Founded in 1860 in Florence, Italy, Panerai began as a watchmaking school, workshop, and showroom. The brand gained prominence through its partnership with the Italian Navy, creating precision instruments and dive watches for it. In the 1930s, Panerai developed the Radiomir, a luminescent timepiece designed for underwater missions. The distinctive cushion-shaped case and luminous dial became iconic. Later, the Luminor, introduced in the 1950s, featured a patented crown-protecting bridge for enhanced water resistance. It wasn't until the 1990s that the brand entered the civilian market, quickly gaining a cult following. Today, Panerai is renowned for its bold designs and innovative materials, and even has a cult following of people known as Paneristis, with collections like Luminor, Submersible, Luminor Due, Radiomir and more.