French Free-Diving Champion Guillaume Néry is Panerai's New Worldwide Ambassador - Luxe Living

Guillaume Néry, the French free-diving champion known for breaking four world records and who has won the Constant Weight World Free-Diving Champions twice has just been announced as the newest worldwide brand ambassador for luxury timepiece brand Officine Panerai. Breaking his first record at only the age of 20 (free-diving to a depth of 87 meters at the Villefranche-sur-Mer in the Alpes-Martimes of France), Néry has become a familiar face in sports. He is also known for continuously raising the bar, reaching an incredible depth of 139 meters in a world record attempt (10 meters deeper than anticipated). Néry was injured and suffered from a concussion. Today, that jump, which is considered one of the most exciting moments the history of the sport, remains to hold the world record of being the deepest dive in a freediving competition ever.

Guillaume Néry
Guillaume Néry
The Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio PAM1389
The Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio PAM1389


Born in Nice, France in 1982, Néry considers his freediving passion as a way of life rather than an extreme sport. Every day he attempts to dive deeper under the sea, looking to explore the depths of the unknown and pushing his limits. Although now retired from competition, the sportsman remains devoted to his passions, creating various projects to promote diving and the ocean. This is seen in his photography work, short films (Narcose, Ocean Gravity, and Haven…, in which he collaborated with his wife), and writing (Profondeurs in 2014 and Reconnexion in 2019). “Diving is an internal experience, not just a way of exploring the sea but also a means of knowing oneself, facing danger and solitude, and accepting the psychological and climatic pressures which exist at the bottom of the sea,” he says.

This 2018, the free-diver has officially begun his partnership with the watch brand for the next two years. It begins with MARE, the third addition to a series of short films devoted to the historic link between Panerai and the world of the sea. Néry stars in the video, along with the Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Day Automatic Titanio PAM1389, a model from Panerai’s Divers Professional watch collection. It is water-resistant up to 300 meters. Watch the film here:

Officine Panerai’s ties with the ocean began decades ago, when the Florence-based manufacturer began supplying the diving corps of the Italian Navy with precision instruments. Innovative pieces such as the Luminor and Radiomir were created specifically for the military, and were only launched to the international market after the company was acquired in 1997 by the Richemont group. Today, the company still aims to craft and develop only the best movements and watches to add to its already impressive collection.

For more information visit www.paneraitraits.com and www.guillaumenery.fr

By Chino R. Hernandez

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