Interview – Jean-Marc Pontroué on Panerai’s Innovations, New Materials, COVID-19, Environment and… Experiences!
Jean-Marc Pontroue became CEO of Panerai in 2016, bringing new ideas, energy and a more contemporary approach to the brand. Although changes within the company were inevitable, the core values and instantly recognizable aesthetic remain intact. During the digital Watches & Wonders week, I talked with Jean-Marc about Panerai’s plans and challenges in 2020 during this unprecedented Corona Virus pandemic. New models will launch as planned, while others will wait until next year as the company adapts to global boutique closures, cancelled events and a big shift to a single, major fair in Geneva. With a focus on the environment, partnerships and long-term ambassadors like Mike Horn, Panerai is poised to emerge from the crisis stronger than ever with exciting new projects and innovations in the works.
It’s been another big week of Covid-19 era life here at Time+Tide, with Zoom calls with the Girard-Perregaux HQ (up to 90 people joined in at its peak) to join in on, a live chat with Wei Koh of Revolution and the CEO of DOXA watches to discuss our involvement in the Covid-19 Solidarity Auction and what seems now like an endless schedule of video conferences, including our own team meetings. If this is the new normal, then I guess we’re getting used to it. Though, with a rotating schedule of the team visiting the office, with staff rarely overlapping in greater numbers than two, the teamwork making the dream work in person – as well as table tennis – is sorely missed! On a team note, I’d like to give a big shout out to our Deputy Editor Nick Kenyon, who you might know from his spectacular entrances to our Home Delivery Watch Fair videos. Nick just clicked over his first year at Time+Tide – congratulations Nick! Some highlights from his first year would have to be his coverage from his first watch fair, Dubai Watch Week, as well as joining me for a week in Sydney when we…
We want to start this post with a shoutout to some YouTube commenters by the name of Nicolas, Hani and Lee. This trio recently commented on the Longines HydroConquest 41mm in Khaki Green video and each echoed the same sentiments, which to paraphrase, are: “We are in doubt between this Longines and an Oris Aquis.” We all took note. It reminded us of a segment we did on YouTube some time ago called Apples to Apples. The idea here was that we pick watches that are likely be in competitive sets and – after a flip of the coin to determine who argues for who – then argue a case for each watch. We’ll dispense with some of those theatrics for this static site post version of the concept – but we’ll keep the core idea. That two watches, both alike in important ways, get compared directly to one another. So, without further ado, let’s pitch two well-priced welterweights against each other pound for pound. Vital Stats Longines HydroConquest in Khaki Green Ref.L3.781.4.06.9 Case: 316L Stainless Steel 41mm x 12mm 300 metres of water resistance Screw-down crown Flat sapphire crystal glass with anti-reflective coating Lug width 21mm Solid…
2020 has been a year for a lot of things: a global pandemic, a quarter of a year spent indoors, no Baselworld, no Olympics, and iconic watchmakers like Patek Philippe and Rolex seemingly putting the kibosh on any new novelties. Except, while the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation has so far stuck to their guns, a short while ago Patek Philippe told authorised dealers across the globe that they would indeed be releasing a limited number of new watches this year. And now, praise be to the watch gods, we finally have a new Patek Philippe! Called the Calatrava Ref. 6007A-001, this sporty stainless steel three-hander is yet another example of the legacy watchmaker embracing the hard-wearing metal across more of its traditional collections. Having spent the best part of a day poring over the superb press images (rival brands, take note, this is how you photograph / render a new watch) and the specs, these are the stunning details that might be missed at a first glimpse. Detail 1: The Case is a study in perfect proportions The highly polished case measures in at 40mm across and just 9.07mm thick, and appears to be beautifully rounded and proportioned, sharing the…
