For fans of the first iteration of Anonimo, Dino Zei's name is inextricably woven into the company history.
I had the opportunity to meet him at an Anonimo event in BaselWorld back in 2012 and I treasure that encounter.
It was a year later that I had a chat with the former CEO of Anonimo (David Cypers) and the idea of launching a Dino Zei brand was "bandied" about, but apparently nothing ever came together.
Alessandro Calamai made the decision to revive the real idea of what Anonimo was all about, not just Italian design, but Italian manufacturing. He negotiated for the right to license Dino Zei's name, and to some extent, the band was put back together with Dr. Antonio Ambuchi and Federico Massacesi. And the Dino Zei brand was born.
If I am 100% honest, I love the idea, but I am not completely feeling some of the dial elements of some of the versions. The logo is good, but I (personally) find it a wee bit distracting, giving it more of a fashion watch feel than the original Anonimos. But in fairness, life moves forward, doesn't it?
In many ways, my life in watches has run in fairly parallel lines to Anonimo's. I was working at Tourneau in San Francisco when they were in their infancy in the US. I managed to sell several of them, aided (believe it or not) because a lot of people came in looking for a Panerai, and I would tell them "why would you want that, when you can have the real Italian military watch?" Let's just say I was good at my job ; )
What ultimately became of Anonimo 1.0 was regrettable. And the proof of its popularity? One extremely hard core group of followers out there, who are still clamoring for the "real" Anonimo.
So Anonimo 1.0 is dead, and perhaps the time is ripe to bring the Dino Zei collection to watch lovers. And there are some wonderful elements to this new collection. This one particularly caught my attention -
This is the Ariete, and I'm kinda' crushing on it. Here are the pertinents -
 |
| Courtesy of Dino Zei |
It was a year later that I had a chat with the former CEO of Anonimo (David Cypers) and the idea of launching a Dino Zei brand was "bandied" about, but apparently nothing ever came together.
Alessandro Calamai made the decision to revive the real idea of what Anonimo was all about, not just Italian design, but Italian manufacturing. He negotiated for the right to license Dino Zei's name, and to some extent, the band was put back together with Dr. Antonio Ambuchi and Federico Massacesi. And the Dino Zei brand was born.
 |
| Courtesy of Dino Zei |
If I am 100% honest, I love the idea, but I am not completely feeling some of the dial elements of some of the versions. The logo is good, but I (personally) find it a wee bit distracting, giving it more of a fashion watch feel than the original Anonimos. But in fairness, life moves forward, doesn't it?
In many ways, my life in watches has run in fairly parallel lines to Anonimo's. I was working at Tourneau in San Francisco when they were in their infancy in the US. I managed to sell several of them, aided (believe it or not) because a lot of people came in looking for a Panerai, and I would tell them "why would you want that, when you can have the real Italian military watch?" Let's just say I was good at my job ; )
What ultimately became of Anonimo 1.0 was regrettable. And the proof of its popularity? One extremely hard core group of followers out there, who are still clamoring for the "real" Anonimo.
So Anonimo 1.0 is dead, and perhaps the time is ripe to bring the Dino Zei collection to watch lovers. And there are some wonderful elements to this new collection. This one particularly caught my attention -
 |
| Courtesy of Dino Zei |
This is the Ariete, and I'm kinda' crushing on it. Here are the pertinents -
| Material | CNC manufactured stainless steel; bronze |
| Movement | Automatic Swiss Made |
| Functions | H/M/S, Date |
| Technology | Three pieces case, helium valve.100ATM |
| Dimension | Diameter 44,10 Thickness 14,90 Strap 22,00 |
| Limited Edition | 99 pieces/model |
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