Panerai announces Immersion Exhibition
Panerai announces “Immersion”, an experiential Brand exhibition opening in Florence on 10 September 2026.
In 2026, Panerai marks 100 years of its historic Florence boutique in Piazza San Giovanni with “Immersion,” a new exhibition that offers a contemporary exploration of the Maison’s identity.
Open from September 10 to 19 at Museo Marino Marini, the exhibition is conceived as an experiential journey that moves from family workshop to the sea, inviting visitors to understand Panerai by experiencing the very conditions and forces that have shaped Panerai from its origins to today: purpose, performance, and real-life adventure.
“Our heritage at Panerai is much more than an historical narrative; it is the foundation of our technical expertise and the North Pole star that guides our future vision” explains Emmanuel Perrin, CEO of Panerai. “With ‘Immersion,’ we tell our story from a different perspective, shifting the focus from the past to how the Maison’s spirit expresses itself today. Blending heritage with innovation, our tool watches become protagonists and essential equipment for contemporary adventures.”
Ten years after the acclaimed ‘Dive Into Time’ exhibition at the Museo Marino Marini in 2016, Panerai returns to this Florentine landmark to unveil a new look at its legendary history. Renowned for its blend of historical architecture and contemporary artistic expression, Museo Marino Marini will once again host Panerai in its crypt, a fitting backdrop for the brand’s journey through time and ocean depths.
Depicting a modern portrait of the brand’s spirit, the exhibition offers a pivotal introduction to the origins of the Family business that would become an icon of 21st century watchmaking. Visitors will discover how, here in Florence from 1860, the Panerai family developed across generations two parallel businesses: the boutique “Orologeria Svizzera”, a point of reference for watchmaking culture in the city, and the “G.Panerai & Figlio” Company, where professional instruments were created for the Italian Navy. From this partnership, a method shaped by real needs emerged: visibility in darkness, water resistance for the depths, robustness in extreme conditions, and an extended power reserve. The very same method continues to define what Panerai stands for today, through contemporary watches designed for action, materials manufactured to withstand demanding environments, functions that support exploration, and experiences that bring the brand into the lives of those who move beyond the expected.
From Florence and the Panerai family, visitors move into the atmosphere of a secret military workshop, where the foundations of the brand’s technical expertise take shape. From there, the path descends into the abyss, an environment of pressure, darkness, silence, and survival, where the meaning of a professional instrument becomes immediate and tangible. The journey then rises toward the surface, where stories of modern adventurers explore how the same principles continue to meet new forms of challenge: frozen lakes, polar landscapes, jungle humidity, ocean waves, impact, and endurance. In these moments, the watch becomes more than an object of measurement. It becomes a companion in situations that demand focus, confidence, and the will to go further.
In the final chapter, Panerai enters a world of wind, water, time, and horizon between the intensity of sport sailing and the wider rhythm of classic navigation. Nautical instruments stand side by side with contemporary chronographs, two expressions of the same will to conquer the open sea: one driven by competition and performance, the other by exploration, memory, and long-distance navigation.
Much more than a watch exhibition, ‘Immersion’ offers a unique opportunity to discover the brand’s distinctive ethos. From the ocean’s depths to the North Pole, visitors will feel as though they have embarked on a true adventure where the defining characteristics of Panerai watches – robustness, luminescence, power reserve, and water resistance – emerge as the crucial game-changers to completing the mission.
Details
Name: “Immersion” – a contemporary exploration of Panerai’s identity
Location: Museo Marino Marini, Piazza San Pancrazio – Florence, Italy
Dates: open to public from 11 to 19 September, 2026
Opening hours: 10am – 7pm every day from 11 to 19 September
Book your visit at https://www.panerai.com/ch/en/focus/immersion.html
About Panerai
Founded in Florence in 1860, Panerai began as a workshop, shop, and subsequently school of watchmaking. This foundational expertise soon led to forging a pivotal partnership with the Royal Italian Navy, commencing in the 1910s, with initial commissions to design precision instruments and leading in 1935 to the development of its first dive watch prototype, Ref. 2533, with a luminescent Radiomir dial. For many decades thereafter, Panerai maintained its role as a highly secretive supplier to Italian Navy commandos, manufacturing tool watches and high-precision instruments built to withstand their challenging missions.
The defining technical features Panerai developed to meet the Italian Navy specifications—exceptional luminescence, superior water resistance, extended power reserve, and robust construction—remained a military secret until 1993. That year marked a key moment: the introduction of the first watches to the civilian public, including the first Luminor 44mm, whose now-iconic crown protecting bridge and bold design would soon achieve international recognition.
In 1997, Richemont acquired Panerai, leading to its debut at SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) in 1998. This event propelled Panerai’s rise as a prominent international brand within the watchmaking industry.
Today, Panerai honors its heritage by manufacturing its movements and watches at its Neuchâtel manufacture since 2002, where cutting-edge technology and Swiss precision converge with Italian design. Panerai watches are available worldwide through a carefully selected network of distributors and boutiques.
