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Watches of Italy goes suntanning

June 27, 2025

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The tried-and-tested team behind Italy’s most important watchmaking event has pulled another ace out of its sleeve and conquered Jesolo, attracting over 3,003 visitors during the two days of this new horological event.

On May 10 and 11, 2025, the Palazzo del Turismo in the Adriatic town located next to beautiful Venice hosted the first edition of Watches of Jesolo (W.O.J.), an event dedicated to independent watchmaking, both Italian and international. With 29 exhibiting brands, the event was a significant showcase for microbrands, emerging manufacturers, and other key players in the Italian and global watchmaking industry.

New Products and Product Launches

Numerous watches were on display, including some new models, finally unveiled to the public and available for a “test drive” on the wrist.

Venezianico: presented the Arsenale Meteorite, a watch with a meteorite dial mounted on a sunburst brass base and a 40 mm steel case with bracelet, equipped with a slim Miyota 9029 movement that makes it slim and elegant on the wrist.

Out of Order: presented the Diverissimo Azteco – Ottanio, a diver with an aged finish and details inspired by Aztec culture adorning the dial, the movement rotor, and the butterfly clasp of the jubilee bracelet.

Echo/Neutra: showcased the Rivanera, a dress watch that combines the retro taste of the rectangular grade 5 titanium case and dial design with innovative materials, making it extremely lightweight at only 21 grams.

Aion: presented the ALP-1, an ultra-lightweight watch in Carbon TSC, water-resistant to 30 meters, featuring a skeleton movement made by Soprod. Careful study of the materials has ensured a total weight – including the strap – of less than 25 grams. Not a world record, but quite close.

Officine Tecniche: introduced the Aquas, a technical diver with a 40 mm steel case and La Joux-Perret G101 Top Grade movement without date, featuring a very distinctive sunburst dial whose exquisitely vintage design is reminiscent of the famous Zenith Cassaforte del Tempo.

Memphis Belle: presented the Chrono B-17 in a bicompax version, a remake of its vintage-style chronograph dedicated to the B-17 F “Memphis Belle” bomber, powered by a manual Landeron caliber and available with a marbled dial with a camouflage effect that makes it truly fascinating.

Ichnos: the Sardinian manufacturer presented the Capo Testa Pro, with its chromatic depth gauge, and the final versions of the Costiero with the final rally bracelet in stainless steel to its loyal audience.

But you could find also Landeron, exhibiting its last chronograph calibers and showing a delightful tourbillon movement in action under a microscope for our viewing pleasure. Speaking of tourbillons, the visitors could also admire the first Italian tourbillon watch, made by the artisan watchmaker Bruno Caputo and meet him in person.

Events and Collaborations

The event included cultural and entertainment moments, such as the Happy Horology Hour with DJ sets and live painting on the theme of watches by the artist Crimasso. On Sunday, a talk on “Finissage in Haute Horlogerie” was held, moderated by one of the pillars of the Italian watch scene, Marco Beltrandi, from Tempo & Misura, with finisseur Alberto Nagliero.

Influencers and Media Partners

W.O.J. also collaborated with several international media partners and content creators, including:

WatchCollectiveTwo (Dubai): Ahmed Gawdat created exclusive content and interviews to offer greater visibility in the Middle East.
DeeTimeLove Show (UK): Demetrious Frantzescou’s presence has raised W.O.J.’s profile in English-speaking countries thanks to his activity on Instagram and YouTube.
WatchManiac: since 2016, Mattia has been sharing his passion for watchmaking, giving ample space to microbrands. Initially only present on YouTube and Instagram, he is now also active on his website and on TikTok.
Undersea Time: YouTube channel dedicated to diving watches with reviews, insights, and field tests.
Ghiera Orologi: launched in 2020, it is a digital and social meeting point for watch enthusiasts of all kinds.
Tempo e Misura: Marco Beltrandi explores watchmaking without preconceptions, offering insights into the art and mechanics of time.
WATCH IT: Sam’s TikTok channel is a reference point for watch enthusiasts in Italy, providing a 360° view of the world of watchmaking with authenticity and passion.
L’Orologio: journalists from the monthly magazine edited by Dody Giussani produced content and interviews with the brands present.
Swiss Creative Lab: offered exhibitors the opportunity to display their watches in a section dedicated to “Made in Italy” at Carlo Enea Naldi’s “Art & Watches” showroom in Risch-Rotkreuz-Zug (CH).

Conclusion

The first edition of Watches of Jesolo has consolidated its position as a reference event for independent watchmaking, offering a significant platform for emerging brands and enthusiasts in the sector. It was an interesting exhibition that has established itself as the perfect “bridge” to reach the public: in fact, WOJ has allowed an increasingly wider audience, even beyond the usual watch enthusiasts, to discover the offerings of a growing number of independent and increasingly less micro brands, with a quality level that has risen dramatically since the Watches of Italy inception five years ago.

In short, this exhibition has acted as a thermometer, analyzing the ever-increasing temperature of the sector. A ticking world in constant motion, which is continuously growing in terms of offerings and quality. There is now little trace of the Kickstarter flash in the pan: what remains has earned, and is earning, its place in the horological world with beautiful, credible, well-made timepieces offered at a convincing price. We therefore look forward to the fifth edition of this successful franchise, Watches of Italy, with great interest to see what it has in store for us watch lovers.