Visconti Opera: Chronographs, rollers and… cuff links

How do we square a circle? The never-ending geometric brainteaser seems to have found a convincing interpretation in Visconti’s Opera collection.

Visconti W105 2Squared Chronograph Monza, the red cufflinks and the pen

Swiss mechanical movements

The ergonomically perfect design of the Opera pen, launched in 2003 and today considered an iconic and inseparable part of the brand’s identity, inspired the creation of a range of self-winding chronographs and cufflinks. The watches, available in four bold colors, house the well-designed Swiss caliber VI-AC304-03. Set with 57 rubies, the caliber is adjusted to four positions at approximately 15 seconds per day; it has a frequency of 28’800 vibrations per hour, a 40-hour power reserve, rhodium-plated finishes and “Côtes de Genève” decorations.

Visconti W105 2Squared Chronograph Monza

There are 250 pieces in each of the four different color ranges in the Opera collection, all of them numbered and with evocative names that allude to the 25^th anniversary of the brand. The pieces in the Monza range are characterized by its touches of bold red on an all-black background. The acidulated yellow of the Roadster contrasts with its galvanized black. The Silver Shadow features several shades of grey whilst the Speedboat is a bright combination of pale blue and white that reminds us of everything related to sailing. The launch of this new collection was structured around the campaign “Pick Up Your Life Style”.

Visconti W105 2Squared Chronograph Speedboat

The watch bezel measures 42mm, yet if we add the crown into the equation, the total size of the watch is really 47.5mm and 17.10-mm thick. The models undoubtedly exude sophisticated, assumed and elegant masculinity as illustrated by the several reliefs and apertures on the dial; different layers play peekaboo with either the caliber’s micromechanical details or the half-circle display of the linear date overhanging the three chronographic timers. The first timer at 9 o’clock measures half hours, the second one at 6 o’clock measures the hours (via an embedded plate between the top and bottom of the dial) while the central large seconds calculates the seconds.

Visconti W105 2Squared Chronograph Speedboat

Concerning the “normal” functions, the hours and minutes are displayed in a traditional fashion while the seconds are shown in a timer at 3 o’clock. The watch is covered by two sheets of sapphire glass on both sides, which incidentally do not affect the piece’s water resistance to approximately 100 meters (10 atm).

Visconti W105 2Squared Chronograph Silver Shadow

From the workshops in Florence to the rest of the world

A Little reminder: Visconti’s recognizable ‘V’ that has made its imprint in the universe of writing instruments ever since its introduction 25 years ago, arrived at BaselWorld 2015 with the intention of producing watches in the near future. They were sincere in their intentions that were quickly materialized in the form of several collections, since the brand’s workshops in Florence directly stemmed from the inherited staff and technical resources of the former factory that worked on Panerai’s development. They were thus able to design and produce extremely complicated watch cases and master several materials. This watch has been crafted with AISI316 stainless steel. However, is it worth mentioning the crystal case, which caught our attention at the end of BaselWorld 2015.

Visconti W105 2Squared Chronograph Silver Shadow

One thing’s for sure, though: Visconti has definitely entered the world of watchmaking excellence. With this, the brand has extended the renown it acquired mainly from its pens, in turn famous for having accompanied well-known signatories. Its incredible distributor and retailer network always guarantees its success. The Opera collection, in the context of the “Pick Your Life Style” campaign, arrived first to its prestigious stores in Florence, where the brand’s headquarters are located, and even went to Mexico. It was also sent to main Italian and Sardinian cities such as Roma, Milan, Turin, Forte dei Marmi, Venezia, Portofino, and Forte Village; to London (Harrods and Fortnum and Mason); to France (“Le Point de Plume” and Paris); to Monte Carlo (Monaco); to Madrid and Barcelona (Spain); to Zurich (Switzerland); to New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Houston, the Bahamas, Barbados, Aruba, Sint Marteen and Jamaica (the United States and the Caribbean); to Tokyo and Osaka (Japan); to Moscow, St Petersburg and Ekaterinburg (Russia); to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem (Israel) and to Dubai, Muscat, Koweit City, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Bahrein and Beirut (the Middle East).