Giovanni Panerai (1825-1897), founder of the family business, opens the first watchmaker's shop in Florence in 1860 on the Ponte alle Grazie and establishes contact with the most prestigious and longest established Swiss watch manufacturers.
Giovanni is succeeded by his son, Leon Francesco.
More time line at
http://panerai.com the official watch of the Italian Navy.
I got introduced to them about 7 or 8 months ago. Big watches, between 40mm to 47mm in circumference.
I've been contemplating purchasing a Panerai PN 25 for some time now, though trying to justify the price of 4 grand for it.
Anyone own one that can shed some light on the timepiece?