Jean-Marc Pontroué, 55, the CEO of Panerai, is a runner. And on his working playlist is electro music duo, Daft Punk. “One in all my favourites, they assist me speed up,” he jokes, calling in from his workplace in Geneva. No shock then to seek out the French musicians on Pamcast Italian Colours, the brand new playlist the Italian luxurious watch model launched earlier this week on Spotify. However this time, the thought is to get Panerai followers [or as they are known, the Paneristi] to decelerate and absorb all issues Italian. Daft Punk’s monitor is the documentary tune, ‘Giorgio by Moroder’, with Giovanni Giorgio, who made the soundtrack and scores for movies like Scarface. Italy, as Pontroué factors out, has tradition, church buildings, seashores, mountains, artists and a number of color. And Pamcast, their new digital storytelling platform, will “present tales that we dwell each day in Italy’’.

Within the firm of explorers

Throughout his two years at this 160-year-old model identified for its navy watches, outsized diameters, and bronze watch circumstances, Pontroué has made many modifications. They level to experiences and exclusivity. Final 12 months, when legacy watch manufacturers have been asserting museum visits, a few of the restricted version Panerai watches got here with entry to free-diving, commando and arctic exploration experiences that cash cannot purchase. With model ambassadors like excessive adventurer Mike Horn, professional climber Jimmy Chin, free-diving champion Guillaume Nery, and even the Italian Navy. The final, a bootcamp with the Italian Particular Forces at its base close to La Spezia in Italy, noticed contributors (and patrons of the Panerai Submersible Marina Militare Carbotech, restricted to 33 items), capturing MP5 machine weapons and ziplining throughout a gorge. Pontroué was on that journey. “The Paneristi know the model higher than me and I requested myself, what’s the subsequent stage for these lovers of the model? It was enjoyable, the climate was nice, and nobody was injured. And after the primary one, three folks have determined to use tor all of the experiences wherever it’s on the earth!” One other one with Mike Horn, linked to the Submersible EcoPangaea Tourbillon GMT 50mm Mike Horn Version and scheduled for March this 12 months, has been placed on maintain. “We’ll restart hopefully by February 2021, as 25 prospects are eagerly ready to spend three days within the North Pole with him,” says Pontroué.

All eyes on Luminor

However this 12 months, he insists, the main target at Richemont-owned Panerai is on the Luminor, “the passport of Panerai” which is in its seventieth 12 months. There might be a minimum of 10 new merchandise, considered one of them being the thirty sixth America’s Cup-inspired Luminor Luna Rossa GMT, the DLC-coated titanium timepiece lined with technical sail material. New high-tech supplies are being promoted, and the CEO provides us a more in-depth have a look at his personal Luminor on our Zoom display, with the Fibratech (an especially mild composite examined within the aerospace trade) case and Carbotech (a carbon-fibre composite) for the bezel. Innovation at Panerai is usually impressed by different industries, be it cars, racing boats or planes, he admits.

That is the primary time your entire 12 months has been devoted to an emblematic product. On Instagram, a choice of straps for the Luminor Marina Carbotech – in alligator, canvas, recycled, rubber – are showcased in opposition to a Cinque Terre setting; the accompanying music is so much like David Lowe’s BBC information theme that social media was raving to again in March. That is Pamcast, explains Pontroué, including, “We may have tales underneath eight subjects just like the Italian Colours, Luna Rossa, Improvements and the Paneristi. That is an ecosystem the place you might be linked to Panerai, an entry door, supplying you with information in regards to the previous, current and future.” The mechanical, masculine model with its huge ticket watches plans to “make one thing that’s vigorous as a substitute of purely merchandise”.

The Italian card

Having labored in luxurious for a really very long time, and with trend designers Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, the French CEO is aware of the significance of creativity and clear messaging. “It’s a part of the mission of the model to enchant the world and we’re nonetheless within the leisure enterprise,” he says. And so what if Richemont stablemate IWC Schaffhausen bought their Spotify playlist out earlier – in Could, to enhance the simply launched IWC Digital Boutique? “We’re the one pure watch participant coming from Italy, and wish to communicate extra about that in comparison with different watches which have Switzerland as a key story,” Pontroué concludes.

The Luminor Luna Rossa 44 mm is priced at ₹8,19, 000