Panerai’s Experiences turn buying a timepiece into the time of your life
‘If it starts to turn blue, run. And run fast,’ said our guide as we marvelled at the wafts of greyish smoke gently belching from a dozing Mount Etna, one of the world’s most active volcanoes – which duly erupted four days after our visit, making news around the world this spring.
It might not have been the narrowest of escapes, but it was certainly a relief not to have been more than 3,000 feet above sea level and just a good stone’s throw from Etna’s central crater when she decided to get grumpy. That said, everyone in our party had gone there on the promise of an adventure, because we were on an “Experience” trip organised by Italian-rooted watch brand Panerai.
In exchange for £35,400, purchasers of the 30 available examples of the Radiomir 8 Giorni Eilean Experience Edition watch got to enjoy a five-day stay at the luxurious Villa Sant’Andrea in the up-market Sicilian resort of Taormina, punctuated by excursions on land and sea. The sea bit meant a trip aboard Eilean, the 1936 Fife-built yacht that former Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati (who died in May, aged 75) discovered in a state of neglect on a mangrove-covered Antiguan inlet back in 2006.
Radiomir 8 Giorni Eilean, £35,700
The 22m, 50-tonne ketch had enjoyed a moment of fame when she featured in the video for Duran Duran’s 1982 hit Rio but, after making multiple Atlantic crossings in the hands of former owner John Shearer, she was looking sad and he was ready to sell. Bonati bought Eilean on Panerai’s behalf and had her towed back to Italy, where she was treated to a two-year, no-expense-spared restoration before being pressed back into service as an elegant marketing tool that reflects the brand’s longstanding links with the sea.
A byproduct of Eilean’s now meticulous maintenance regime occasionally sees parts having to be replaced – and bronze recovered during a recent overhaul was used to create the special Eilean Experience watches, each of which has a caseback and bezel surround made from the salvaged metal.
A highlight of the trip involved sailing off Taormina’s magical coastline with Eilean’s skipper, Stefano Valente, at the helm. Punters also got to enjoy a private tour of Sicily’s Cottanera winery, bookended by a lavish lunch and the chance to tour the grounds by horseback or mountain bike. Eating sumptuous food was, in fact, a large element of this Experience, since it included a Sicilian cooking lesson from the chef of a local Michelin-starred restaurant and “authentic dining” in the historic fishing village of Torre Archirafi. For many, however, the highlight of the trip was a spectacular operatic performance staged within the walls of Taormina’s 1,800-year-old Greek Theatre.
Panerai’s chief marketing officer, Alessandro Ficarelli, says the Experience watches – which first became available in 2019 – have proved a huge hit with collectors. ‘They really create a bond with clients and they have helped to develop a whole community of people who were unknown to one another before they went to one of the events, but then became long-term friends.’
The Experiences have been divided into three pillars (military, adventure and “Italian dolce vita”) with the Eilean Experience coming under the latter heading. The military and adventure options are, however, a good deal more challenging and have so far included exploring the depths of the Pacific off Polynesia with champion freediver Guillaume Néry; taking part in training manoeuvres with America’s crack Navy Seals special forces group; and trekking 3,000 metres up Bhutan’s Paro valley to visit the Tiger’s Nest monastery as part of an expedition led by celebrated adventurer Mike Horn. September’s trip involved joining Italy’s Naval air force in a range of simulated helicopter raids and tactical battle scenarios while based on a warship.
To take part, everyone needed to buy one of the 35 available Submersible Chrono Marina Militare Experience Edition watches, which cost £49,700, for a memorable adventure and a timepiece to enjoy endlessly.
