Panerai considered a Premium Brand

[Matrim604]

Panerai was listed among the Premium watch brands by United Brands. Panerai has definitely come a long way over the past decade, and has really flexed is muscle as a manufacturer behind the financial backing of the Richemont Group. I don't think i've ever seen a watch company produce so many successful and high quality manufacture movements in such a short amount of time, and even delve into grand complications as successfully as Panerai has with their innovative tourbillon. They have accomplished much, and are on the right track to becoming one of the greats, but do you think it is too soon to already deserve that title? True, Panerai was founded in 1860, and does have a rich history before Richemont, but their focus was not always on watches, and their impact on horology would only be considered significant within the past decade--or do you Panerists disagree with that statement?

Do I think Panerai is undeserving to be listed among the "Premium" watch brands? Not necessarily, as Panerai is one of my favorite watch brands, but I would personally be interested to see how their movements hold up over the next 10 years and what new innovations they bring to the table over that time to say for sure. They make quality movements, and so far seem to be reliable and bullet proof, but they havn't had the time to pass the timeless test, and do each of their movements made recieve the same amount of attention and care in assembly as other brands on the "Premium" list? I don't know enough about Panerai to answer that one, perhaps someone more knowledgeable could add something? At this point, I personally feel that Panerai has more in common with brands like Rolex and IWC than they do with brands like Patek or VC. I don't mean that as an insult in any way, and maybe when I learn more about Panerai i'll change my mind, but for now that's my two cents.

Here is the link to the thread containing the ranking info:

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=108059

[Pep04]

I tend to agree with you. I love Panerai but to compare or list with the likes of Patek is a far reach. Not to say that Panerai won't be as good as some of the premium brands on the list, but you are 100% correct on the timing issue. 10 years is a nothing when compared to others history.

But, lets not forget that this, and all other, lists are subjective. I love Rolex, Panerai, Corum and AP. That doesn't mean that they are any better than say a JLC. To make a real list, you have to take everything from style, innovation to movement and history into account and give it a point system to properly say which is "better" than the other.


Good post!

[B. Doggy]

Yes'm!!!

[Jim232118]

Panerai is a great brand but IMO it does not compare with Patek Philippe and other brands I would consider premium. But with any list like this, it’s nothing more than opinions.

[htc8p]

i think pams fit better into luxury segment with rolex. their design is more hip than the breguets and pateks which look too old for me. just my opinion though.

[bcacncnc]

Yes - I would consider it to be a luxury brand - albeit its at a different price point to say a Patek.

"Luxury" or the perception of it has MUCH to do with the way the Company does its marketing. And I must admit most of the watch makers do a sterling job of it. I would hazard a guess and say the BOM (bill of materials) for a watch - say a base Panerai is about USD200-300 - so charging 10-20 times as much is all about the marketing. Just IMHO.

[C. Davidson]

I think their lower production levels put them in the 'premium' category. They don't quite have the industrial capacity, nor the desire, to become a mass producer of timepieces. It seems Bonati is content with their current production status.

Panerai also has a passion for complications as many of their in-house movements have extra features packed in. This also probably puts them in that category.

Do I agree with this? Probably not. Many of their movements are ETA based, which they tweek and fine tune to their specs...but this makes them more in common with TAG Heuer, Omega, Breitling...etc.

It seems the makers of the list focused on (what seems to me) to be a minor aspect of their total production. To be more fair, one would have to consider all Panerai models in production, not just the ones that grab headlines.

But thats the thing with lists, you can do whatever you want with them.

[brkanand]

Thanks for the info.

[rr-nyc]

Interesting that TAG is a fashion watch as it doesn't fit in any of those lists. I love my PAMs but IMO, Panerai doesn't belong in the premium list nor does AP belong in the luxury list. Swap those two and I'd be happy

[johnswatch]

Originally Posted by bcacncnc

I would hazard a guess and say the BOM (bill of materials) for a watch - say a base Panerai is about USD200-300 - so charging 10-20 times as much is all about the marketing. Just IMHO.

$200 to 300? I'd put it well below $100. The homage makers are putting out a fantastic version for less than USD$100 delivered so the gen article won't cost much more.

The materials cost isn't important though. I love my 112.

[bcacncnc]

Originally Posted by johnswatch

$200 to 300? I'd put it well below $100. The homage makers are putting out a fantastic version for less than USD$100 delivered so the gen article won't cost much more.

The materials cost isn't important though. I love my 112.

You're probably right... I was erring on a conservative figure...

[A1000]

The survey as I remember was conducted by some branding based company and as such was probably produced for a reason, however, one of the things that they got right was the use of multiple indicators to categorise makes. This is probably what put Panerai in the premium vs, say Rolex, in the luxury. It is probably, as someone has already stated the latter of the combination of the price, quality, and limited production that moved it into the premium category. Does this make them any better than brands such as Rolex, well it depends if you value exclusivity through limited availability? From a brand perspective there is a value and therefore it's probably in the right category.

What you see with Panerai over the last 10 years is the largely the result of a very clear strategy, which has been well executed with the financial clout of Richemont.

[Matrim604]

Originally Posted by C. Davidson

I think their lower production levels put them in the 'premium' category. They don't quite have the industrial capacity, nor the desire, to become a mass producer of timepieces. It seems Bonati is content with their current production status.

Panerai also has a passion for complications as many of their in-house movements have extra features packed in. This also probably puts them in that category.

Good points Chris, I actually never thought of their low production numbers that way.

[masterkiller]

Panerai fit within the premium brands in my book! Just my two cents!

Luxury Brands Examples
Patek, AP, Lange, Breguet

Premium Brands Examples
Rolex, Breitling, Omega, Panerai, Tag,

Premium 'fashion' Brands Examples (also considered Premium by me but still they are also considered as a Jewlery brand!)
Cartier, Bvlgari

Base level Brands Examples
longines, Raymond Weil,

Fashion Brands Examples
Calvin Klein, Michael kors

[adrian28]

For my point of view.....i always feels that panerai are really over priced.

[brainbizz]

IMHO it depends on the model. They absolutely make some premium watches however they make many lower end models as well.

[ocwatching]

to each his own...
PAM production numbers are something in the realm of 60k piece (same with Patek)..
does it make it luxury?...