Yes, you read that right - Millemetri!
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| Courtesy of Millemetri |
So regular readers of the "Blog Formerly Known as Tempus Fugit" will recall that I have a long and winding relationship with Anonimo.
It is safe to say that without Federico Massacesi, there would have been no Anonimo. And although a slight blip with a brand named for Dino Zei that never quite came to fruition, with Millemetri it seems that there is finally (hopefully) something to replace the much loved (and in truth, often misunderstood) Anonimo Firenze (i.e. not the modern Anonimo currently languishing in Le Locle), but the original.
What sank the original Anonimo is hard to say, but what is currently throttling the new Swiss iteration is a lack of attention from the current stewards, as well as a collection of watches that (apart from the Militare) could be part of any collection, anywhere.
So what makes the Millemetri special? For one, the cases. Apart from the mystique of being a watch that better embodied the original Panerai than even the reborn Swiss Panerai, it was the Florentine cases. Add to that the Kodiak straps and it was truly lightening in a bottle.
The Millemetri was arguably the one design that Anonimo did the best with - at least it was when I was selling them at Tourneau in San Francisco back at the turn of the century ; )
The entry point of the Millemetri collection is the Augusta. It comes in three dial versions - black, blue, and Coffee (which is pictured above).
In addition to Florentine made cases, it also boasts a strap that might have a technological twist to offer an alternative to the Kodiak straps that the original Anonimo used - It is referenced as the AlaskaProTr.01 process (as of 2023 it was patent pending, I hope to get an update for you, gentle reader). Like the Kodiak process, it conditions the leather is such a way that it can be submerged in both fresh and salt water for up to 24 hours.
Back to the case - as mentioned, it is crafted in Florence, utilizing a special bronze alloy - UNI52575. It measures 42.80 in diameter. It features an automatic helium release valve (at 2 o'clock). The crown and escape valve are crafted of stainless steel, as is the case back.
The movement remains somewhat of a mystery to me as on the Millemetri site it is listed as Landeron, whereas at least one retailer indicates that it is either Landeron, or Sellita. My hope would be for Sellita.
The retail listed for the Augusta is listed at $1,959 on their website.
I hope to be back with more details on the Millemetri collection. Although it is not "new", it is new to me, and I have a soft spot for Florentine watch making ; )
