In late March 2018, Angelo Bonati, longtime CEO of Officine Panerai, retired from his lifetime career leading the brand. It was a bittersweet moment for the now 67-year-old trailblazer. Recently, Bonati took some time with us to reflect on the challenges he conquered at the helm of one of the most successful watch brands in modern history.
By Roberta Naas
Twenty-one years ago, in 1997, the Richemont Group (then known as the Vendôme Group) purchased a tiny Italian watch brand that essentially had one watch model and a single historic boutique in Florence, Italy. That brand was Officine Panerai, and today it has grown into a worldwide brand with a cult-like following of Paneristi collectors, a state-of-the-art manufacture in Switzerland, dozens of boutiques, and some of the most sophisticated and easily identifiable watches on the market. Angelo Bonati in 2018
The majority of Officine Panerai?s success can be attributed to one man with a great vision: Angelo Bonati. At the request of Johann Rupert, Chairman and CEO of Richemont, Bonati left his long-held position at Cartier in 1997 to lead the newly purchased brand on its forward charge.
When Bonati came on board at Panerai, he had only the Luminor and Luminor Marina to work with. The large watches had a distinctive look thanks to an unusual crown guard and highly legible dials. Still, it was a gamble for Bonati.
?When I took over Panerai, my friends and the people around me asked me, ?What are you doing"? ?Are you craz...