Kapoor Watch Company had the chance to speak with Alessandro Ficarelli, Chief Marketing Officer at Panerai, discussing his thoughts on neo-age watch buyers and how Panerai’s offerings create a harmonious blend of Italian heritage, material innovation, and technical utility for their unique clientele.
Experimental, robust, and distinctly innovative – underlined with a century and a half of Italian heritage and bravado – that’s Panerai. Over the last decade, under Ficarelli’s direction, the maison ventured into territory only a handful of watchmakers wholeheartedly have dared to – sustainability. With vigorous R&D and the introduction of disruptive recycled case materials, they became a paean of Earth-friendly watchmaking for the industry. But while mastering the art of eco-conscious material innovation, they remained true to their rich Italian heritage and signature design. Alessandro Ficarelli of Panerai tells us that this unique spirit of watchmaking has proven to be a significant driving force for collectors choosing Panerai today.
Ficarelli joined Richemont Group in 2005, where he led product development at Panerai – six years later he was appointed as Product Director. After spending a decade and a half with the maison, Ficarelli took the helm as Chief Marketing Officer. Revered as a man of versatile intellect and analytical prowess, he strives to combine strong mechanical know-how with highly distinguished design – Leading Panerai as a “Laboratorio di Idee” (laboratory of ideas).
Panerai is highly experimental with new models today – How is the brand striking a balance between listening to customer desires/needs against pushing the brand’s vision?
Panerai believes in a harmonious balance between staying true to our heritage – rooted in the manufacture of reliable and professional instruments for divers – and embracing innovation and design evolution that resonate with contemporary client preferences and needs.
Our history, spanning 164 years is our largest source of inspiration. We continually study and analyse our rich archives, taking cues from tangible elements of our history. This approach begins with functionality, upon which we can then sculpt our designs. Next, we understand contemporary customer needs and trends, which we cater to and integrate with innovation and precision. This spectrum of innovation stretches from historical editions to more technical modern watches, ensuring organic development across all four collections. This also includes the novelties we newly developed alongside the Prada Pirelli Luna Rossa team for Watches & Wonders 2024.
In your opinion, why are clientele drawn towards Panerai watches? What factors cause its value to rise continually?
Our clientele, customers, and investors are drawn to us for several compelling reasons. Panerai models are renowned for retaining their collectable value and increasing it over the years. But this is due to factors that also go beyond collectability, like the product’s robustness, and technical quality, and for embodying a blend of Italian elegance, Swiss craftsmanship, and a continuous drive for innovation. We’re confident that our products deliver an exceptional experience, whether to own as a novelty or use as reliable gear – built for the extreme. This spirit of durability, trust, and technicality is deeply rooted in our brand’s heritage, and with an eight-year warranty, we ensure to keep up to our promises. All of this continually allows the maison to attract new customers – customers who appreciate timepieces with heritage, innovation, and durability.
How does Panerai manage to cater to a global diversity of clients?
At Panerai, we’re consistently monitoring and analysing global trends, markets and its unique clientele. This continuous spectrum of observation and learning enables us to customize our offerings, year after year, to align with ever-evolving client preferences and requirements across the globe. While robustness, reliability, and technicality, remain eternally entrenched in Panerai’s DNA, our clients and their preferences will undeniably evolve through generations – however, we’re confident that our timeless collections will never fail to cater to them.
How do you think the contemporary Indian watch buyer stands out?
India’s rapidly evolving landscape, immense growth, and skyrocketing trajectory for the luxury sector have proven it to be a key position for Panerai. The Indian watch customer is exceptionally sophisticated, leaning towards elevated and more refined options. Innovation has historically appealed to this demographic. In recent times, we introduced new timepieces crafted from precious materials like Goldtech and Platinumtech, which also house high-end complications – all of which, have garnered significant appreciation from our Indian clients.
Post-pandemic, did Panerai notice any different client/customer trends?
After the pandemic, there has been a spectacular global surge in interest towards luxury watches. We’re still unsure what accurately triggered this, whether it was a redistribution of customer spending, a psychological shift in decision-making by the realisation that life is fleeting, or simply owing to restrictions of the time. However, at Panerai, we see it as a reflection of a deeper, evolving relationship between consumers and luxury novelties.
We’re witnessing an industry trend of younger buyers – How does Panerai perceive this shift?
The younger generation is a particularly interesting market segment. Never in the history of watch sales, has a generation this young been commanded market size. With increased financial prowess and knowledge at an early age (as compared to previous generations), this demographic perceives watches not only as tools of utility but also as tokens of watchmaking heritage, marrying tradition and innovation – hallmarks of Panerai offerings.
In our view, this isn’t just a transient spike, but instead a testimony to a growing, informed admiration for technicality and heritage. It’s a new trend that has the potential to hold steadfast, owing to the deep-seated values of technical advancement and timelessness that luxury watches encapsulate. It’s a rich tapestry of storytelling borne on one’s wrist, which, we believe, has a timeless appeal.
Could you give us an example of how Panerai retains its Italian roots even in contemporary models today?
Take the Perpetual Calendar and Annual Calendar models which feature month markers in Italian – a tribute to our Italian heritage and DNA.
Panerai believes in materializing the intersection between staying true to our manufacture’s legacy serving as reliable, professional instruments for divers and embracing modern innovation and evolution of design. By merging our unique aesthetic sensibilities with Swiss technical brilliance, we create a distinct identity in the industry. This combination of Italian creativity and Swiss precision creates a highly unique brand proposition. Our design philosophy, emphasizing the unity of form and function, is rooted in our origin and our contemporary designs emanate from our rich cultural heritage. This approach, coupled with our protected design trademarks, underscores the uniqueness derived from our history as exclusive military suppliers, now evolved into a dedication to innovation and technology.
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