Frankly, I don't know what all the http://www.Paneristi.com "hoopla" is all about! ... I mean, c'mon - Breitling has Bentley, etc.  Why can't Panerai establish an affiliation with Ferrari? 

To me, it seems like a match made in heaven! ...

BTW, I hafta' add somethin' (ACTUALLY - A LOT!) about that li'l "Prancing Horse" that adorns Panny's NEW Ferrari Watches AND the sides of ALL Ferrari Automobiles; i.e., that the emblem was actually a gift from an Italian Count to Enzo Ferrari after WW-I! 

Prior to that, I understand that this same "Prancing Horse" adorned the sides of a small Spad-VII biplane flown by son of the Count - an Italian fighter pilot by the name of Francesco Baracca ...

(Pix Courtesy http://www.ferraristuff.com )

Unfortunately, Francesco died before the war ended! ... He was shot down in April, 1918, but, apparently, survived the crash landing - it's reported that he was found in his cockpit holding a revolver.  He also had a small bullet hole in his forehead and it's widely-conjectured that he killed himself rather than suffer life with a prolonged disability or, perhaps, he shot himself to avoid capture.

In either event, it was a rather ignominious end for Italy's greatest fighter "Ace" of World War I! ...

Which makes the "provenance" of this emblem all the more curious and problematic; i.e., I understand that, one day after the war, whilst Enzo was racing one of his cars around some village in Northern Italy, he was approached by Count Baracca.  (Others say that it was the Count's wife; i.e., the Countess Barraca!)  The story goes that the Count (or Countess or both!) then suggested that Enzo put the "Prancing Horse" on the side of all his automobiles because ... "It will bring you luck!"

Gee, despite the fact that Francesco WAS Italy's Greatest WW-I Ace, he STILL WAS SHOT DOWN and, apparently DID commit suicide! ... IMHO, the "Prancing Horse" sure  didn't bring him much luck, so, IMHO, I don't know what his father, the Count, was thinking or, for that matter, Enzo!!! 

Now, I REALLY thought that was, as they say, "The End Of The Story."  But, then, the other day I happened to take a close look at Porsche's Emblem and - LO' & BEHOLD - there's a "Prancing Horse" on it ALSO! ...

Lastly, "Gestüt" translates into English as "Mare Garden" or "Stud Farm!"  Which brings us full-circle because we've already established that "Scuderia" is Italian for "Stables!" (Gee, I'm sure glad that I studied German "all those years" so long ago!)

Frankly, I think it's too much of a coincidence; i.e., I strongly suspect that one of the 38 German planes that ol' Francesco shot down in WW-I carried Stuttgart's "Prancing Horse" on its side.  And, after the victory, I'll bet that he "took it as his own!"

For awhile, however, the "Prancing Horse" ALSO appeared on Ducati AND Alpha Romero automobiles.  I believe that Enzo Ferrari was finally able to copyright it shortly after WW-II.   Of course, he HAD to include yellow in the Ferrari's badge since it's the same color as the banner of the city in which he was born; i.e., Modena, Italy!

Finally (AND AREN'T YOU GLAD?), ALL the models in Ferrari's Scuderia ("F S") Collection display the famous Ferrari shield with the little "Prancing Horse" THAT initially ONLY appeared on a Scuderia Ferrari car in 1932.  

NB:  I also discovered that, despite the fact that Enzo DID professionally drive for Alpha Romeo on the racing circuit, they wouldn't let him use the emblem on his own cars until that late date - certainly many years after the Barracca Clan ostensibly gave it to him! ... 

Regardless ... the rest, as they say - IS HISTORY!

Last edited on Mon Jul 24th, 2006 08:48 am by Doofus