a situation that arose on this forum yesterday involving this post.
Included in the post were numerous pictures showing the original owner, a German Kampschwimmer. Some members of the forum objected to some of the images, which were subsequently deleted, but one forum member became upset and posted several responses questioning whether the Nazi party and the atrocities they committed in WWII were being “celebrated” by the posting of pictures he felt were offensive.
Those responses were subsequently deleted from the public forum as there was a desire on our part to not let this get out of hand and subsequently turn the discussion and the focus away from the watches.
As we are all aware, the history of Panerai is based on their military use. The watches were developed for the Italian Navy for the Decima Flottiglia Mas and were provided to the German Kampschwimmer forces as well. While this history is a rich background to the modern Panerai we all enjoy, we also know that our members realize the atrocities of WWII for what they were. Millions of lives were lost, the holocaust decimated both the Jewish and non-Jewish populations of Europe. This by no means is lost on any of us, however we cannot change history. We must be cognizant of it and it's impact on the world but it cannot be revised.
We believe that our members share a love of Panerai and it’s rich history and can separate the watches from the actions of the military combatants who wore them. A post discussing the history of a specific watch, watches or a bygone era should not be construed to be supportive of any ideology of their original owners but rather a sharing of the rich history of the brand.
