commerce and social media to thrill the emotions of our community of clients. The challenge is to provide meaningful contents in order to deliver the same experience through several channels. Nowadays people do not buy just a product, they buy a lifestyle and an experience. For example, last year we introduced the Panerai extraordinary Experiences where customers get to attend a one of a kind opportunity to immerse in the world of Panerai.”

The brand’s lifestyle is clearly focused on the adventurous side of life but it keeps an elegant perspective born out of its stylish Italian origins. Therefore, on the list of new materials coming to the Panerai collection from this year, Goldtech becomes more than a beautifully coloured pink gold. The advanced alloy includes a high percentage of copper combined with platinum in order to obtain an extreme degree of mechanical and oxidation resistance. Jean-Marc Pontroué is clearly focused on a complex recipe to define the modern approach of the high quality watch concept. “A high quality watch is a combination of different aspects: precision, high-performance materials like our newly introduced Fibratech^TM, Panerai Goldtech^TM or EcoPangaea^TM and finally reliability.”

For obtaining  the new EcoPanagea high-tech steel, Panerai used a combination where it added recycled metal from explorer Mike Horn’s sailing ship. The watch to exemplify this new technology took the shape of a Panerai Submersible – a collection introduced last year, adding a Turbillon and a GMT complication reference that will be manufactured in a limited edition of 5 pieces. Housed inside an imposing 50 mm diameter case, the new sheletonized watch comes with access to an exclusive expedition to the Arctic together with Mike Horn himself.

Even if the brand looks stronger than ever, its CEO is very much aware of today’s new challenging market. “Being in the luxury watch market is like flying a plane. You have a plan to get from one point to the other but you might be facing turbulences on the way that force you to react and adapt. In the end, it is about keeping the plane in the air. We will see what the future will tell us. We are in an unknown territory for the months to come. It will belong to all of us to reinvent what the future will look like. Panerai is ready for this new challenge.”