Michelin-starred Massimo Bottura (Photo: Panerai)
Before Italian chef Massimo Bottura made headlines for winning the title of Best Restaurant in the World in 2016 (and again, this year) by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, his passion for innovation had already been acknowledged by renowned watchmaker Officine Panerai. The founder of the three-Michelin-star restaurant Osteria Francescana in Modena is one of four stars in the Panerai Traits project, a series of short films created by the Italian watchmaker, in collaboration with international personalities who are the perfect embodiment of the distinctive traits of the brand.
“Look at the past in a critical way, not nostalgically. To innovate, it is necessary to take the best of the past and carry it forward into the future,” says Bottura in the film, which was shot in various locations around Modena, including the Piazza Grande, the historic Albinelli market as well as his own restaurant. On his wrist is the Tuttonero Luminor 1950 3 Days GMT Automatic Ceramica (PAM00438), a watch that beautifully embodies Panerai’s ability to create timepieces that combine the finest watchmaking traditions, an iconic and distinctive design and state-of-the-art materials and technical solutions — similar characteristics found in the cuisine of the Osteria Francescana.
While the story of innovation for Panerai Traits is best told by the 55-year-old Bottura, the link with the sea is presented by free-diving champion Guillaume Néry, purity of design expressed by Greek interior designer Costas Voyatzis and search for the light perfected by American photographer Jason M Peterson. To view the films or for more information on the project, visit paneraitraits.com.
