World-famous Italian car manufacturer Ferrari celebrated its 60th anniversary by collaborating with Swiss watch producer Panerai to create a limited edition of fine timepieces. These watches, which blend the best styles of both brands, will delight watch and Ferrari fans alike.
Panerai first collaborated with Ferrari to produce watches last year, and their co-operation has been firmly established since then. Panerai is responsible for designing, manufacturing and distributing the Ferrari watches engineered by Officine Panerai.
Specifically, Ferrari provides Panerai with the details and elements of its car strategy which Panerai then adapts to the Ferrari watches, in line with their needs.
Angelo Bonati, chief executive of Panerai, said working on a brand like Ferrari was fairly easy because it had a strong DNA and was full of elements which could help them realise what they needed.
'Working on a brand like Panerai can be on one hand difficult because of its very specific design and the fact that the watch must express the soul of the brand. Yet on the other hand, since the watch's design must be linked to that of the car, it allows us to have a vast degree of inspiration to create a personalised watch that is easy to identify.'
He said given the size of the Ferrari watch (45mm), the piece appealed mainly to men. 'They are collectables since they are made in small quantities and are individually numbered, and even more so if you look at the exceptional details of the watch.'
Most of Panerai's clients are made up of men collectors. And the same holds true for collectors of Ferraris. But Mr Bonati revealed that Panerai was developing a range for women, with the introduction of the 40mm this year and the development of a chrono line, always within a sporting spirit.