My understanding is that Visconti also produces a number of the dial parts as well, and the quality ain’t too shabby, either. All the hands are distinctive looking and quite legible. The once again asymmetric dial is actually due to the shift of where the crown is placed at 2 o’clock. This causes the entire movement to tilt, meaning that the big date indicator moves to the left, while the second time zone indicator moves to the right.
As such, the Visconti W110 Grand Cruise dial offers the time, big date indicator, second time zone in 12-hour format, and a small AM/PM indicator window to the left of the second time zone dial. I like the style of the how the second time zone dial is made, but I think they could have done a more elegant job with the big date indicator window. Over the dial is a double-domed sapphire crystal which looks nice when looking head-on at the dial but results in some distortion when viewing the dial from extreme angles.
Inside the Visconti W110 Grand Cruise is an automatic mechanical movement they call the caliber VI-AC264-04. You can view the movement through the caseback’s sapphire crystal exhibition window. The polished steel caseback is sort of interesting with a design that allows it to “vent” water (or something like that). I find the caseback to be attractive, and it offers a nice view of the machine-polished Swiss movement.
The movement itself in nice but has a few quirks to it. I believe the caliber is a base Swiss Technotime with a custom Visconti automatic rotor. The real quirk to the movement is in how you set the second time zone. Pull the crown out a single stop and you can adjust the date by turning the crown in one direction, but turning it in other other direction does nothing. Logically this might be how you would adjust one of the two time zones. Rather, in order to adjust the second time zone, you need to pull the crown out one more stop and adjust the main time backwards. Adjust the main time forward (clockwise) and both the main and second time zone hands move. Adjust the main time backwards (counter-clockwise) and the minute hand of the second time zone moves but the hour hand does not. This isn’t exactly intuitive nor is it particularly elegant – but it does work.
One of the most impressive elements of Visconti watches today are their many nice strap options. This version of the Visconti W110 Grand Cruise comes on a relatively straightforward but nice-feeling water-resistant tan leather strap. It comes with a steel folding deployant – which I wished was either bronze or another color to match the case better. In fact, given the design theme of the watch, a hefty bronze (like the treated kind used for their bracelets) ardillon buckle might work better. Given the world of nice Visconti straps, I am sure there are other colors and options that could also work for this watch, and it is good that Visconti doesn’t use any special proprietary strap connection system.
The intensely unique and avant-garde nature of this Visconti W110 Grand Cruise Bronze and other Visconti watches make it the type of item that will appeal to some, but not most. It might seem counterintuitive, but that formula works well in the luxury watch world where success is often based on appealing to niche demographics versus the mainstream. The Visconti W110 Grand Cruise Bronze reference W110-01-143-1411 watch has a retail price of $4,980. The reference W110-01-143-1413 comes on the full bronze bracelet and is priced at $5,980. visconti.it
Necessary Data
>Brand: Visconti
>Model: W110 Grand Cruise Bronze reference W110-01-143-1411
>Price: $4,980
>Size: 45mm wide
>Would reviewer personally wear it: Sometimes.
>Friend we’d recommend it to first: Bronze watch lover with large wrists and an avant-garde character interested in steampunk diver-style watches that offer a second time zone.
>Best characteristic of watch: Despite being so patently different, the watch works, and case detailing and construction is very good. Quite proud to be “Made in Italy.” Decently legible dial despite arguably busy design.
>Worst characteristic of watch: Large size and case design will prove uncomfortable to some. Crown is excessively large without need to be. Could use a more interesting strap buckle. Setting second time zone is awkward.
