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Zannetti and the extraordinary Italia Yachts dial

When we think of a multicolored stained-glass window, it is impossible not to think of the extraordinary medieval cathedrals with the splendid multicolored glass. Actually, the origin of colored glass as a decorative element is much more antique. In fact, we need to go back to the Roman Empire, when after the discovery of glass mold blowing, which took place around 25 AD and the consequent collapse of the price of glass, the custom of decorating thermal baths, public buildings and the most prestigious villas with colored glass mounted on wooden or metal frames spread. Unfortunately, nothing remains of these first stained-glass windows, which Pliny the Younger mentions several times in his letters. What we do know is that under Octavian Augustus, glass production became a real industry. The first visitors to Pompeii were able to observe glass still placed in the window frames of public buildings and private homes, while Seneca considered the use of applying glass plates to windows to be recent.

Zannetti has managed to recover this millinery Roman tradition in his dials. The Roman watchmaker did it in the “Italia Yachts Edition” series, available in two versions of the Scuba Art Piranha collection and in one version of the Regent collection. Zannetti has updated the dial with a translucent flinqué enamel, an expression of the best contemporary artistic craftsmanship. The result is a unique timepiece, in which, following a traditional and extremely complex technique, the transparent blue enamel is cold applied to the natural mother-of-pearl base, engraved by hand with the Italia Yachts logo.
Given the extreme complexity of all the components, production was limited to very few pieces.

ZANNETTI Scuba Art “Italia Yachts Edition”

  • 41 mm steel case with black PVD finish
    Unidirectional rotating bezel
  • Automatic helium valve
  • Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
  • 50 ATM waterproof
  • Minute markers for measuring dive time
  • Dial with mother-of-pearl base engraved and subsequently translucent blue enameled in the flinqué technique, with the Italia Yachts logo
  • Customized automatic Swiss Made movement
  • Rubber strap with ardillon steel clasp

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