It is beautiful to think that our society, so advanced, is able to comprehend opposites, both in a figurative and literal sense. It is indeed thanks to ongoing human research and discoveries that we have been able to create materials, and thus objects, capable of embodying a multitude of different qualities, sometimes almost contrasting with each other, within the same figurative space.
In watchmaking, this is even more evident, as it concerns objects we can see and touch in our daily use. Many techniques and materials used to create increasingly lightweight and yet robust watches stem from various applications, such as aerospace, medicine, and motorsports – fields in which Italian expertise stands as a major player – and through human ingenuity, they have found their way into our timepieces.
Objects of different styles and cuts, ranging from sporty to classic, enrich our wrists with iconic pieces, true statements of style, born to harmoniously answer this fundamental question, to discover how long and to what extent one can speak of lightness and robustness in the same sentence.
Among the many examples, we have chosen two. The first exploits the qualities of a material such as titanium, an extremely lightweight and ultra-sturdy metal that weighs half as much as steel but is three times as strong. Difficult to work with due to its hardness, and challenging to finish, titanium represents a true constructive challenge, which some daring individuals have chosen to embrace.
This is the case with Locman, an active watchmaking Maison based on the island of Elba, which has incorporated titanium, used for the case, into various product lines, including the sporty Stealth and the Montecristo line, of which the Limited OISA 1937 model mounts another Italian excellence, the mechanical caliber OISA 1937 29-50 “Cinque Ponti”, to this day the only Made in Italy movement available on the market, which can be admired in all its perfection through the sapphire crystal caseback.
A natural collaboration between Italian excellences, demonstrating to the watchmaking world that Switzerland is not the sole provider of high-end offerings and giving back to Italy, which has contributed so much to the field of watchmaking, some of its undeniable merits, never truly recognized.
Among the many Italian figures, we mention some, starting with one of the greatest modern watchmakers, Richard Genta, the inventor of the luxury sport concept, whose surname betrays the Piedmontese origins of the family; the master Vincent Calabrese, whom we have discussed on these pages, and more recently, the volcanic Giulio Papi, the “milestone” on which the success of a Maison of great renown, namely Richard Mille, is founded.
To conclude, a visually “light” offering, this time also in terms of price, comes from a young Italian reality, namely Venezianico.
An Italian brand that has stood out for its contagious enthusiasm and freshness, stemming from the young age of its members, and that has managed to engage the audience of watch enthusiasts thanks to its beautiful and concrete proposals. In fact, the company from San Donà di Piave announced this year an ambitious milestone, namely the doubling of its turnover, which exceeded 7 million euros in 2023.
A well-deserved success that is pushing this young reality ever higher, even in the challenging field of construction solutions, with extensive research on materials and processes.
The interpretation we have chosen is the beautiful Venezianico Nereide Ultralight, a watch that visually inspires a feeling of grace in the alternation of fullness and emptiness of its skeletonized dial articulated in three superimposed levels, the first of which completely replaces the spacer ring – an innovation covered by patent.
This feature allows for the admiration of the movement, the ultra-thin Seiko NH35 automatic caliber characterized by an industrial finish that makes the watch modern and assertive, perfect for a mountain trekking adventure, yet not out of place in a boardroom overlooking the Milan Cathedral.
