Luxury Italian watchmaker Panerai is reinforcing its commitment to the U.S. market and boosting its global retail presence with the opening of boutiques in Boston and Honolulu.
Shoppers at the new locations get acquainted with qualities and inspirations that the brand considers its pillars: Italianity, the world of the sea, “modern heroes,” and technical skill. Panerai prides itself on offering Italian hospitality to consumers, and that means making stores feel as familiar as a customer’s home, the company says.
“We’re excited to bring the Panerai experience to Honolulu and establish a new destination for watch enthusiasts to savor the brand’s masterfully crafted timepieces and spirit of adventure,” Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué tells JCK in an email interview. “Our new boutique in Ala Moana Center is designed to immerse visitors on a journey of discovery through our rich Italian heritage, making storytelling an integral part of their experience.”
Panerai’s Boston store is on Newbury Street. Like the Honolulu location, it opened in mid-May. Both boutiques have sizable windows, which allow customers to catch glimpses of the watchmaker and its storytelling right from the street, drawing them in and starting them on a sensory journey.
Inside, a fully operational luminescent clock grabs their attention. Its design recalls Super-LumiNova fluorescence, a feature of all Panerai watches. This wall decor is included at all Panerai boutiques and is meant as a nod to the brand’s DNA, officials say.
The new stores also have marble-effect flooring, wood veneer on the walls, and metal grids as decoration. These features were chosen both for their beauty and to represent the brand’s heritage and values—Italy has been known for its marble—and the wood veneer and metal grids give the boutiques a contemporary feel.
The color blue is sprinkled throughout the store interiors (on the chairs, for example), to symbolize the sea and the marine-inspired elements found in Panerai’s watches for divers. Panerai calls its clients, including divers, Modern Heroes, and their pictures are displayed around the stores.
Each location has a lounge area, which serves as a casual space for staff members to meet and converse with clients. The lounge holds a variety of books about Italian life and design for browsing.
Interactive screens in the stores tell Panerai‘s history, share new watches, and exhibit the brand’s entire product range. Founded in Florence in 1860 as a workshop, boutique, and watchmaking school, Panerai today has more than 200 worldwide locations, where it celebrates Italian design flair and Swiss horological expertise.
Top: Inside Panerai’s Honolulu boutiques, one of two U.S. retail locations the Italian watch company opened over the past month (images courtesy of Panerai)
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