India, December 18th 2018 – Panerai, the Italian luxury sports watchmaker, announces its collaboration with Indian cricket icon Mahendra Singh Dhoni as Brand Ambassador for India. An ardent fan and connoisseur of the brand and one of the most respected sportsmen in the world, MS Dhoni perfectly embodies the values of quality, authenticity and passion of the Panerai legacy.
“MS Dhoni is a celebrated sportsman, a sophisticated gentleman with a distinctive persona that impeccably resonates the masculine identity of Panerai watches. His sports career is a testimony of class, composure, talent, and commitment that he infuses in everything he does, making him an epitome of ardour and legitimacy. We are honoured to associate with him to represent our brand in India and be a true testament of our characteristics”, said Jean-Marc Pontroué, Panerai CEO.
The collaboration between Panerai and the sports icon is a testament of Panerai’s growing commitment towards the Indian market and re-enforcing familiarity among Indians of Panerai’s world. “Panerai is a timeless brand, with its roots in the world of the sea and under-sea naval missions, All Panerai watches revolve around the brand’s core ethos – combining Italian design and Swiss watchmaking perfection. I closely relate with the authenticity, passion and boldness that the brand embodies; these are some strong attributes that I have been applying to my career and life beyond cricket, stirring true emotions towards Panerai, and underlining my natural connection with the brand”, MS Dhoni commented.
Commenting on the association, Arun Pandey, Chairman of Rhiti Sports which exclusively manages MS Dhoni’s commercial engagements said “Panerai is a leader in the luxury watches segment and we are thrilled to have facilitated this partnership where the brand story will be told using MS Dhoni who is renowned for his leadership skills. There is a very natural fitment between the brand attributes and MS Dhoni’s personality which makes this association very exciting”
Hailing from Jharkhand- a state in Eastern India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s rise through the statuses into international cricket is a saga of rebellion, extraordinary merit, persistence, and, most of all, credence. With a mature head on his shoulders and an astute cricketing mind, Dhoni started leading the Men’s International Cricket team of India in 2007 as the Captain. Dhoni had a golden run as captain, bringing home two World Cup trophies and a string of acclaimed victories with his usual sangfroid.
MS Dhoni will accompany Panerai in its fascinating and authentic world, representing at its best the excellence that from the onset has characterized the brand, a world deeply embedded in Italian history yet relentlessly projected into the future.
PANERAI Founded in Florence in 1860 as a workshop, shop and school of watch making, for many decades Panerai supplied the Italian Navy in general, and its specialist diving corps in particular, with precision instruments. The designs developed by Panerai in that time, including the Luminor and Radiomir, were covered by the Military Secrets Act for many years and were launched on the international market only after the brand was acquired by the Richemont Group in 1997. Today Panerai develops and crafts its movements and watches at its Neuchâtel manufacture. The latter are a seamless melding of Italian design flair and history with Swiss horological expertise. Panerai watches are sold across the world through an exclusive network of distributors and Panerai boutiques. www.panerai.com