In Memoriam - Angelo Bonati

 

Courtesy of Italia Living

Word reached the North Shore offices of Henki Time that former Panerai CEO Angelo Bonati has passed away.

In an industry where more often than not you are either born into leadership (Chopard, LVMH, Patek), or you land in a comfy place - think Mr. Dufour of Rolex, very few people could have taken what a brand considered something of an anomaly, and make it the object of intense desire. But that is just what Panerai became under Angelo Bonati.

There are unicorns out there, to be sure, but as we roll past the first quarter of this century, they are becoming much thinner on the ground. It's easy for people to forget how different things were in 2000. A 44 mm case was anathema. Today it is "average". Watch fans will recall the ill-fated Anonimo which is still bobbing about in the flotsam of Watch Town's harbor. Proof positive that without the vision, investment, and consistency, a brand will become an afterthought. 

Back in 2003 when I broke in with Tourneau in their original San Francisco store, we were not authorized to sell Panerai (new Panerai, that is), but we did a brisk trade in pre-owned Panerai. So brisk that a Panerai would go in the showcase and likely be sold before the close of business. That, in fact, was how I got mine. A "B" series Luminor. The rule for employees buying a pre-owned watch was that it had to stay in the case for at least one full day before you could purchase it. And you had to pay full price, no employee discount! So I waited, and once the doors were closed? I pounced! And to say I loved that watch is an understatement. I still miss it to this day. But that is a story for another day.

But that is the manic obsession that Panerai created, and continues to evoke to this day. And it couldn't have happened without Mr. Bonati.

Go easy, sir.