OTTICA BLUE

Underscoring the ingenious mastery of its maker, the Ottica Blue watch by Vincent Calabrese is a deceptively simple yet mechanically complex timepiece. Featuring a Wandering Hour function, this exceptional edition also offers an exquisite optical illusion to the wearer, hence its title, Ottica.

Crafted and imagined by Vincent Calabrese, one can be in no doubt of the pedigree of the Ottica Blue. Widely acclaimed as one of the most significant independent watchmakers of our time, and a founding member of the prestigious ACHI, Calabrese is a maestro of creativity who is responsible for countless patents and some of the most innovative mechanical mechanisms, including the iconic baguette-shaped Golden Bridge calibre.

The Ottica Blue watch has a dial rendered in blue and silvery white, beneath which lies a sophisticated in-house module which enables the Wandering Hour function, wherein the dial jumps punctually every 60 minutes, turning a few degrees to indicate the changing hour, while the pointer on the hour aperture also serves to indicate the minutes. Offering intuitive reading of the indications for the wearer, the constant subtle motion of the dial, and its precise, instantly changing hour indication are also endlessly fascinating, and its arrangement gives the dial an aesthetic purity of the highest degree.

The watch carries a 40mm stainless steel case, with lugs which turn downwards and have a subtle articulation. The trim bezel curves upwards to embrace a domed crystal which, in a stroke of ingenious design, has been designed to play a trick on one’s eye. When viewed from the side, the indications disappear completely, leaving behind only the beautiful reflections of an expanse of crystal and polished steel, and thus the Ottica lives up to its title by evoking a mysterious illusion whereby time can vanish in a moment.

The watch is powered by a unique in-house modified automatic movement, based on the ETA 2892A2, which can be viewed through a sapphire crystal section in the caseback. Beating at 28’800 vib/h the movement has a power reserve of 42 hours. Notably, while the Wandering Hours display dates back to the 19th Century, Vincent Calabrese has reworked the complication extensively, perfecting it to his own exacting standards to produce this extraordinary Ottica Blue watch. The actual timepiece in stock come with a blue leather strap.