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Our Correspondent / EMIRATES BUSINESS
Officine Panerai, although established in Florence, Italy, has its strong base in UAE as well. The watch brand has created designs which are inspired from the skyline of both Abu Dhabi and Dubai. With two new watches retailed exclusively at Panerai boutiques in The Galleria, Sowwah Square and the Dubai Mall, the brand is winning many hearts in this region. These watches are personalised with the same consistent engraving on the back of the case depicting the iconic structures of the city –‘Sheikh Zayed Mosque’, a masterpiece of cultural architecture, the ‘Capital Gate’, the world’s furthest leaning man-made tower; ‘Aldar headquarters’, the first circular building of its kind in the Middle East and other iconic signature skyscrapers of the Capital such as ‘Emirates Palace’ and ‘Etihad Towers’.
Founded in 1860 in Florence when it consisted of a boutique, a workshop and a watchmaking school, Officine Panerai was for years the supplier of precision instruments to the Italian Navy, in particular equipping the commando frogmen. The projects which were created at that time, including the Luminor and Radiomir watches, continued to be covered by military secrecy for many years, and the brand’s launch onto the international market followed the acquisition of the brand by the Richemont Group in 1997.
Today, Officine Panerai develops and produces its own movements and watches in its manufacture at Neuchatel, and these are sold worldwide through an exclusive global
network of authorised dealers, and in its own-brand boutiques.
Recently the Officine Panerai, the Florentine sports watchmaker, took part in the international Fuorisalone 2016 exhibition where they showcased ‘Light in Time’ created by Moritz Waldemeyer.
Commenting on Officine Panerai’s participation at Fuorisalone 2016 created in cooperation by Moritz Waldemeyer, Milvin George, Panerai’s Regional Managing Director, said, “Panerai watches are well known for their formidable blend of Italian design and Swiss technology. Being a brand born out of Florence, Panerai has always supported art and cultural activities in many traditions all around the world. Participating in this pivotal design event gives Panerai the opportunity to celebrate and honour one of our core principles – exclusive design.â€
Objectives
Officine Panerai, through the CSR policy of the Richemont group and its own code of ethics, has actively begun to progressively decrease the environmental impact of its manufacturing and commercial activity; Educate its employees’ and suppliers’ about an eco-friendly lifestyle; Support local and international non-profit associations, increasing real-world activity by seeking new non-profit projects to back.
Officine Panerai Goes ‘Green’
The most ambitious project in terms of eco-sustainability and eco-compatibility has been the new manufacture project.
Ten years on from the inauguration of its Neuchatel Manufacture, Officine Panerai inaugurated the new plant where all the activities concerning the development, production and assembly of the movements and the watches were transferred.
The new production site opened at the end of 2013 and represents an extraordinary opportunity for the optimisation of production processes both in terms of quantity and quality.
The new Officine Panerai building has zero environmental impact as far as the production of carbon dioxide is concerned thanks to the integration of a number of technologies designed to reclaim and recycle resources, emission-reducing devices, electricity from completely renewable sources and policies promoting eco-sustainable mobility among employees.
The following are a few examples of ways in which the new manufacture satisfies the requirements of zero impact — The water used in production processes is reused for the toilets, for cleaning and in the cooling systems; the energy produced by the machinery is reused in the heating system; a state-of-the-art heat pump system permits optimisation of the energy produced by both the heating and cooling systems.
The objective is to achieve at least the Minergie standard, a building standard that permits rational use of
energy and extensive use of renewable energy, thus reducing the impact on the environment of large
production sites.
