1860 Giovanni Panerai (1825-1897), founder of the family business, opens the first watchmaker's shop in Florence on the Ponte alle Grazie and establishes contact with the most prestigious and longest established Swiss watch manufacturers. Renowned for the exceptional quality of its precision mechanical engineering, Officine Panerai began as a manufacturer of precision instruments and watches for the Royal Italian Navy. Now Officine Panerai has established itself as one of the world’s most celebrated haute horlogerie technical sports watches brand.