U-Boat Watch is a world famous Italian brand specializing in the production of premium watches. The products are distinguished by an unusual characteristic design, massiveness, impressive thickness of the case. A peculiar highlight of the watch are the large numbers, unique in appearance, located on the dial.
Story
Despite the fact that U-Boat Watch is a rather young, rapidly developing company, its history dates back to 1942, when the skilled Italian watchmaker, Ivo Fontana, received an order to create a unique model of watches, which would have a high level of reliability and could be used in a military environment.
The man immediately started developing the planned project, and soon he managed to create unique men's watches, which radically differed in their outward appearance from the rest of the models that were in use at that time:
- First of all, they were quite large, massive and powerful, with a strong thick case, resistant to damage;
- Secondly, according to the personal idea of the master, the dial numbers were created using special chemical elements and glowed in the dark, which made it possible to know the exact time even in the complete absence of light;
- Also, the crown, usually located on the right side of the watch, this time was installed on the left.
The order, which Ivo Fontana worked on, was a kind of secret assignment received from the Italian Navy, it was carried out in a specially equipped laboratory called "Officine Fontana". The watches made were so good that the master thought about their mass production, however, the loss of their position on the world stage by the Axis countries confused all the cards, and the project was frozen.
For the first time, legendary watches were officially put on sale only in 1999 thanks to the grandson of Ivo Fontana, Italo Fontana. So, based on the notes and drawings of his ancestor, he tried for a long seven years to recreate a unique model of the 1940s.
Unique style
The unspoken slogan of the company in translation into Russian sounds something like this: "Ordinary watches in an unusual case." This statement perfectly describes the entire line of wrist accessories. It is noteworthy that Although U-Boat Watch is a genuine Italian brand, all of its component parts are ordered in Switzerland. The following watches are the traditional color palettes of exclusive watches:
- Black with elements of gold, gilding;
- Black with inserts of red shades (precious rubies);
- Dirty white;
- Cold gray.
The brand regularly releases several basic traditional collections: Classico, Thousands of Feet, and also Flightdeck later appeared. All of them have a similar stylistic concept and differ only in the materials used in the case.
The "Thousand of feet" collection is quite interesting from a design point of view, because for its creation inspiration was drawn simultaneously in two elements - water and air. The watches presented in her line are made in an atypical retro style for the label and have a diameter equal to 53 millimeters. Commenting on the release of this collection, the company's creative director, Italo Fontana, mentioned that her idea arose after he visited the airplane hangar museum in the United States.
Where to buy: boutiques, online stores
To date, branded brand boutiques are available in Italy (Forte dei Marmi, Florence), Japan, Monaco (Monte Carlo), Georgia, Russia, Ukraine.
Address of the official boutique in Moscow: Lotte Plaza Shopping Center, 8 Novinsky Boulevard
Also, original exclusive watches can be purchased at a number of online stores:
- www.shadestation.com
- watches-master.com
- www.lamoda.ru
- www.jomashop.com
- uboat.swisstimeclub.ru
- u-boat.com.ua
- www.uboatwatch.com.
