In 25 years of writing about things expensive, I’ve come to realise that a common denominator shared by aspects of the so-called luxury lifestyle is passivity. It’s mostly about getting others to do things for you, lounging about achieving little, being made to feel stiflingly safe, or owning things that, perhaps, no one needs.
And so smart-thinking marketers have devised ways of getting customers and clients to pay for being in adrenaline-tweaking situations. To wit, Panerai have pulled off what may be the ultimate ‘experience’ by charging people almost £50,000 to be shouted at, belittled and physically challenged — though they do get a watch thrown in.
It’s part of a deal with Italy’s Forze Speciali, who have allowed the brand to create two special editions of their submersible
