The beauty of the horological industry is just how vast it is. Whilst there are some watchmaking hubs like Switzerland and Japan, there are also many incredible brands from across the world. Moreover, each country has its own flair. For instance, Italy is known for its fashion houses, which reflects in the creativity of its watchmaking companies. This fashion influence and innovation take many different forms, as we will explore today on our Best Italian Watch Brands list.
The Best Italian Watch Brands
Rugged and Masculine: U-Boat
U-Boat watches are distinctive for their burly Italian build. Each watch uses the highest quality materials, such as tungsten which is the world’s hardest metal. Although proudly made in Tuscany, the brand fuses Italian design with the watchmaking expertise of Switzerland. Giving you the best of both worlds, on many U-Boat watches a Swiss movement beats beneath the surface.
The brand’s history dates back to 1942 when the Italian Navy commissioned Ilvo Fontana to create timepieces for naval officers. The resulting designs had to fit precise technical specifications, such as water tightness and clear legibility. However, for one reason or another, they never became manufactured. Stumbling across the designs almost 60 years later, Ilvo’s grandson Italo Fontana greatly admired his work. In 2000, he set out to bring these to life. Taking inspiration from Ilvo’s original designs, the first U-Boat collections were launched shortly after.
Ever since, U-Boat has been met with lots of success and admiration. In particular, the brand is notorious for pushing the boundaries and limits of watchmaking. Some of its most famous collections include the Darkmoon and the Capsoil, both of which incorporate the brand’s cutting-edge oil-immersed movement. With the dial filled full of oil, a bubble appears to compensate for temperature changes and enhances the dial’s clarity.
Our pick: U-Boat Darkmoon (40mm) BK IP Bronze / Brown Leather 9304
On that note, one of our top picks from U-Boat is this classic Darkmoon model. Its curved sapphire crystal encloses the aforementioned oil which greatly improves the watch’s readability. Beneath the oil is a black dial with beige indices and polished metal hands. Both the hands and the indices have a luminescent coating so that the time is readable even in low lighting. The dial sits within a bronze ion-plated stainless steel case that measures 40mm in diameter and houses a quartz Ronda 762 movement. Moreover, the case is has the brand’s Locking Ring System so the battery is easily replaceable. Finally, completing the design is a handmade brown calf leather strap. Using artisanal techniques, the strap has a lightly distressed texture to give it a vintage feel. With the quintessential U-Boat sturdiness, the model is an excellent Italian-born choice for everyday wear.
Offbeat and Quirky: Out Of Order
Next up on our list is Out Of Order. A relatively new addition to First Class Watches, Out Of Order intends to subvert the industry standard. Inspired by the charm of vintage clothing, the brand purposefully manufactures weathered-looking watches.
After realising a gap in the luxury market for aged-looking watches, Riccardo Torrisi approached industry experts Claudio Dalla Mora and Dario Ceolotto back in 2013. Over the last 10 years, the brand has worked to refine its patented ‘ageing process’. This entails putting each watch through treatment to give them a vintage feel. As a result, every watch has a unique finish. Moreover, unlike other pristine new timepieces, Out Of Order watches are ready for action. Besides, what further harm can be done to a watch that is designed to look damaged in the first place?
Receiving awards across the globe such as ‘Best Design Product of the Year’ in Japan, Out Of Order has been hugely successful. In addition to the unique premise of the watches, this acclaim is partly owed to the brand’s unapologetic quirkiness. For example, models such as the Quaranta Automaticos feature what the brand describes as a ‘very important communication’ on their bezel. In reality, each watch just says ‘Pizza with pineapple is not pizza’. These eccentric touches are precisely how the brand has paved its own way in the industry.
Our pick: Out Of Order After Eight Automatic GMT (40mm) Mint Green Dial / Chocolate Brown Leather OOO.001-25.AE
Epitomising the brand’s quirkiness is the brand’s Shaker Automatic GMT collection. Packaged in a cocktail shaker, a different cocktail inspires each model. This particular watch follows a mint and brown colour scheme to echo that of the After Eight. Sealed by the domed sapphire crystal is the model’s mint-coloured dial. Luminescent mixed indices and hands adorn the dial, which features a slight gradient and condensation texture on it. Other added functions include its GMT complication which is displayed through the fourth central hand, and a date display. Enclosing the dial and all its capabilities is a 40mm stainless steel case, which has been aged by the brand’s patented process. Upon it rests a dual-coloured mint and brown 60-click bezel, which rotates in both directions. The case also protects the automatic mechanical movement, which is Seiko’s NH34A calibre.
Topping off the design is an ultra-soft triple-layer cowhide leather strap. For added detail, a mint green leather layer is sandwiched between the top and bottom brown leather layers. Slightly bizarre but incredibly capable, this Out Of Order watch is definitely one of the most intriguing on the market today.
Fashionable and Elaborate: Versace
No list of the best Italian watch brands would be complete without one of Italy’s finest fashion houses. World-famous Versace was founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. Beyond watches, it has a history of widespread fashion success. Business skyrocketed for the brand in 1994 when one of its dresses was in the film ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral’. The brand released its first range of watches in the same year, which have proved to be very popular amongst normal people and celebrities alike.
Each of its watches has a luxurious feel to it, which has been attentively designed with enormous attention to detail. Repeating motifs across Versace’s watch portfolio include Medusa as well as various other mythological figures and ornamentation. Contributing to their opulent feel, the watches often exhibit golden colour palettes.
Our Pick: Versace SAFETY PIN Ivory Dial Gold PVD Steel Bracelet VEPN00520
Artistic and intricate, at the centre of this beautiful watch is its ivory dial. This has been embossed with high attention to detail on a very small scale, as the case measures just 34mm in width. Marking the four principal positions on the dial are gold dot hour markers, whilst a subtle ivory tracking ring represents the other indices. Attached to the gold PVD-plated stainless steel case are ornate lugs, which adjoin the watch to its bracelet. Securing the watch to the wearer’s wrist is a warm gold-tone bracelet that reinforces the luxury of the design. Powering the watch is a Swiss-made quartz movement. Extravagant and antiquated in the best way, this piece is one of the many aesthetic achievements in Versace’s collection.
And that concludes our list of the three best Italian watch brands. Do you have a favourite, even one we may have missed out? Let us know in the comments!
