An exclusive exhibition of Panerai watches is to be held at Artcurial’s iconic headquarters on the Champs-Élysées between 5-8 December. Retracing 80 years of watchmaking history, Panerai Only spans three significant phases of Panerai’s history: Vintage, Pre Vendôme and Vendôme.

Having already exhibited in Geneva and Milan, these legendary models comprise the highlights of a dedicated Panerai sale, taking place at Artcurial on 8 December at 7 pm. It has taken over a year for the auction house team to source these important models and exceptionally, 15 come from a private collection. In their last watch solo sale (Jaeger Le Coultre, 2011) Artcurial realised over €2 million and recorded no less than 10 world records.

Artcurial Watches experts, Marie Sanna-Legrand and Romain Réa say, “An icon of contemporary watchmaking, Panerai’s forms, colours and designs are a perfect representation of the 20th century object. More than a simple wristwatch, some of these pieces have become incredible works of art. A perfect example is the 1956 Egyptian Radiomir with its 60mm diameter, micro-blasted rotating bezel and crown-protecting bridge: a genuine horological sculpture.”

The house of Panerai was founded in 1860 in Florence, combining shop, workshop and watchmaking school. For many years it supplied precision instruments to the Italian Navy, originally equipping the frogmen commandos. The projects conceived during this period, such as the Luminor and Radiomir watches, were concealed for years, regulated by military secrecy, until the brand was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997, and was subsequently launched on the international market.

Today, Panerai develops and produces its own movements and watches – combining Italian design and the accuracy of Swiss watchmaking – in its manufacturing headquarters in Neuchâtel, selling around the world through an exclusive network of authorised dealers, as well as in its worldwide single marque boutiques.