POWER WITH CONTROL

JEAN-MARC PONTROUE, CEO PANERAI

Speaking to ThePeak over Zoom from his office in Geneva, Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroue replies with characteristic verve when asked about the lifestyle-focused approach the brand – best known for its historical military associations – has adopted since he came on board. “We have always been a pioneer. This is what we are doing now with new materials, new experiences, and new service standards such as the 70-year warranty we are offering with the Luminor references this year.”

How is a 70-year warranty on all the new Luminor watches this year possible?

It’s possible because we trust in the quality of our movements. Just a year ago, we had a two-year guarantee, which we extended to eight years. The reliability of our movements allows us to offer a 70-year warranty without worrying that a massive number of people will come to our stores every day because they have problems with our watches. There are no hidden conditions – these are the same as those for the eight-year warranty and the two-year warranty.

Last year, Panerai gave its clients the chance to go for extreme experiences with South African-born Swiss explorer Mike Horn and French free diver Guillaume Nery. How will the current travel bans affect such offerings?

We have two experiences planned – one with Mike Horn in the North Pole and another with the Luna Rossa sailing team in Auckland during America’s Cup next year. We have had to delay all the others because of the travel bans. I went for the experiences with the Italian navy in La Spezia and Guillaume Nery in Tahiti. The most memorable part was seeing the smiles on the participants’ faces. Some have already booked, with no limit, their places for all of the other experiences to come.

How are you meeting the challenges of Covid-19?

With 19 subsidiaries and 150 boutiques worldwide, we have had to organise ourselves according to the situations and the health and safety of our people in different countries. We have been in survival mode for many weeks, but some countries are now slowly reopening. International travellers are important but Panerai has always been very strong with local customers. In countries like Singapore, Japan and the US, we sell mainly to locals. This is a major asset for the brand.