“I’m uninterested in following trends. I am not a ‘follower’ whatsoever actually. I much would rather set my very own trends. My watches range from same hands, exactly the same mind, exactly the same supply of passion.”
Walk into the field of Italo Fontana, creator of U-Boat watches, and also you immediately bid farewell to the somewhat dour Swiss watch industry in support of something much less foreseeable and more, well, Italian. Inspired by an authentic group of designs by his grandfather, Ilvo Fontana, and first produced for that Italian navy in 1942, the unfailingly louche Fontana has spent yesteryear decade developing a variety of over-sized watches indicated by their legibility, limited production runs and classic aesthetic influences.
Happily Produced in Italia, the U-51 was U-Boat’s large era in the BaselWorld 2010 watch fair also it designed a triumphant return only at that year’s 2011 show inside a modified format, referred to as Gold Crown Arrow. The generous 51mm situation houses a Swiss-made chronograph movement having a date display at 9 o’clock plus the left mounted 18k gold winding crown guaranteed in position with a screw-in cap that renders the timepiece especially water tight.
When combined with gold chronograph pushers these components add an additional 8,6mm towards the total diameter from the piece and 36,6g of gold overall. Less apparent, possibly, but believe it or not worth mention, may be the dial. Comprised of two separate watch faces laid one atop another, there’s a nice depth and texture for this particular area of the watch that more often than not remains purely one-dimensional. A hands-finished alligator strap having a gold personalized tongue completes the appearance.
A brand new form of acclaimed novelty, U-51 Rattrapante, only seen from outdoors. Italo plays with colors using small gold particulars within the colossal 51 mm across black situation, as well as the impressive crown cap and pushers. From inside he changes systems turning the timepiece right into a Chrono for any special edition of just 99 products in perfect U-BOAT style.