In April 2018, Dr. Angelo Bonati said “arrivederci” to Panerai after 21 years with the firm, 18 of them as the CEO. Jean-Marc Pontroué’s appointment as Panerai CEO in April 2018.
Bonati was head of sales of Cartier in Italy in 1997 when Richemont Chairman Johann Rupert selected him as Panerai’s first sales director. Rupert’s Vendôme Luxury Group (now called the Richemont Group) had just acquired the watch and instruments division of Officine Panerai, the small, obscure Florence-based watchmaker and former supplier of timing instruments to the Italian Navy.
Bonati was the first Panerai employee of the Vendôme/Richemont era. He became CEO of the brand in 2000. On April 1 of this year, he retired, handing over the Panerai reins to Jean-Marc Pontroué, formerly CEO of Roger Dubuis.
At the SIHH in Geneva in January2017, I met with Bonati. On Occasion of our exclusive interview with Mr. Dr. Angelo Bonati, CEO of Officine Panerai, we would like to give you a Brief overview of the three most important SIHH innovations introduced by the brand in 2017.
