Panerai is one of the world’s most recognised watch brands. Founded in 1860 by Italian Guido Panerai, the company started by making precision instruments for the Italian armed forces. One of the company's early innovations was the luminous substance Radiomir, which allowed aircraft instruments to be seen in complete darkness.

In 1935, Panerai was asked to design a dive watch for the Royal Italian Navy. This watch was required to be able to withstand the harshest of environments and be easy to read underwater. This meant an oversized case with large numerals, a look which has gone on to become the brand's hallmark.

The watch proved to be a huge success and in 1938, a version of the Radiomir was released to the general public. This watch contained a reliable Rolex movement, durable stainless steel case and Radiomir numerals. Only 350 of these original Panerai’s were released and they are highly sought after by collectors today.

In 1997, the brand was taken over by the Vendome Group, which later merged with Richemont, one of the world's largest watch manufacturers. New ownership brought about change, with the brand opting to replace the original Rolex movements with Panerai’s own in-house movement.

Today, the brand is highly valued by collectors for its oversized cases, no-nonsense styling and reliable movements. They are also the favoured watch of Hollywood tough guys with Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris Pratt and Jason Statham all regularly seen wearing Panerai watches.

We are always on the lookout for good quality original Panerai watches. If you would like to sell your Panerai watch, get in touch with us today for a valuation.