Italian-based watchmaker Venezianico has created an interesting new timepiece that shows not all watches need to be five figures to offer high quality and unique craftsmanship.
The Redentore Utopia is offered in a classically sized stainless steel case measuring 38 mm x 8.9 mm, and 44.2 mm lug-to-lug, with a radial pattern guilloché dial with a vibrant teal blue IP coating, and a proprietary hand-wound movement made in Italy (n. 402025000000420).
To start, this dress watch, with matte surfaces contrasted by a polished bezel and polishing on the top edges of the case flanks, features an artisanal manually engraved by Riccardo Renzetti guilloché dial, not a stamped guilloché dial such as found on this recent release from Kurono.
Both stamped and engraved guilloché-work can be highly attractive, but the fact that this dial is hand-engraved using a vintage 1850 rose engine lathe, and is prone to mistakes, makes it that much more desirable than something done by an automated machine. I’ve personally engraved dials with a rose engine lathe, and it’s quite fun, and tedious, and the result is more like creating art versus reprinting an image.
Underneath the dial is Venezianico’s proprietary caliber V5000, which required 2 years of research and design and was manufactured by OISA (an independent Italian movement manufacturer). Offering a 60-hour power reserve, in a slim 3.5 mm profile, the brass plate and bridges are treated with a nickel finish.
The Italian-made 19-jewel caliber uses a free-sprung copper-beryllium balance wheel by Atokalpa, dual-anchored balance bridge, KIF Elastor shock protection system, and anti-loosening screws. There’s a radial Côtes de Genève finish, hand, hand-applied micro-perlage, and mirror-polished finish on the machine-produced anglage. Venezianico claims an adjusted rate of a precision of -3/+3 seconds per day, which is slightly better than a chronometer (-4/+6), and quite impressive if that rating is calculated after the movement is cased up.
The steel Lance Alpha-shaped hands and applied steel baton-shaped indices have been polished and faceted for extra contrast against the bright teal blue guilloché dial.
Each of the 100 limited edition Redentore Utopia is paired with a thick, embossed teal-color leather strap, handcrafted by Gian Pietro Failli in his Tuscan workshop. Retail is $4,500.
Learn more at Venezianico.
Photo by Venezianico.
