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All About: Pre-Owned Panerai

Looking for your next Panerai watch? Here is a brief overview of the brand and where you can buy your next pre-owned Panerai.

pre-owned Panerai

Watch lovers will know a thing or two about Panerai. If you are on the lookout for a pre-owned Panerai watch, you might not know where to start. Especially if you are looking online, as there are so many different routes to go down.

Here is your guide to pre-owned Panerai watches and where to source one from.

The History Of Panerai

The Panerai story goes way back. Giovanni Panerai opens his first workshop and storefront in 1860. The shop stands at Ponte Alle Grazie in Florence, Italy. The shop also serves as Florence’s first ever watchmaking school.

The current store is still in the same city. It is on Piazza San Giovanni, across from Florence Cathedral, and has been there since the 1920s. The boutique has since had a refresh and reopened in 2001.

Guido, Giovanni's grandson, expanded the watch shop. Panerai then supplied watches to the Italian Royal Navy under his leadership. The watch brand was a huge name in the development of divers and underwater watches. The company invested time and money into creating watches with greater water resistance.

1972 marked a big shift for Panerai. Guido Panerai’s son Giuseppe died. Mr. Dino Zei, a former Italian Navy officer was then appointed as the new CEO of Panerai. The company name shifted from G. Panerai & Figlio to Officine Panerai.

In 1997, the Richemont Group acquired Panerai. The designs that were once exclusively used by the military were then introduced to the global commercial market. The brand was positioned as a luxury watch brand and saw big price increases.

Panerai & The Italian Royal Navy

Panerai has long had strong links to the Royal Italian Navy.  The Panerai family supplied the navy with precision instruments. The company developed a radium-based powder called 'Radiomir'. They created this to give watches luminescence for increased visibility.

The collaboration between the two was initially a match made in heaven, as Panerai was a primary force in the world of dive watches. The brand's penchant for innovation made Panerai a real asset for helping create the technology behind military watches.

Panerai stopped providing technology and innovation to the Italian Royal Navy in 1970.

What Is Radiomir?

Panerai filed a patent for Radiomir in March, 1916. Radiomir is a luminescent component made with radium. In the 1930s, Panerai made ten prototypes for Italian Navy divers to test. Panerai named one of its watches Radiomir, even though the substance is no longer used for safety reasons.

Panerai x Ferrari

Ferrari and Panerai signed a five-year contract in 2005. The agreement led to two product line: 'Granturismo' and 'Scuderia'. The collaboration is referred to as 'Ferrari Engineered by Officine Panerai'.

While the products were a result of teamwork between the two brands, only the Ferrari name featured on the dial. The watch models had ‘FER’ references, from FER00001 up to FER00020.

The products in the collection ranged from $5,000 to $30,000.

The Best Of Pre-Owned Panerai

Your preference when it comes to watches is personal. However, these are some of the best pre-owned Panerai watches on the market.

Shop pre-owned Panerai

1. Panerai Luminor Watches

With a cushion-shaped case, the Panerai Luminor watch is a modern reinterpretation of classic divers watches with an improved and refined look.

2. Panerai Luminor Marina Watches

Similar in design to the classic Luminor, the Panerai Luminor Marina watch has small seconds next to the 9-hour marker.

3. Panerai Radiomir Watches

While the Radiomir substance that Panerai invented to illuminate turned out to be toxic, the spirit behind the innovation lives on. The Radiomir watch pays tribute to the brand’s history. 

Shop Pre-Owned Panerai

If you are interested in purchasing a Panerai watch, the resale market is a great place to look. myGemma has a wide selection of watches including models from Panerai.

The advantage of buying your next pre-owned watch from myGemma is the care that goes into the assessment. Each and every watch on the website has been properly assessed and authenticated by an in-house watch expert.

When you shop the resale market, you can find everything from Neo-Vintage watches to diver watches and more. Not only can you find classic favorites but also unique buys you won’t find anywhere else. myGemma is a great place to find a Panerai timepiece if you are a watch enthusiast.

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Sell Pre-Owned Panerai

At myGemma, we believe the selling journey shouldn’t be complicated. If you no longer wear your Panerai watch, consider selling to myGemma. There is no middleman and no hidden fees.

The entire selling process is designed to be as streamlined as possible. Simply fill out the simple online form to get started, and a member of the team will be in touch. From price quote to payment it can take as little as 24 hours.

myGemma also buys your designer handbags, jewelry, and other luxury accessories.

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