News Central

Boca Raton , FL – October 2010 – Officine Panerai, the leading Italian luxury watchmaker, plans to expand its North American retail presence with a new boutique scheduled to bow in Mizner Park, an upscale lifestyle center located in downtown Boca Raton, FL, in mid-October.

PANERAI OPENS NEW BOUTIQUE IN BOCA RATON

New boutiques Also Open in Paris & Moscow

The 1100+ square foot boutique will be the largest of Panerai's boutiques in the U.S. and will be modeled after the brand's global retail concept. The interior design elements are inspired by the sea as well as the company's Italian heritage: teak and steel will be the predominant materials used – much like the materials used on a boat – against wire mesh panels, with graphic elements derived from the shape of the watches themselves. Shop fixtures will take on the shape of ocean waves and furnishing details will remind visitors of diving suits and divers' equipment. An enormous wall clock will provide a large-scale version of one of the distinguishing features of Panerai timepieces: the "sandwich" structure of the dial, with two overlapping layers encompassing the layer of Super LumiNova^® material used to create the hands and numbers on divers' watches to guarantee depth and excellent visibility in dark waters.

Mizner Park was selected as the location of Panerai's latest boutique opening since the look and feel of the Mediterranean-styled retail environment is reminiscent of the original Panerai store, which still can be found today on the Piazza San Giovanni in Florence, Italy.  Panerai's newest boutique, located at 318 Plaza Real, will offer a selection of limited edition watches, with a particular focus on the models fitted with movements which are exclusively manufactured by Officine Panerai.

Also opening this autumn in Paris and Moscow are first-ever Officine Panerai boutiques, on the Rue de la Paix and Nikolskaya Street, respectively.  These new boutiques will offer customers and fans a sleek, elegant setting to get to know and purchase all the models of the Officine Panerai collections, as well as view and purchase rare special editions made by the Italian fine watch-making company.

About Officine Panerai

The Panerai story began in 1860 when Giovanni Panerai opened a watch- and clock-making boutique and school in Florence. Working with the finest Swiss manufacturers, Giovanni was instrumental in revitalizing the Italian watch-making trade.  In the early half of the 20th century, thanks in part to efforts of Giovanni's grandson Guido, the Italian Royal Navy asked the clock-maker to create underwater military instruments, including depth gauges and divers' watches. Over the next 80 years, Panerai continued to innovate and produce groundbreaking timepieces for the Italian military such as the now legendary Radiomir and Luminor models. Today the brand creates many of its own movements in its manufacturing facilities in Neuchâtel, Switzerland and is considered a leader in technical innovation while staying true to a distinct aesthetic signature inspired by the early divers' watches. Enthusiasts and collectors around the globe—from Asia to Europe to the U.S.—have transformed Panerai timepieces into objects of cult status over the past decade, making it one of the most sought after brands of today.

Officine Panerai is part of The Richemont Group and operates 20 boutiques in major cities around the world. In the U.S., Panerai boutiques are located in Beverly Hills, Manhattan and Boca Raton. For more information about authorized dealers, visit www.panerai.com or call 877-PANERAI.

Press Release