Giovanni Panerai (1825–1897) founded Officine Panerai in Florence, Italy in 1860. By 1900, under the leadership of the founder's grandson Guido Panerai (1873-1934), Officine Panerai had become an official supplier to the Regia Marina (the Royal Italian Navy), supplying watches and precision instruments.  The Florence-based watchmaker produced wrist worn diving instruments and about 300 watches, all for the Italian Marina Militare, between 1938 and 1993. By that time, the company ceased to provide watches to the Marina Militare, as they were no longer cost-effective nor did they meet the naval specifications. It then moved to launch its products to the civilian market.  The brands rising popularity caught the attention of Richemont, which acquired Officine Panerai in 1997.  

Panerai makes many watches as either limited or special editions producing fewer watches than the market demands. Retailers may only receive a few limited edition pieces each per year and there are long waiting lists for popular models.  If you are interested in a model that is not currently in our online inventory, please use our Watch Finder Service and we would be happy to find the model you are looking for.