With fifteen years of existence and an ambitious new turn taken in 2015 by the new driver at the wheel, Meccaniche Veloci is one of the independent brands that deserves a closer look. Its radical aestheticism inspired by the four valves of a car engine piston has established itself among collectors all over the world, who also appreciate the fact that production is limited to a few hundred watches per year spread between 20 or so references.
Since the repositioning put in place by its new owner, the Italian entrepreneur Cesare Cerrito, production has been carried out entirely in Switzerland. Rubbing shoulders with some of Geneva's leading manufactures, its Plan-les-Ouates premises reflect the DNA of Meccaniche Veloci: refined, different and endowed with a distinctive soul, especially due to being located in a former mechanical workshop converted into a showroom but which has kept the appearance of a vintage car garage. Customers wishing to discover the brand are welcome, as well as those who use the one-of-a-kind bespoke service offered by Meccaniche Veloci, which is becoming more and more popular.
For CEO Cesare Cerrito, " the majority of Meccaniche Veloci's customers have already experienced what one might call industrial luxury, own several watches from the major statutory brands, and are now looking for something other than outward luxury. They wish to indulge themselves with a small, high-quality yet less-known independent brand, in which the luxury factor generated by the marketing of the big brands is replaced by rarity and other-level care for details " (read the full interview here). In 2019, the Italian brand is regarded in a whole new light, having succeeded – by dint of sheer perseverance – in convincing the public of the validity of its approach and the quality that has been infused into its most recent creations. Its Icon tourbillon has made a significant contribution to gaining this new stature.
A tourbillon joins the Icon collection
Reflecting a desire for constant improvement and to offer more technical content to enthusiasts of independent Fine Watchmaking, Meccaniche Veloci is now offering its automatic Icon Tourbillon in a gold case. Fans of the most emblematic Haute Horlogerie escapement mechanism are thus being treated to a new approach, both aesthetically and functionally: the tourbillon carriage can be admired in the opening at the bottom right with the red seconds hand, just below the main time indication, whose dial also includes a date window, while two time zones are displayed on the left-hand dials. Each time zone is adjusted by means of its dedicated crown. Its movement is designed and developed exclusively for Meccaniche Veloci. As always on the brand's generous cases with the toothed wheel logo, the bracelet is directly integrated and the fact of going lug-free reduces the impression of volume while enhancing wearer comfort.
In the same collection, but this time with a steel case, the Icon Damascus features a new and very original appearance. The steel has been compressed and forged, rendered far more resistant and therefore features a visually very interesting ribbed surface. It displays its four iconic time zones and houses its in-house automatic caliber.
The Quatro Valvole enter a whole new dimension
The historical collection stirs passions and this year appears in two versions inspired by the automotive world, including a 50-piece limited series in tribute to the illustrious exponent of the art of driving, Enrico Nardi. The QuattroValvole Nardi Edition celebrates the 90th anniversary of the birth of the late Italian test driver and engineer. The famous precious wooden steering wheels are still produced by Nardi Personal, but the man was a legend in his own right. As well as serving as both designer and driver, he was also Enzo Ferrari's right-hand man. For Cesare Cerrito, "the sole purpose of this partnership is to pay tribute to his memory and share values common to both our brands, we have not defined a commercial contract, it is a state of mind and an aesthetic vision whose style and codes we respect". The titanium case is rimmed with precious wood used for these famous steering wheels, while the guilloché pattern of the dial is based on the motifs typical of the corresponding spokes. The Nardi Personal logo appears in the center of the main dial, beneath that of Meccaniche Veloci and its blue color is used to ring the subdials.
Embodying a completely different stylistic approach, the QuatroValvole NeroFumo in blackened titanium adorns its dial with carbon and adopts a sportier attitude. The inspiration for this model comes from Cesare Cerrito's lucky piston on an old sports car, blackened by use and engine smoke. The special treatment of the blackened titanium case to evoke motorsport makes each piece unique. Its owner can of course very easily read the four time zones powered by the Meccaniche Veloci automatic caliber. Italian design and Swiss Made quality have found a new ambassador, a reliable and generous driver.
