Horological Meandering

An evening with Anonimo inside a sub!

Well, I'm exaggerating a bit in the title. Actually, Anonimo organized a cocktail party to present its collections in a bar, close to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, decorated like a sub. It was a nice idea since the atmosphere of the brand is very close to this aquatic world. The event was welcome to be honest. I missed the Anonimo presentation when I was in Basel and the brand is working a lot under the leadership of Julien Haenny to become more visible and let's say it frankly, to reestablish the required trust on several markets.

The latest trends coming from the brand are pretty convincing: the perceived quality is increasing, the prices are, generally speaking, fair and I could see several aesthetic improvements. The assets of the brand remain the same: a recognizable design (if you know the history of the brand) and a simple and well organized catalogue.

This catalogue is based on two main collections:

- Militare which can be considered as the "historic" one and the closest to the roots of the brand
- Nautilo which offers less radical and more formal diving pieces

In addition to these two collections, Anonimo develops its limited edition collection with models coming from the two previous ones.

So, I'm happy to see that things are clear: they are not too many complications and not too many references. At least, the brand will not need to reorganize its catalogue and clients, in the end, prefer this type of sound approach.

When it comes to the movements, the context is also very easy to explain. The full catalogue is based on Sellita movements: SW200 for the Nautilo, SW260 for the Militare Automatic with date and SW300 powering an exclusive Dubois-Depraz module for the Militare Chronograph. You may wonder why Anonimo uses a DD module for its chronographs. Actually, the main reason is for a design purpose. Beyond the efficiency of this module (surprisingly enough, it is very nice to operate since the pushers are quite smooth), the main point was to keep the dial layout, the two pushers on the right side but with the crown of the basic movement at 12 o'clock. So the objective of the specific module was to change the orientation of its own architecture.

Let's discover now the latest novelties from the brand.

I told you that I was entering a sub!

The cocktails were bearing the names of the Anonimo collections. But since I don't drink alcohol, I chose a very special fruit cocktail.

I don't know if I made the right decision when I discovered the glass! Maybe there was lava inside!

This is one of the latest Nautilo with a white dial. The diameter is large (44,4mm) but the lugs are short and curved. The indexes at noon, 4 and 8 o'clock bring a touch of originality on the dial. The bezel features a ceramic insert. You will also notice that the crown is located at 4 o'clock.

The technical specs of the caliber SW200 are known with a power reserve of 38 hours with a 4hz frequency. It is a reliable movement with a good winding efficiency but I find its power reserve too short according to today's standards.

This is the Militare Chronograph with a brown camouflage dial and a bronze case. Of course, the caseback is made of titanium. The nice detail of the watch is the crown protector system at 12 o'clock. It is easy to handle and enhances the overall design of the watch.

I like the bronze cases by Anonimo and the watches which are using them are my fav in the catalogue.

The titanium back of the watch offers an engraved stylized drawing of the famous Cervin (the Matterhorn). It was a total coincidence but my Bally bag was wearing a patch with a similar pattern! So Swiss!

This green Nautilo comes with a NATO strap. The watch is available with other colors (blue, yellow).

The Militare Automatic keeps the same case than the chronograph one with a 43,4 diameter and the crown at 12 o'clock. The hands shapes and the large figure define the typical style of the collection.

This version is very appealing thanks to its bronze colour scratched dial.

The Nautilo is the good example of the improved quality of the brand. I had the opportunity to handle several pieces several years ago and without any doubt, the feeling is much more positive now.

Anonimo celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2017. To highlight this milestone, Anonimo released two Militare Vintage pieces. Obviously the key features of the Militare Chronograph remain but I like the very pure approach of the dial.

So the question is: are you Panda?

The SW300 movement is visible thanks to the see-through caseback. I would have preferred a solid caseback due to the case size.

Or Anti-Panda?

This version of the Militare Chronograph with a blue dial and a bronze case is maybe my fav Anonimo piece.

My glass is back!

A strange object in the Bar. I have no clue about what it was made for. But it nicely decorates the Bar!

The smokehouse... I was waiting for Captain Nemo!

After this overview of the Anonimo collection, it was time for me to surface. I got a few more details just before leaving the sub and I can tell you that the brand has a lot of projects and I hope to learn more during the 2018 edition of Baselworld. The owner of Anonimo also owns Vulcain. There is obviously a question mark around this brand. I know that the teams are working to bring it back to life but since they want to do it the right way, they will proceed quietly and without any urgency. The current focus is on Anonimo but Vulcain is not forgotten.

I would like to thank a lot the Anonimo team and the Agence Chamarel for the invitation.

Fr.Xavier