The Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watch from the famed Florence, Tuscany in Italy based designer Giuliano Mazzuoli of Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches, is a visually arresting watch, all the more so for its quasi minimalist combination of steel case (housing an exceptional quality Swiss movement), black natural Florentine leather strap and clock type, ‘gauge’ design dial and crown.

The Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watch from designer Giuliano Mazzuoli of Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches, particularly in its original design, stainless steel case form (with the white clock dial and black leather strap), and even with that quality Swiss-made movement, has always been offered at an exceptionally competitive price, especially so when compared to later carbon and marble cased (in the form of the Giuliano Mazzuoli Carrara) watch versions from the same collection. A small number of Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watches from designer Giuliano Mazzuoli of Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches are usually available pre-owned, usually in the form of the first version stainless steel / white clock dial / black natural Florentine leather strap combination rather than the later carbon fiber and marble case models (although these also do come up for sale occasionally also), and they offer a lot of designer watch for the price. The mistake should not be made though, simply because of the price, of thinking that the Giuliano Mazzuoli design Manometro series is somehow not to be compared with pieces from Tag Heuer, Bell & Ross, Jaeger-LeCoultre, and Parmigiani Fleurier. In fact, the Manometro, as a design faithful to almost every true characteristic of the object that inspired its creation in Florence, Italy, places this watch as a worthy competitor to anything from the aforementioned Tag Heuer, Bell & Ross, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Parmigiani Fleurier, even more so if buying pre-owned.

What then, exactly, is meant when the Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watch is described as expressing every true characteristic of the object that inspired its creation in its design? The clue, of course, is in the Giuliano Mazzuoli watch’s name, the ‘Manometer’. A manometer, traditionally, is a circular, clock shaped analog gauge, a single (black) hand sweeping clockwise around a white dial featuring essential information only, by means of an indicator track to display ever higher pressure – typically with highly legible indicator markings or even just colors, green, yellow, orange and red for danger. This form of pressure gauge is something we are all familiar with, and as such, it is a true characteristic of the original object, perhaps seen more often these days as a device in the movies than its industrial origins. The Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watch from designer Giuliano Mazzuoli of Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches, particularly in its original design, stainless steel case form (with the white clock dial and blackstrap), rather than the later cement, carbon fiber and marble case models, as a true characteristic inspired design creation, is thus able to tap into a whole slew of interesting design motifs – playfully deconstructing the minimalist industrial object with an inspired watch creation that both reflect the ‘time pressure’ of modern life and offers a charming balm for it.

The Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watch from designer Giuliano Mazzuoli of Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches is thus a beautiful facsimile of the layout of a traditional manometer pressure gauge, with the large dimension stainless steel cylindrical case, large dimension crown, pure white dial featuring essential information only and a dial face indicator track design with perfect legibility. The large dimension stainless steel case is in fact very smoothly rounded to the dial side, another true characteristic of many examples of the object that inspired it, the gas or liquid connection of the original being replaced on the Manometer Watch by the large dimension crown, offset to 2 o’clock (or 10 o’clock for left-handers), which is itself cut like a mechanical gear for grip. Of course, some years following the introduction of the Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro men’s automatic watch from designer Giuliano Mazzuoli of Giuliano Mazzuoli Watches, the ‘gear’ motif of the large dimension crown of the Manometro was to find a whole new level of expression in the Mazzuoli Trasmissione Meccanica Watch. Another Giuliano Mazzuoli watch offering a facsimile of every true characteristic of the object that inspired its creation, a manual automobile transmission, and clutch mechanism, the Mazzuoli Trasmissione Meccanica thus featuring a large dimension cylindrical stainless steel case design that is cut in exactly the same shape as a helical gear, a dial faceplate and hour indicators formed just like a pair of sprung and riveted clutch drive plates, with the same straight-cut gear type sun-logo embossed pushers and automatic Swiss design movement.

What these Giuliano Mazzuoli watch models, starting from the first version stainless steel / white clock dial / black natural Florentine leather strap combination Mazzuoli Manometro, then with the Mazzuoli Watch Carrara and Mazzuoli Trasmissione Meccanica watch, is an incredibly clever lug-less system for attaching for attaching the natural Florentine leather and calfskin straps, whether they be black or a more subtle brown tone. The case side ends of the strap enter the case directly and are then supported on each side of the case by small, triangular profile wedges affixed by pairs of screws to both case and strap. The strap support wedges replace the traditional case lugs, and have the benefit of allowing the watch strap to follow the profile of the wearer’s wrist much more closely than traditionally, meaning that the large dimension cylindrical case of all watch models in the collections can often be worn beneath a shirt cuff, excepting the Mazzuoli Trasmissione Meccanica perhaps.

When any watch enthusiast is considering a new addition, perhaps a piece from Jaeger-LeCoultre, Parmigiani Fleurier, Bell & Ross or Tag Heuer, the Giuliano Mazzuoli Manometro is most certainly not to be overlooked. In fact, the arresting aesthetics of the Manometro, combined with its rugged Swiss movement and Swiss Manufacture, almost guarantee this. The Manometro watch is indeed a very difficult watch to ignore, particularly when every element of the Manometro watch, from its large dimension stainless steel case and crown design, dial offering perfect legibility, neat lugless natural Florentine black leather strap attachment system and finally its price, all shout “Buy Me.”

Chronopassion is an AUTHORIZED RETAILER of Giuliano Mazzuoli since 2004