In 2000, Panerai enthusiast Guy Verbist set about creating a dedicated website to provide news, information and a meeting point for the thousands of fans who had become interested in the brand since its acquisition three years earlier by the Richemont group.

Taking a lead from the term "Ferraristi", which is used to describe lovers of Ferrari cars, the name "Paneristi" was adopted and, now, Paneristi.com is widely regarded as the most successful single-make watch forum on the internet. It attracts an average of 30,000 hits a day and Angelo Bonati, Panerai's CEO, joins discussions and answers correspondents' questions posted on the site.