Panerai Watches Designed for Ferrari
The mid-2000s saw the partnership of two powerhouses of high-performance Italian design in the form of watches designed and manufactured for Ferrari by Panerai. The cobranded watches remain some of the most mechanically complex that Panerai ever built and can represent a great value on the secondary market.
Panerai Ferrari History, Partnership and Offerings
The union of Panerai and Ferrari began in 2005-2006 and continued for only a short five years, ending in 2010. In that time, though, Panerai designed and built 27 different models in two different product lines that bore the Ferrari name. On the surface, the partnership was an obvious match: two of the most recognizable Italian brands working together. What’s more, the history of timekeeping and high-performance driving have always been intertwined. One of the early applications of the modern chronograph watch, for instance, was to time performance driving.
On another level, though, the partnership was an unusual one. Each brand had a clearly established identity and look. Ferraris were sleek, sensual and luxurious. Panerai had a long history building hardy, robust watches to meet military specifications. They had historically offered just a few highly recognizable looks (most notably the Luminor and the Radiomir), so making something that was at once obviously a Panerai and a new offering that could speak to Ferrari’s legacy was a challenge.
The solution came in the form of some of the most complex watches Panerai had ever made. While most of the brand’s historical models were time-only, or at most time-and-date, the Ferrari line featured a wide array of desirable complications. The most obvious complication for a precision driving partnership was a chronograph. In the Ferrari line, chronographs rightly made up more than half of the offerings. Panerai produced not only standard chronos but flyback chronographs, a foudroyante chronograph that measured fractions of a second, and the complex split-seconds chronograph capable of measuring two events simultaneously (such as for recording total race time).
Other models included perpetual calendar (correct date information, even leap years, without adjustment) and GMT complications. In some cases, multiple complications, such as GMT and chronograph, were presented on the same watch, adding further to the line’s technical complexity.
Unfortunately, despite the line’s promise as an avenue for Panerai to experiment with a new level of technical development, the line was cut short after only five years. Some sources suggest that the watches weren’t selling as expected, but Panerai was actually the one to end the partnership. They were undergoing a fundamental internal shift in this period, turning their focus to in-house manufacture. They were also looking to shed other commitments that didn’t line up with their new priorities. When the five-year contract ended, they let the partnership go.
Panerai Ferrari Design, Features and Model Lines
The “Panerai Engineered for Ferrari” collection consisted of two model lines: Granturismo and Scuderia. Models can be easily distinguished by family because they carry different logos. Watches with the Ferrari horse are from the Granturismo line, while watches with a Ferrari shield logo are from Scuderia. A handful of models bear neither logo.
Nearly all the models that Panerai made for Ferrari, regardless of line, are built in a 45mm cushion-shaped case that is absent the familiar Panerai crown guard. The only exceptions are References FER 00018 and FER 00019, which kept the cushion case but in a smaller 40mm diameter. Cases were made of steel on nearly all models, except for a handful of models (FER 00006, 00007, 00016 and 00024) produced in precious metals.
Panerai Ferrari Collector’s Perspective
At the time of its release, the Ferrari line from Panerai represented a big stylistic departure for a brand that sticks to its original designs. Though the watches are unmistakably Panerai thanks to the big, hardy cushion cases, they are also some of the only models that stray from the usual formula. The addition of rare, difficult and useful complications (an especially uncommon element in the brand’s historical lineup) makes them even more interesting from a historical standpoint. The Ferrari line was also produced in limited numbers. Most Panerai for Ferrari models released in runs of fewer than 1,000 pieces, making them extremely rare.
All these factors should combine to form an extremely collectible series. But the brand’s purist fan base didn’t initially latch onto the cobranded offerings with the same enthusiasm they showed for traditional Panerai products. As a result, the Ferrari lineup represents an excellent value for collectors, often selling for less than half of their original list price. Some of the simplest models have sold on the secondary market for as little as a few hundred dollars. Others with extremely complex movements can reach more than $18,000.