References to the super Irish rock band aside, the first thing you notice about your average U-Boat watch is its diminutive size…all 50mm of it on the average model! Yes, your typical U-Boat timepiece is not for the weak of disposition: conservative types need not apply. Indeed, the alpha male types of Hollywood royalty grace several pages of the manufactures’ equally oversized brochures and press kits. In case you haven’t figured it out, U-Boat watches, just like their original submarine namesake, are bold, aggressive and oversized. One model, the FLIGHTDECK ECLIPSE, is so masculine, it actually resembles a vintage German WWII hand grenade; definitely not for the faint hearted or, for that matter, the limp wristed (no pun intended).
The 53mm CLASSICO A925, the template for all modern U-Boat watches. But why make a watch with such a peculiar look, or for that matter, with such a contrived name for the market today? Apparently it is because it wasn’t made for the today’s market but for, literally, those German submariners that sailed the original U-boats of that bygone era.
Back in 1942 the Italian company “Officine Fontana” was poised to produce a professional watch for the distinguished officers of Germany’s U-Boat fleet. These hardy timepieces had to meet the German navy’s highest R quality standards and had to withstand the oppressive conditions these submariners routinely called daily life. Unfortunately, and for reasons unknown, the project was ultimately scrapped (maybe the Fatherland’s crushing defeat and the obliteration of AXIS ideals had something to do with it). Fortunately, the distinctive original drawings, color samples and innovative materials were lovingly preserved for more than 60 years. So in 2000, Italo Fontana, a cousin of Officine Fontana’s late founder, made a long held company dream come true by launching today’s inspired U-Boat brand. While looking at his grandfather drawings, Italo came up with the phrase “a new dimension in time”, the “new dimension” is what characterizes the new U-Boat watches of today.
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| The 53mm CLASSICO GOLDEN CROWN with a specially designed 18k security device on the cap. | |
Forging a partnership that echoes the AXIS juggernaught of that great-war, and comparable to that similarly inspired modern union of certain Italian and German automobile manufacturers; and even faster than you could say JAWOHL MEIN FUHRER! Italian bravura careened headlong with German engineering in forging today’s U-Boat timepiece.
These timepieces embodied force and style and revealed the unique personality of the man behind U-Boat’s revival. “It took me seven years to develop and refine the U-BOAT watches. Inspired by 18th century craftsmanship and intricate made-by-hand detailing we can now produce a timepiece of rare artisanal quality that reaches to a new dimension of watch making.” – Italo Fontana.
In 2005, Italo Fontana joined forces with Mounir Moufarrige, an acclaimed tastemaker known for breathing new life into Montblanc and Chloé. Together, they made character and strength the trademark of the U-Boat brand. They are about timeless Italian design married to the ultimate in Swiss movements and unimpeachable 21st century craftsmanship. All watches in the line are both unique but unexpectedly comfortable timepieces to wear. They are about strong identity, immediate recognition, large diameters, legibility under all light conditions and, of course, that left hand crown protected by a screwed cap. Now, it is arguable that in this day and age, a crown protected by a screwed cap is no longer a necessity; but man, does it look good! That left hand crown with a screw on cap has added to the brand’s distinctive signature as well as to the U-BOAT brand statement: Classic yet powerful.
This spare but boldy functional look is the embodiment of what U-Boat watches are about: The 50mm FLIGHTDECK ECLISPES, one to suit each of your moods.
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Starting with the water-resistant-to-10-atmospheres FLIGHTDECK series of watches, U-Boat goes after the competition with dominating style by excising virtually every element of bling in its design. Running the gamut on every FLIGHTDECK piece, this spare but boldy functional look is the embodiment of what U-Boat watches are about. Coming in with several variants, the Flightdeck CAS/CAB is an ETA 7750 automatic chronograph with a frequency of 28,800 alterations per hour; with a power reserve of 44 hours, it comes in a 43mm, 50mm or 55mm diameter steel case with black hands and spheres available in white, orange or yellow color coated with superluminova. The FLIGHTDECK MBG/MSG is the ETA 6497 mechanical movement variant at a frequency of 18,000 alterations per hour and is based on 17 rubies. Its case is forged of MSG AISI 316 L steel or MGB AISI 316 L steel while its superluminova enriched hands are green on a black dial. The automatic FLIGHTDECK ABO’s ETA A07.111 movement is based on 25 rubies at a frequency of 28,800 alterations per hour. Its face is (again) black with orange hands and spheres luminous with superluminova. The latest in the FLIGHTDECK series is the aforementioned ECLIPSE, dedicated to the concept of that mysterious solar event, the ECLIPSE is as black as its namesake suggests adding an unusual cowl on the watch face at 6 and 7 o’clock, which looks like an oxygen mask an aeronaut would use, thereby effectively masking or “eclipsing” the face.
The 43mm THOUSANDS OF FEET RUBY, with 4 rubies set at each corner of the caseThe U-BOAT CLASSICO sports a much more down-to-earth look; boasting a simplistic elegance, if the Flightdeck was the Ferrari Enzo of the brood, then the CLASSICO is a Jaguar XK. While still no less masculine, the Classico has an air of civility around it with its fine leather straps and brushed steel cases, all the while being perfect for everyday wear; it blends seamlessly with any outfit you’re wearing. Two examples of these (among the dozens of available variants) are the automatic ETA 2824 CLASSICO AS, which has a frequency of 28,800 alterations per hour with a beige or black 53mm dial; and the CLASSICO 925, in which you get a sterling silver dial with a diameter of 53mm and Arabic numbers on two superimposed dials: one in brushed steel and the other one cut with composed black paints. A real trend setter in Europe, the Classico brings a dapper charm to the table while altogether creating a cosmopolitan spin to the modern time piece.
Taking the moniker THOUSANDS OF FEET, the next creation in the U-Boat collection is a real stunner. Looking like a precise nautical instrument that could call a submarine its home, this watch sports a very peculiar dodecagonal shaped case which causes a sensation even if you are above the water and not…, well…. thousands of feet deep. Just like its stable mates, the THOUSANDS OF FEET line is water resistant to 10 atmospheres, and encompasses the full gamut of Messers Fontana’s & Moufarrige’s horological, technical, and aesthetic know-how. Taking the THOUSANDS OF FEET MB model as an example, it sports an ETA 6497 mechanical movement, and a frequency of 18,000 alternations per hour. Based on 17 rubies, the U-boat THOUSANDS OF FEET is a reliable watch with a face that expresses functionality and unabashed masculinity. The steel case (316 L AISI) with PVD treatment (used to preserve brightness features and special shades of color) has eight steel screws which lock up the back case to the upper side. The elegant black dial with luminous numbering has a 50 mm diameter. The dial structure is composed of two superimposed dials: one of them, yellow or orange, is treated with Superluminova; the other dial is laser cut with a black pigment (the kind used for military devices). The glass is also high-quality, specially cut in highly resistant K1 glass. Available with calf leather strap, which is handmade in Italy, the watch is the king of elegance and style among this kind of watches. The U-boat THOUSANDS OF FEET AS 3, AS Y and AS R look just as spectacular as the variant previously described. Coming in at 43mm is diameter, and available with a black dial and Superluminova marks with white, yellow and red pigments, these steel watches can add to any man’s personality and charm. The U-boat THOUSANDS OF FEET GOLD, another excellent automatic timepiece with an ETA 2824 movement encased in an 18k gold 43mm diameter case. It has a too-elegant-to-bebelieved black-on-black appearance with black luminous numbering coated with superluminova under black glass. It is a real “looker” of a watch; again not for the introverted among us.
Spoils of war? The solid 18K yellow gold 43mm THOUSANDS OF FEET GOLDThe list of attractive and precise U-boat watches may go on with near unending details, but at its core, U-Boat watches encompass these distinct model lines: The FLIGHTDECK, the CLASSICO and the THOUSANDS OF FEET series, all of them uncompromising in their severity with a no-nonsense sense of style, but with occasional flashes of brilliance…both literally and figuratively. Above and beyond this, the manufacture does still cater to his clients by offering variants that suitably personalizes their prized possession with seemingly bespoke configurations that cater to almost every variant possible. PVD treated crystals, and precious metals to precious diamonds and rubies, all beautifully merge with rubber and steel details, challenging traditional design standards in the world of timepieces. From black cases to yellow gold hands or red Arabic numbers on a black watch face, all these are made available at all the U-Boat shops worldwide. There is even a NIGHTVISION COLLECTION for those whose tastes lean toward the nocturnal.
One thing for sure, only certain types of individuals can and will appreciate a U-Boat timepiece, but to be among the select few that do wish to part with their hard earned earnings to be part of a very distinct crowd one must have, at least, the stones to match the size of the watch…or at the very least, think that you have them.