Discover the timeless beauty of Venezianico’s Arsenale 40, a stunning Italian microbrand timepiece.
History
The microbrand Venezianico was founded in 2017 by brothers Alberto and Alessandro Morelli, who loved watches and design. After studying at Ca’ Foscari University, they translated a dream into reality: to create watches that show their passion for horology and capture the true feeling of Venice, their hometown. This also translates into their company’s logo, a Renaissance golden cross that symbolizes the passage of time in the city of Venice.
The Arsenale 40 is their latest creation. The name Arsenale refers to The Arsenal of Venice (Italian: Arsenale di Venezia). This is a complex of former shipyards and armories in the city of Venice in northern Italy, which at the time represented the heart of technological innovation in the region.
The Timepiece
We start with the positives of the Arsenale namely the design. The showpiece that immediately catches the eye is the beautiful dial. This is 3 dimensional with vertical stripes also known in the world of timepieces as “Côtes de Genève”. We normally find this way of finishing as a way of finishing the inside of high quality movements but Venezianico has opted to use it as a finish for the dial. Because the stripes are done in 3 dimensions, the brightness, color and design of the dial changes with the light. The dial is available in 3 different colors: gray, purple and blue.
The dial of the timepiece is additionally highlighted by its special bezel. Because one part of it is fully polished and the other is serrated, it appears as if it consists of 2 parts which contributes to the special design. The serrations in the bezel refer to the serrations found in Venetian clock towers.
The movement used for this timepiece is the Miyota 9029. This is a premium automatic movement from the Japanese Miyota that does its work at 28800 vibrations per hour. This movement has no date and second hand option and so these are missing from the movement. This also gives you no “Ghost” position when setting via the crown which you sometimes see with some other micro-brands that use an inner movement with date function but omit it on the dial. An additional positive of the Miyota 9029 is that this is a very thin movement. This results in a movement with a case thickness that is just under 9 mm thick. This thickness includes the dial’s scratch-resistant sapphire crystal which contributes to the watch’s comfortable wearability. This leads us seamlessly to the watch’s other specifications. As the name suggests, the Arsenale 40 has a diameter of 40 mm. The size of the full case (lug to lug) is 44 mm.
Venezianico itself developed an integrated watch bracelet for the Arsenale called the Canova Concept™. This watch bracelet with butterfly clasp retains the characteristic alternation of concave and convex shapes of an earlier design, but the bracelet has been redesigned with flatter, more modern shapes. Each link is enhanced by two polished bevels, which provide an elegant contrast to the satin surfaces. These refinements, the result of several manual techniques, give the bracelet a contemporary and sophisticated look. The butterfly clasp is also finished with the Venezianico logo.
The bottom of the timepiece is fully decorated with an image of the towers of the Arsenale of Venice. The carefully depicted towers are a visual tribute to the past, as well as a reference to the deep connection between tradition and the drive for innovation.
Yet it is not all praise and we do have some points of criticism. The design, if you look closely, cannot be called 100% original as it bears many similarities to the Tonda by Parmigiani Fleurier In addition, the movement oddly enough has a screw-down crown that we find mostly in diving watches. Because of this element, we would expect the water resistance of the timepiece to be at least 100 meters allowing us to wear it while swimming as well. However, the watch is only 50 meters water resistant which makes swimming with it impossible. In addition, the absence of luminous material on the hour markers and hands makes the watch unreadable in the dark. Since the timepiece positions itself as a “dress watch” or a type of watch intended for formal occasions, the absence of high water resistance and lume is a point of criticism that can actually be ignored but according to us it would help to use the watch as an all rounder or daily watch.
Specification
CASE
316L stainles steel 40mm diameter, 8.95mm height, 50m (5 ATM) water resistance, antireflecting safir glass
MOVEMENT
Miyota 9029 Automatic with 42 hours power reserve, Frequency: 28’800 vph 2 years warranty.
Functions : Hours, minutes.
PRICE
800 euro
REFERENCE
6221503C
Conclusion
If you are looking for a beautifully designed timepiece that is an alternative to the minimum 20000 euro Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda then the Arsenale at 800 euros is a bargain that offers both a beautiful design and a quality movement inside.