Officine Panerai’s deep-rooted partnership with Behbehani
Renowned for exquisite Italian design and meticulous Swiss ingenuity, Officine Panerai continues its long-standing partnership with its Kuwaiti partner, the Behbehani Group, who is in a sense the ‘Ambassador of Luxury’ with over 76 years of professional experience in the field representing the finest, internationally renowned brand names
Kuwait is undoubtedly a key market for Officine Panerai, where locals are well-educated, sophisticated, well-travelled and have a penchant for luxury goods. The luxury watch brand’s boutique is located in the opulent Al Hamra Mall in Kuwait’s capital, where the boutique has a floor space of over 100 square metres, and evokes the brand’s history with the Italian Navy, with shapes and materials that allude to the sea.
Mr Milvin George, Managing Director of Officine Panerai, kindly sat with Day & Night Magazine at the launch of the Special Kuwaiti Edition watch, to share his thoughts about the local market. The exclusive launch took place on the 15th of April, 2015 and was attended by friends of the brand, esteemed clients and members of the press.
Can you comment on the brand’s relationship with the Behbehani Group?
The first watch to be imported into Kuwait landed in the palm of Mr Behbehani’s hand. Since then the Group has been consistent in building brand images and creating a market for the luxury goods industry, with both locals and expats. Our relationship with the Behbehani Group is solid as they truly understand what luxury consists of. They have experience, they have the know-how and they have the manpower to ensure goals are achieved in every industry they work with; whether its cars, tourism or even watches and jewellery. Officine Panerai is extremely lucky to have a stable, professional and celebrated Luxury Ambassador in Kuwait.
What is today’s event about?
Today’s event is a tribute to our partnership with the Behbehani Group. We have gathered a group of Paneraists – the term we have given to Panerai connoisseurs – at this exclusive event to showcase our latest watch that is a Kuwaiti special edition. The Kuwait Special Edition Watch, is also known as the Radiomir Ceramica, which features a 45mm diameter with a PAM 612 calibre that is housed in a ceramic case. The luminous black dial features Arabic numerals and hour indexes and bears the brand name across the bottom. The watch is a limited edition of 78 and is completed with an olive green canvas strap, which can only be bought in the Al Hamra boutique in Kuwait.
The Carbotech timepiece was launched at the SIHH 2015. What has the feedback been like?
The feedback has been phenomenal. We have had a lot of interest which resulted in a long waiting list of recipients who are keen horology enthusiasts. The technology used in the timepiece is different from what other brands have done and our customers recognise this exclusivity, which is only available for purchase in one particular Panerai boutique.
Which boutique is significant for the sales of Officine Panerai?
I would say the boutique in Florence is the cornerstone of the brand. All our customers are aware that this branch outsells other branches around the world. For this reason, the store has undergone a complete refurbishment, where we have expanded the floor space and drafted in new colours and themes for the interior. The store is also a museum for our vintage watches, where our customers can come and browse and experience what we have to offer.
What has the feedback been like for the innovative Equation of Time watch?
Just as we expected, the feedback has been very good. Panerai is a technical high-end sports brand, so it is important for us to meet the demands of our clients. Normally this movement comes with a Tourbillon, however in the case of the Equation of Time, we are catering for people who cannot pay that amount of money but who still want an exceptional complication on their wrist.
Why does Officine Panerai offer such a large variety of straps?
We offer a vast array of straps because owning a Panerai watch is not cheap. However if a customer wanted to change the look of the watch, they can do it at an affordable rate by simply switching straps. We offer vintage, rubber, canvas, alligator and calf straps in a variety of colours, so there is something for everybody who is willing to experiment with Officine Panerai watches.
