Lights, Camera, Action! Panerai On the Spotlight

When we hear the name Panerai, the words luxury, exclusivity, high-end timepiece, and Italian watch making heritage come to mind. Well, here is another word to add up to that list: celebrity. No surprise there, since Panerai has been a staple accessory to the rich and famous ever since this luxury timepiece was released in the mid-1800s. If you are planning on saving up for your very own Panerai piece, here is a helpful motivation for you: a list of celebrities who have been spotted sporting this famous Italian timepiece.

In movies, Panerai is worn by renowned action stars both on and off the movies. In Eraser, Arnold Schwarzenegger saves the day while wearing a Panerai Luminor Marina. In fact, the watch even gets its own frame in the movie. Another Hollywood action heavyweight, Sylvester Stallone, showcases the durability of Panerai in the movie, Daylight. Off the camera, Stallone was spotted back in 2009 while wearing the limited edition, 60mm Panerai Egiziano which is Panerai’s largest model. In Exit Wounds starring Steven Seagal and DMX, the latter displays his own Panerai 40mm Automatic Marina at the beginning of the film. Another Panerai enthusiast is British action heartthrob Jason Statham who dons a Panerai to complement his “Transporter” look. And while he was not seen wearing one in the movie, The Italian Job, he was seen proudly wearing his Panerai in the behind-the-scenes shots for the movie. Joining the A-list Panerai team is Hugh Grant who made sure to wear his luxury watch for his movies, Two Weeks Notice and Bridget Jones’ Diary. Meanwhile, WWE Superstar turned Hollywood action star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson sports his own style of Panerai in the movie The Rundown as well as in his GQ magazine cover. Finally Josh Hartnett also joins the elite crew with his very own Marina Base in an old Velcro strap which he wears in the movie Hollywood Homicide.

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REFERENCE AND IMAGE SOURCE: http://www.paneristi.com/reference/Panaerai_in_movies/index.html

Panerai Goes to the Movies

Panerai watches are considered one of the most recognizable watches in action films produced in Hollywood. With four major lines of watches to boost (Historic, Contemporary, Manifattura, and Special Edition), Panerai watches are often manufactured in limited editions, thus making them more valuable. Produced in 500, 1000, 2000, or 4000 units, Panerai luxury watches carry an issue number on the case back. Because of the distinct features Panerai watches have, they are often featured in movies some of which include the following:

1. Eraser – Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Eraser featured a Panerai Luminor Marina even before the hero even appeared in the movie. The story behind Panerai’s appearance in the film is that Sylvester Stallone, a known celebrity who loves Panerai watches, gave the luxury watch as a gift to Schwarzenegger, who then wore it during shooting.

2. Daylight – Released in 1996, Daylight featured Sylvester Stallone as the hero who tried to save people from the collapse of a New York tunnel. It was this during the shooting of this film that Stallone first bought his Panerai Luminor in a jewelry store in Rome. Afterwards, he ordered a batch of Panerai watches with his signature on the case back which he gave to his friends as a gift. The model became known as Slytech and Schwarzenegger was among the first to receive one.


3. Transporter – Jason Statham wore a 40mm Panerai Luminor Automatic Chrono on OEM Brown Alligator Strap the features a white stitching. The Transporter 2 movie also featured Statham wearing a Panerai Luminor Chrono Daylight 196. Statham is known to be a Panerai fan and he never took his watch off during the entire film. In the movie Italian Job where Statham played a part of a gang of robbers, Panerai never appeared in the movie itself but it can be seen during the behind the scenes footage.



4. Bridget Jones’ Diary/Two Weeks Notice – Hugh Grant is also a known fan of Panerai luxury watches and in both films, he can be seen wearing his Panerai watches. Hugh Grant also wears his Panerai watch in magazines and TV interviews.

5. Trust – The latest Hollywood film that features a Panerai watch is Clive Owen’s “Trust”, a film tackling the struggle of a father whose daughter became a victim of an online sexual predator. The Panerai watch in this film is from the Luminor 1950 Collection which is most likely to be the 8 Days Chrono Monopulsante GMT. The luxury watch features a bulky 44mm diameter case brushed in steel or titanium. With a solid black dial, the markers and hands easily stand out. The timepiece also boasts of an eight-hour power reserve and 24-hour indicator.


Other notable films that should be mentioned are The Rundown featuring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Hollywood Homicide with Josh Hartnett wearing a Marina Base on an old style Velcro strap.