Time dictates our daily life and is displayed everywhere. Astronomical devices have been replaced by pocket watches, latter were replaced by wristwatches which now have been replaced by all kinds of electronic devices showing time and bearing many other useful or fancy functions. The wristwatch is now merely reduced to an accessory which complements the daily dress code, which represents a fashion statement or a status symbol, sometimes only by its brand name.
Many have forgotten that horology follows basically the same principles since the end of the 19th century. No groundbreaking innovation has been developed since then, all important mechanical principles were invented by 1890. New materials, industrial and computerised means of production have made timekeepers more precise, lighter, shock – and waterproof, but not more. Many industrial watch manufacturers use unnecessary expensive materials and/or tend to over – equip their pieces, including functions (most already invented over 200 years ago) no-one will ever use. Moreover, a 50$ quartz watch is more precise than a 100000$ mechanical watch equipped with a tourbillon (a complication patented already in 1801!).
I have decided to rupture with most designs and overpriced pieces imposed by industrial watch manufacturers and to create unique, simple watches to my liking by hand.
Hand Made
When major manufacturers state that their watches are ‘hand made’, they mostly mean ‘hand assembled’ or ‘hand finished’. The finishing of single pieces (polishing, some engraving) is hand made as well as the adjustment of the timekeepers, but the elements of the watches are machine made.
Many elements of my watches are entirely hand made, with hand tools or with small, hand held power tools. Such elements are dials, carbon fibre hands and carbon composite straps. Other elements are modified by hand such as metal hands, movements and cases.
Research, design (except for the shape of cases and some strap buckles), all hand made or hand modified elements (except leather straps, which are hand made in Paris, France) and final assembly are made by myself in Zurich, Switzerland.
High Tech Materials
The central feature of my watches is the use of high quality materials like Titanium or high grade composite materials like carbon fibre and carbon fibre – aramid (Kevlar®, DuPont 1965) composites. These materials are used throughout the watches for cases, buckles, dials, crowns, hands and straps. Latter are the first and only straps almost entirely made of composite materials.
The aforementioned Swiss made ETA 6497/98 movements are strong, precise and available in many variations and decorations (skeletonized, engraved, gilt, rhodium plated, PVD-coated etc.)
Luminous hands and other luminous elements are coated (by hand) with professional (A-grade) ‘SuperLuminova®’ phosphorescent pigments.
Innovative Design
Several design features of my watches are unique and patented. Beginning with the use of duodecimal numbers as hour markers, which makes the dial numbering almost symmetrical by using only single ciphered numbers. The search for the ultimate symmetry in watch dial numbering was already attempted by Jean- Antoine Lépine, an important French watchmaker working at the end of the 18th century and who is considered to be the father of modern mechanical watch movements. Further returning design features are the singular wavy aspect of carbon fibre – aramid composite and the uniquely shaped carbon fibre hands.
Information on the dials is reduced to the bare minimum, as are race car interiors. Who needs a small second indication, or have you ever used the chronograph function of your other wrist watch?
COLACICCO ZURICH 