When it comes to watches, there’s nothing quite like a celebrity endorsement – and in 1995, Panerai was given the Hollywood treatment by legend, Sylvester Stallone.

The movie star bought a Panerai Luminor in a jeweller’s store in Rome to wear during shooting of the blockbuster film Daylight.

The watch gained on-screen exposure plus a glowing endorsement from its owner. Stallone liked the watch so much that he ordered a small batch with his signature on the case back. Nicknamed Slytech, he offered the timepieces as gifts to friends and family.

Panerai is known for its limited editions watches. Most watches are produced in a run of either 500, 1000, 2000 or 4000 units and carry an issue number on the case back. Panerai releases Special Edition watches every year.

It’s an astute marketing strategy. By producing fewer watches than the market demands, there are long waiting lists for popular models and anticipation over new limited edition releases can reach fever-pitch.

The brand has four major lines of watches, Historic, Contemporary, Manifattura and Special Editions. In 2005, Panerai entered a five year agreement with legendary car manufacturer Ferrari. They released two product lines under the brand: Ferrari Engineered by Panerai. The Granturismo was pitched to clients wanting elegance and exclusivity while the Scuderia was distinctly sporty.

But Panerai’s longest association was with the Royal Italian Navy (the Regia Marina). Officine Panerai was founded in Florence, Italy in 1860 by Giovanni Panerai. At the turn of the century, under the leadership of his grandson, Panerai became the first official supplier to the Navy, providing watches and other precision instruments. While the watch cases at this timewere designed and manufactured by Panerai, the movements were sourced from Swiss manufacturers, including Rolex.
Between 1938 and 1993, Panerai supplied watches and other equipment to the Italian Marina Militare. These watches are still highly sought after today.

Officine Panerai was acquired by Richemont in 1997.The brand has a strong following and in the collector’s market vintage Panerai has secured hefty prices at auction.