Radium is an element we see in our periodic tables during chemistry lessons. But did you know that it was once used to make watches for naval divers thanks to its self-luminescence quality? 

In fact, one luxury firm used to supply such timepieces to the Italian military back in the early 1900s. 

And while Radium was banned in the 1960s due to its radioactive properties, the glow-in-the-dark feature of this company’s watches remains its key selling point up till today. 

We’re talking about the Italian watch brand Panerai. Founded in Florence in 1860 as a workshop, shop and subsequently school of watchmaking, Panerai had for many decades supplied the Italian Navy and its specialist diving corp in particular with precision instruments. 

At that time, the designs developed by Panerai were covered by the Military Secrets Acts. It stayed that way for many years and the models were only launched on the international market after it was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997. 

Fast forward to today, Panerai is known for its rugged and bold timepieces, with action stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, The Rock Dwayne Johnson and others among wearing them. But the firm is also seeing growing interest among the female community. 

So how does Panerai assess its positioning and customer base over the years and what does it mean for the firm when it comes to future designs and product pipeline?

Meanwhile, Panerai had in June 2023 launched its global flagship boutique in New York, but which are the key markets for the firm? What are the opportunities ahead and where does Panerai intend to expand into next?

On Under the Radar, The Evening Runway’s finance presenter Chua Tian Tian posed these questions to Jean-Marc Pontroue, CEO, Panerai.