If you are unacquainted with the field of highly accurate pressure gauges, thermometers and dynamometers, the history of Italy’s Allemano Felice & Figli might have passed you by.
That is about to change because the precision engineering business has turned its hand to horology and its first timepieces are being brought to the UK by a new distributor, Chrono Emotions.
Allemano’s story began in 1856 when its founder Giuseppe Allemano launched into the business of steam powered road rollers. The company moved into producing tools for measuring and regulating temperature and pressure tools at the turn of the century.
It was a significant supplier to the Italian military during the First World War as well as making instruments for the earliest Italian automobiles.
One of those instruments was a pressure gauge for a 1919 Fiat 501 Torpedo, the first serially-produced car for the fledgling Italian manufacturer.
This gauge’s design is the template for Allemano’s first timepieces, which launched in 2019 and are being distributed by Chrono Emotions.
Allemano is still a large engineering and precision measurement business, and its technology is used in fields as diverse as aviation, shipping, oil and gas and deep sea diving.
Chrono Emtions co-founders Mike Cantelo and Tim Rapley believe this rich history combined with visually interesting timepieces based on the Fiat 501 Torpedo pressure gauge design will be a winner with independent jewellers looking for a new story to tell in the affordable luxury timepiece space.
Allemano makes three models, all with an early 20th century retro styling and all using decorated Swiss-made automatic Sellita or ETA movements in bold 44mm steel cases and all on chunky Italian leather straps.
Each range has the option of cases having a brushed, polished or sandblasted finish.
The MAN collection has a choice of antique white dial with black and red hands or black dial with gold and red hands.
Dials are arranged with a large central hour hand, retrograde minutes at the top of the face and small seconds sub dial to the bottom.
There is just an antique white dial offered in a GMT range, which has more traditional central hours, minutes and GMT hands and a date at 3 o’clock.
DAY is the name given to Allemano’s three-hand automatic with date. It is made with a black dial and golden hands and markers and worn on a black or brown leather strap.
Prices for Allemano watches range from €1,800 up to €3,790 with the sweet spot at around the €2,500 mark.
All the watches are assembled in Turin and the brand has already secured a number of retail partners across Italy and the rest of Europe.
Chrono Emotions believe the brand has a strong look and a fascinating back story. Allemano also has the financial muscle to help retailers make it a success over time.
“Allemano is a leader in industrial fields, but unless you are an engineer or technician, you will not have heard of them. The company wants its watches to connect it to the public, and is throwing its weight behind this project,” Mr Cantelo says.
In addition to the first watch collections launched in 2019, Allemano is also poised to release a range of divers’ watches in the fourth quarter of this year and is working on a ladies’ line as well.
Someone’s marketing degree has got the better of them… “…rich history combined with visually interesting timepieces based on the Fiat 501 Torpedo pressure gauge design will be a winner with independent jewellers looking for a new story to tell in the affordable luxury timepiece space.”
Hmm… Fair watches (perhaps), but I don’t perceive them as offering anything new or distinctive in the “affordable luxury timepiece space”.