Alessandro Ficarelli, CMO of Panerai on Evolving the Luminor Legacy

Once you consider Panerai, sure photographs rise to the floor. That sturdy cushion-cased form. The rugged crown-protecting guard. A dial that feels prefer it radiates greater than it glows at midnight. After the pictures settle, a phrase usually follows shortly after—Luminor.

When you didn’t already know, 2025 is the yr of the Luminor for Panerai—the gathering that not solely put the model on the map, however onto the wrists of paneristi across the globe, changing into virtually a north star for them.

Similar to its watches, Panerai’s identification is inflexible and unbending—extra so than most, perhaps extra so than any. However when a model’s DNA is coiled so tightly round a design philosophy born within the Nineteen Forties, what area is left for motion and flexibility? For the push and pull, the ebb and move of traits?

To probe deeper, we talked to Alessandro Ficarelli, Panerai’s Chief Advertising Officer, to debate all issues Luminor, the cautious dance between the previous and current, and what it’s, precisely, about that hulking silhouette that retains drawing individuals again, time and time once more.

What does the Luminor imply to the model?

The Luminor is greater than a cornerstone of our supply: it’s the identification of Panerai in watch type.

Whereas embodying the model’s historic objective as a software watchmaker for the Italian Navy, our Luminor Assortment has continued to evolve through the years with technical and design improvements. Nonetheless, its practical dial design, distinct cushion form, and patented crown-protecting gadget have made it immediately recognisable for generations.

In brief, it represents Panerai’s capacity to remain rooted in authenticity whereas pushing ahead at its most interesting.

From supplying watches to the Italian Navy to changing into a luxurious icon, the Luminor has had fairly a journey. Is holding its army roots one thing Panerai needs to stay a part of the narrative within the luxurious area?

Panerai’s transformation from a army provider of high-precision devices to a coveted identify within the luxurious watchmaking business is a testomony to the model’s distinctive attraction and unmatched heritage.

Its legendary historical past, pushed by really resonating with a discerning area of interest of watch connoisseurs, drove this exceptional however pure evolution, constantly reflecting the practical design ethos of Panerai’s early devices, engineered for excessive situations.

On this sense, our storytelling will at all times have a good time this heritage, because it kinds the very DNA of every new launch, whereas pushing the boundaries of efficiency and innovation.

Panerai’s rise to mainstream recognition was, partly, largely as a consequence of its affiliation with motion movies within the ’90s. Do you see the model returning to the cinematic world anytime quickly?

Whereas we don’t depend on movie placements for consciousness as we speak, we stay open to natural collaborations that align with our values — significantly when the narrative or character displays themes of braveness, precision, or exploration.

How do you steadiness heritage storytelling with the calls for of a youthful, trend-conscious viewers?

The bottom line is relevance with out compromise. Youthful audiences crave authenticity and connection, and Panerai’s heritage supplies that in abundance.

Furthermore, the mixing of up to date components, comparable to steel bracelets inside iconic collections just like the Luminor Marina, has the potential to resonate with a youthful and extra various demographic, thereby broadening the model’s market attain whereas staying true to its daring, practical design.

The brand new Luminor Marina PAM03323 exemplifies this, because it reimagines an emblematic mannequin with the introduction of a V-shaped bracelet design, providing a recent perspective on timeless magnificence. The brand new Panerai steel bracelet in a progressive V-shape design not solely tapers from the case to the buckle, providing a lighter really feel for on a regular basis put on, nevertheless it additionally options, for the very first time, the brand new Fast Size Adjustment function, permitting the bracelet to increase by 2mm on either side whereas sustaining good steadiness on the wrist.

All our novelties, furthermore, are typified by the PAM Click on Launch System™ for easy strap modifications, permitting excessive versatility whereas privileging performance.

The Assortment additionally embraces a contemporary spirit via technical refinements and color variations that may attraction to youthful, trend-conscious audiences. The Luminor Marina Titanio PAM03325 showcases an olive-green sun-brushed dial—a nod to the model’s historic army connection—whereas staging Panerai’s experience in high-tech supplies.

All in all, it’s about taking the DNA that has at all times outlined us and expressing it in ways in which resonate with collectors of tomorrow.

The Panerai Luminor Due assortment options the smallest watches in your repertoire, at 38mm. What’s the smallest Panerai is prepared to go?

All our watches embody Panerai’s core identification: purpose-built, extremely legible devices with a robust wrist presence. Sustaining the unique practical aesthetic is paramount to staying true to our DNA.

We must always not neglect that our watches have been initially designed for superior legibility in antagonistic situations, together with evening dives, which is why we’ve got at all times favoured (and can at all times favour!) beneficiant dimensions.

Do you’re feeling the strain from the market to go even smaller?

Whereas we’re at all times attentive to market traits, we don’t really feel pressured to scale back the dimensions of our watches. Panerai’s dimensions are usually not arbitrary; they’re intrinsically linked to our historical past as a provider of extremely legible devices for the Italian Navy.

This dedication to legibility and wrist presence has change into a defining attribute of the model and a key motive why Panerai is so extremely regarded by watch lovers. Our dimensions are a part of our DNA, and we imagine they’re important to the Panerai expertise.

How do you reply to critics who argue that smaller Luminor fashions dilute the model’s daring, masculine identification?

Nicely… whereas 38mm represents the “smallest” dimension in our portfolio, it’s essential to do not forget that that is nonetheless thought-about a regular males’s dimension for many manufacturers!

Do you see the development swinging again in favour of bigger watches sooner or later?

Though wristwatch traits are cyclical, you will need to spotlight that we’ve got by no means stopped observing a gentle demand for bigger fashions, particularly amongst collectors who worth substance, legibility, and performance of their timepieces.

What’s it about massive watches do you assume appeals to individuals?

Bigger watches carry a way of presence and confidence. They’re legible, practical, and sometimes converse to a way of life of efficiency and journey.

For a lot of Panerai shoppers, the watch turns into a logo of self-expression—one thing that displays not solely style, but additionally objective and identification. There’s additionally the historic hyperlink: Panerai’s authentic devices have been massive as a result of they’d for use by Italian Navy divers in high-stakes environments.

What was Panerai aiming to attain with the brand new Luminor Marina novelties unveiled at Watches and Wonders?

With the brand new Luminor Marina novelties, our goal was to strengthen all the things the Luminor stands for — robustness, technical precision, and unmistakable character—whereas introducing refinements that meet fashionable expectations.

We’ve upgraded the water resistance to 500 metres, built-in the brand new P.980 calibre with stop-seconds and enhanced shock resistance, and launched lighter case constructions together with titanium.

It’s about enhancing real-world performance with out dropping the daring identification that makes the Luminor Marina emblematic.

This text was first seen on ESQUIRE SG.

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