Limited edition created for the 'PP Passione Panerai' Group

A project created for Panerai enthusiasts.

TFP & the Florentine Watchmaking Legacy

From Officine Galileo to TFP, a story of precision, passion, and innovation that spans generations, yet never loses sight of its roots.

Galileo

1866 was the founding year of Officine Galileo in Florence, establishing a continuous tradition of the highest quality in precision mechanics, supplying optical and military systems to the Regia Marina Italiana (Italian Royal Navy).

Galileo soon became a company of great importance, contributing to the development of mechanical expertise and skills in the area. Today, Galileo is part of an international group and continues its activities.

In Galileo's wake, during the same period and independently, two other Florentine companies were founded.

Guido Panerai & Figlio

The first was Guido Panerai & Figlio: founded in 1925, it was dedicated to the production of instruments and naval devices for the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina Italiana). In 1936, the Regia Marina commissioned Panerai to create a water-resistant wristwatch.

From then on, Panerai's history became well known. Panerai's production remained in Florence until 1997, when the Richemont Group acquired the company, moving production to Switzerland and leaving only the commercial activities in Florence.

An officer of the Italian Navy, a graduate of the prestigious Livorno Naval Academy (Accademia Navale Militare di Livorno) and later serving at the Comsubin naval base (the Navy's special forces) in La Spezia, Dino Zei accepted Panerai's proposal to become CEO and promoted the development of Panerai watches.

Incaoro

The second was Incaoro: founded in 1938 by Enrico Ambuchi, a brilliant engineer who left Officine Galileo to focus on the production of watch cases and diving instruments. His small company survived the Second World War and, despite the watchmaking crisis of the 1970s, managed to pass on skills and machinery to the second generation (his son Antonio).

Antonio Ambuchi, Enrico’s son, grew up in a watch-related environment, focusing primarily on watches and the production for Panerai.

Under his leadership, Incaoro produced the last batch of “Italian” Panerai watches before the Richemont Group transferred production to Switzerland. The relocation of Panerai left a great heritage of watchmaking skills in Florence.

I° part: Maurizio Mattucci interviews Antonio Ambuchi

Anonimo & Dino Zei

In 1997, Anonimo was founded in Florence with the goal of providing continuity to Florentine watchmaking know-how. This resulted in elegant watches with Italian design, innovative case engineering (such as the Professionale model, the world's first 200 atm watch), and production technology that combined advanced CNC machinery with artisanal skills for finishing and assembly.

Dino Zei found himself in the spirit and Design of Anonimo and thus launched a collection under his own name, 'Dino Zei', within Anonimo.

After a few years, Anonimo faced financial difficulties and was acquired, transferring production to Switzerland, despite the efforts of Maurizio and Antonio to keep it in Florence by seeking investors.

Visconti

In 2016, Visconti picked up the Florentine watchmaking legacy and decided to bring watch production back to Florence. In 2015, Visconti hired Antonio Ambuchi and his team. Then, in 2016, Maurizio Mattucci became the CEO. This allowed Visconti to once again offer the global market a unique Italian style in watchmaking, even more refined thanks to a combination of creativity and luxury.

TFP

At the end of 2019, TFP was founded, with Maurizio Mattucci as CEO and Antonio Ambuchi leading the design and engineering. The cities of Florence and Lucca have influenced the style and technical characteristics of TFP watches, reflecting the creative skills of the engineering team led by Ambuchi, a professional with over 35 years of experience in the design of innovative, sporty luxury products, involved in various capacities in projects such as: some Locman, some Panerai, all Anonimo and Dino Zei, some UBoat and Kendall, all Visconti, all TFP, and others.

The partners and managers of TFP have contributed to the success of these stories and are now putting their expertise at the service of the TFP project to define and implement a new concept of personal luxury, taking on a new challenge.

II° part: Maurizio Mattucci interviews Antonio Ambuchi