Federico Massacesi has a nose for tradition, a taste for luxury timepieces, and an unending passion that's contagious in the Florence offices of his 10 year old watch manufacturer: Anonimo. Massacesi was in the right place at the right time when the Vendome Group purchased Panerai and moved it's production facility to Switzerland. Not making the trip was a group of passionate and talented craftsmen who had nurtured the Panerai brand in the early years. Sensing the opportunity to involve this crew in a new project that would put their talents to good use, Mr. Massacesi re-united the troops and launched Anonimo.
The unique case designs and dial configurations of Anonimo watches are a huge departure from the course most new brands choose to take. Everything here is unique to the brand. Anonimo watches don't look like just another watch; the design elements they encompass are fresh and uncharted yet they still maintain a certain sense of history -most likely owing to the influence of the people who make them.
The Anonimo Cronoscopio Mark II is my favorite Anonimo to date. It's a chronograph with day and date functions that's based on a Valijoux 7750 automatic chronograph movement. Anonimo has the 7750 movement modified to suppress the small seconds subdial - a proposition that results in a much cleaner dial arrangement. The sandblasted stainless steel case contrasts nicely with the satin finish of the bezel and the polished crown of the Cronoscopio. There's a ton of detail in the case design and the fit and finish of this watch leaves nothing to be desired. The Cronoscopio Mark II comes shod in a fantastic leather strap that's treated with the Kodiak process that's famously associated with pre-Vendome Panerai straps - the result is a thick and incredibly comfortable leather strap that's sea waterproof.
When you consider that, other than the base movement, every part of an Anonimo is created specifically for the watch that uses it; the price point of all of Anonimo's offerings seems very reasonable. The Anonimo Cronoscopio Mark II retails for $4,600 US.
