This Friday the doors to the Vicenzaoro jewellery fair open in the Italian city of Vicenza with a special section dedicated to 18 watchmakers including Tudor, Zenith, Hublot and Bulgari.
There is also a seminar programme including a talk on the future of Italian watchmaking.
The VO’Clock Privé lounge is open for trade and the public from September 8 to 10 while the main jewellery show runs from September 8 to 12.
A watchmaking seminar on the opening day by the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI), will talk about the history, technique and design of table, personal and wrist timekeepers with a panel hosted by Dody Giussani, Editor-in-Chief of L’Orologio magazine, and including Alessandro Rigotto, founder of Meccaniche Orologi Milano.
Italian watchmaking will also be discussed on Saturday during a session on how Haute Horlogerie is not just Swiss. This talk is organised in collaboration with Milano Ultra Watches, moderated by Andreas Federico Kammer and with the participation of Massimiliano Quintavalle.
It will look at how Italian art and engineering have influenced Swiss watchmaking through the eyes of Barbara Monti, CEO of Eberhard & Co; Marcello Binda, CEO of Wyler Vetta; Mario Peserico, managing director of Eberhard & Co., and Antonio Follari, collector and L’Orologio Club member.
Also on the second day, Jacopo Giudici and Michele Mengoli, editor of Watch Insanity, will be interviewing Beppe Ambrosini, one of the most authoritative watchmaking personalities, to retrace some of the sector’s most significant stages in the talk Watchmaking according to Beppe Ambrosini, a chat with one of the Italian watchmaking industry’s historical minds.
He will particularly speak about the differences between large groups and independent brands, watchmaking success stories, the rise in popularity of independent masters and the sector’s future prospects.
In a talk with Zenith, entitled Beyond the Legend of the El Primero, organised in collaboration with Watchouse, Paolo Cappiello, Zenith’s Regional Brand Director South Europe, will reveal previously unknown aspects of the brand and its products in the company of Giorgione and Michele Mengoli.
The watchmaking evolution of the eponymous brand will be the focus of Dody Giussani’s interview with Andrea Granalli – High end watches worldwide sales director for Bulgari Time SA – during the talk entitled Bulgari watchmaking: from the octo finissimo to the great complications , while watchmaking populariser Andrea Casalegno, and Augusto Capitanucci, regional director of Hublot, will discuss Hublot, one of the best known brands for making limited editions, in the talk Pros and cons of limited editions.
Lastly, independent watchmaking will be the focus of the meeting featuring Speake Marin, a Swiss watchmaking company that originates from the inspiration of a master watchmaker and is now an excellent example of haute horlogerie, during which Angela Landone, Speake Marin’s communication manager, and Antonio Follari will be speaking, “directed” by Dody Giussani.
Sunday September 10 will see the Tudor talk entitled An ever brighter future? with Ander Ugarte and Renato Scloza, respectively head of design and brand manager Italy at Tudor, moderated by Giorgione and Michele Mengoli.
In addition, Dody Giussani will be interviewing Patrizia Aste, managing director of Norqain Italia, in a talk about the power of originality and the courage to dare.
The seminar programme will close with the talk Calasys: two years later featuring the Honourable Marco Beltrandi, independent watchmaking expert, collector and populariser, and Vincent Calabrese, passionate destroyer of traditions and legends and AHCI master, introduced by Fabrizio Dellachà from W.O.I.
It’s exciting to see how VicenzaOro is offering a series of watchmaking seminars covering a wide range of intriguing topics. The diversity of subjects and speakers promises to provide an educational and enriching experience for all watch enthusiasts.
The opening seminar by the Académie Horlogère des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI) appears particularly intriguing, with the panel led by Dody Giussani and featuring Alessandro Rigotto, promising to delve into the history, technique, and design of table, personal, and wrist timekeepers.
Furthermore, it’s inspiring to see the recognition of Italian influence in watchmaking, a topic often overlooked, and the understanding of how Italian art and engineering have shaped Swiss watchmaking. Interviews with prominent figures like Beppe Ambrosini, Andrea Granalli, and others offer a fascinating insight into the past, present, and future of the watch industry.
The focus on independent watchmaking, such as the presentation by Speake Marin, is also commendable, as these manufacturers often bring exceptional innovation and craftsmanship to the world of watches.
Overall, this seminar program promises to be an enriching experience for all watch enthusiasts, providing a unique opportunity to learn from some of the industry’s leading names. Congratulations to VicenzaOro for offering this exciting and informative educational platform.