Horologii

Watch Collectors Gather in Florence

giuandfirnd_sAt the end of September watch collectors and enthusiasts from all over the world gathered in Florence. They were there to pay a special tribute to Italian watch-making. The venue was the luxury Four Seasons hotel, and the host was the maverick watchmaker Giuliano Mazzuoli.

Guests to this exclusive event were treated to a special Sunday morning cocktail in the hotel’s ‘Chapel’ room. Here they were able to meet Giuliano Mazzuoli in person and discuss with him his passion for watches and Italian design.

And of Giuliano Mazzuoli’s truly innovative watches, there was the Manometro and various prototypes of the Contagiri on hand to touch and feel.

Mazzuoli originally wanted a watch without a crown and without hands, and it was this desire that led to the Contagiri. The Contagiri was inspired by the Alfa Romeo’s rev counter; in fact contagiri is the Italian word for rev counter. This watch now comes in over 500 versions.

But it was the Manometer that launched Giuliano Mazzuoli on to the world watch making stage in 2004. A watch that was inspired by a barometer.

Giuliano Mazzuoli is a former racing driver. So it was a special treat for one lucky guest who got to drive around the city of Florence with Mazzuoli in his Alfa 8C – the very car that inspired one of the versions of the Contagiri.