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This month Panerai opened its first ever flagship store in the United States and I was lucky enough to go down to see the boutique for myself. The 2,200 square foot boutique is located in the heart of the Miami Design District – the innovative neighborhood being developed by Dacra, founded by entrepreneur Craig Robbins, and L Real Estate, a global real estate and development fund.
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The Miami Design District development is special in that it partners with prominent architects and artists to design the buildings and retail spaces. Each space is unique and creates an overall experience for the shopper. The Panerai boutique is located in an area called Palm Court, along with several other luxury brands such as Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Hublot, and Piaget (to name a few). The boutique is in a blue reinforced glass structure designed by Sou Fujimoto, who is known for his delicate and strong structures that deal with the concept of light. The facade is inspired by Miami’s frequent and powerful rainstorms and is majestic to see in person. Palm Court also features a sculpture of Le Corbusier by Xavier Veilhan (below left – Le Corbusier was one of the most influential architects of the 20th century, and was born in the Canton of Neuchâtel, by the way, where Panerai's manufacture is located) and Buckminster Fuller’s Fly’s Eye Dome (below right), which is also the entrance to the underground parking lot.
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The interior of two-story Panerai boutique was designed by Patricia Urquiola (pictured above with Mr. Bonati), a Spanish architect who worked closely with Panerai in creating a welcoming space that marries the technical aspect of watchmaking with Panerai’s deep marine history. The space is a luxurious mix of deep brown and caramel tones with brass accents. The designer used rich materials such as veined marble, brass, and wood to align with Panerai’s Florentine origins. Upon entering the store you immediately notice the height of the ceiling and the over-sized floating “chandelier” that is made up of oversized, suspended movement parts.
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An equally impressive accent, is that the entire left-hand wall is made of ridged mirrored glass to mimic the sea, further playing up the nautical design inspiration. The other features of the first floor space, like the watch cases, are all nautical themed with porthole-shaped glass vitrines and displays. In the back right-hand corner, next to the stairs encased by brass bars, is an original Frogman diving suit.
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The second floor boasts a private seating area and massive outdoor patio, and is designed to host events and art exhibitions to tie in with the artistic purpose of the Design District. But the coolest part, is the oversized Panerai Marina wall clock. This is where I had the pleasure of sitting down with Panerai CEO Mr. Bonati himself. I was able to ask him a series of questions regarding the boutique, the future of Panerai and his personal love of sailing. Read on for more.
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What inspired your initial interest in watches, and how did you get started?
The “tick tock” [of a watch]. I heard the “tick tock tick tock” so I tried to open it. It was a small pocket watch that was my grandfather’s watch. I still have the watch, it doesn’t work anymore because when I tried to open it, I destroyed it.
What do you think is most engaging about Miami?
Frankly, I am not able to answer precisely, but every time I land in Miami I feel something exciting. It is a city that excites me, and not for the entertainment, that of course that is very important for the 20s, but that is not for me. It is modern and there is a dynamism [to Miami], it is very dynamic. It is different than New York and San Francisco, they are old compared to Miami. Miami has a lot of vibrancy and it is growing quickly.
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Why did you decide to build your boutique in the Miami Design District?
Because we bet on this place and the project. It is an important project for Miami because Miami is the another center of culture full of contemporary art and design. And given that Panerai believes very strongly in design, so we thought, why not here(…). I think it was the best choice.
What is your vision for the future of Panerai?
Twenty years ago, it was our goal to establish a brand. To create a brand that was timeless brand. If you are in the luxury, you must be timeless [in order] to have a strong [and] constant brand. As a manager you have to work in order to prepare for other people to come and to work and develop [your brand]. That is why we [started to] create an in-house movement, that is why we built a 10,000 square meter facility, and that is why we continue act always in communications. That is why we have the classic yacht, because the classic yachts are linked to the watch-maker because you need competencies [sic], you need passion, it is timeless, and they are all values you can find in our brand and in our watches. On the other side, there is history, the family, the values, Florence, and we are lucky because we have a lot of this. And when a client comes in to buy a watch, they are getting more than just a watch.
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What do you prefer more, watches or sailing?
Good question, but you forgot one - golf! [laughs] What I prefer? I think they compliment each other. I started to play golf four years ago because I had my boat off the coast of Italy, and in the morning there is no wind so you have to wait until 1-2 in the afternoon. So I go to play golf in the morning and then I sail in the afternoon!
What is your favorite thing about your job --what do you enjoy most and why?
The satisfaction of my clients, to see them very happy. To see the people that work for me happy and perform well. And to see what we built in 20 years. When I started it was one office with a plant and it was very poor because I didn’t water it enough. And the goal was to think about what to do. And now we have empty 600 people. Plus another 250 people who work indirectly for Panerai. When you have all those people they contribute to create value and you can contribute with the work and having a job. But when you get up in the morning [to get ready for work] and shave your face, you have to do a good job because you have people depending on you.
What watch are you wearing right now?
I am testing this watch playing golf right now. It is the Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Accaio - 45 mm with the micro-rotor movement. Sometimes you have to test using it in a strong way [sic]. It fell down twice on a hard surface, and my [golf swing] is very powerful despite my ball going the other way, but until now the watch works very well.
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What is your advice to new watch collectors?
I cannot say that I am a collector. What is it to be called a collector? 1 watch, 3 watches, 10 watches, 30 watches? To be a collector you have to define what a collector is. In my opinion a collector is someone who loves all watches and follows the dream to own a watch. And when you are able to satisfy your dream, you’re a collector.
What is your favorite current Panerai model?
It is difficult to answer you because it is like a father choosing his favorite son. The iconic Luminor Marina is always the most popular though.
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There are a number of female Panerai owners. Did you plan on marketing towards women buyers?
I never planned to do something for ladies, but I planned to do watches. If a woman wants to buy my watches, I think that is great.
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