Tuono by Viqueria Italian Watch Company
Inspiration
Who wouldn’t prefer a watch that respects high style standards while serving diverse purposes at the same time? If you find yourself agreeing with this, then the Tuono is just the watch for you! The latest iteration from the Italian brand Viqueria offers a range of specifications suitable to the majority of watch collectors and enthusiasts alike. A sturdy diver watch with power reserve complication combined with visibility feats worth of a hardcore flieger timepiece, all wrapped in a package that would fit even a formal attire!
Case
The 316L stainless steel case is carefully designed to fit the majority of wrists. Measuring 41mm in diameter (42.5 including the crown), with a 48mm lug-to-lug distance, it sits gracefully on my 17cm wrist. Despite the 13.5mm thickness that refers more to a tool diver watch, the Tuono can slide under a shirt cuff easily, which adds to its versatile nature. The lugs are carefully designed to taper around the wrist so the overall feeling of the watch is even more comfortable. On the side, we find a signed laser-etched, screw-in crown, that guarantees the 200m water-resistance of the watch.
Another classy detail is the alternating brushed sides of the case with the polished surface of the lugs, creating the overall impression of a well-designed and executed case. Of course, given the tool nature of the watch, a flat sapphire crystal with clear inner antireflective coating adorns the face of the watch. Around the sapphire, we find a 120-click unidirectional coin-edged bezel, with good action and no backplay. On the bezel, there is a matte ceramic insert with lumed markers. Finally, the case is completed with a nice display case back, letting show the working movement inside.
Dial
The guys over at Viqueria Watches are accustomed to producing beautiful-looking dials and the options we find on the Tuono are no exception. We can choose between 3 sunray degrade’ colorways ( Thunder Gray, Ocean Blue, and Coffee Brown) and a fully lumed Crystal White. On the dial, we see applied metallic hour markers with also applied and lumed Arabic numerals. All the lumed surfaces of the Tuono contain Swiss-quality blue BGW9 lume. Furthermore, at 12 o’clock we find the power reserve complication, a nice aesthetic touch that completes the looks of the Tuono. We also have a date window at 6 with an underlying dark-coloured date disk so it doesn’t disturb the color balance of the dial. The handset is of course fully lumed with BGW9 as well, with the exception of the Crystal White model, where the handset is totally blacked out to contrast the lumed dial.
Movement
Reliability is the keyword when it comes to movements in a mechanical watch. In order to respect this standard, the Tuono comes with one of the most reliable workhorse movements in the market, the Japanese Miyota 9130. Hacking and hand-winding with an added power reserve complication are what this movement offers us, while the high-beating at 28800 vph results in a smooth sweeping movement of the second’s hand. This movement has also the advantage of being relatively thin, which creates the advantage of an overall contained thickness for the case, making the Tuono an extremely comfortable watch to wear.
Bracelet / Straps
The watch comes on a 20mm leather strap from 2DStraps, an Italian manufacturer who provides exclusively for the brand. There is also the option to buy separately a stainless steel jubilee-style bracelet with solid end links. This particular one is extremely comfortable and has also a butterfly clasp. My personal opinion is that the leather strap is quite stiff and needs to be worn a lot before actually becoming comfortable on the wrist. Nonetheless the leather quality is exceptional and the design is absolutely matching the character of the Tuono. The metal bracelet adds style to the watch and feels easier to wear for a longer time, due to the ease of use of the butterfly clasp.
Other Remarks
This watch has a 200m water resistance and with a proper diving strap can easily be used for diving. It comes with 2 year warranty and a typical cardboard box containing its documents.
Specification
Miyota 9130 movement
28800 per hour vph
Jewels 26
Stop second device
Automatic and hand winding
Quick date setting
3 Hands Date
40 Power reserve
MATERIAL : Stainless Steel
DIAMETER (mm) : 41
THICKNESS (mm) : 13 .5
Lug to Lug (mm) : 48
SHAPE : Round
COLOUR : Stainless Steel
BEZEL : Unidirectional 120 Bezel with Matt Ceramic insert and lumed markers
Crystal Type: Sapphire Crystal
DIAL COLOUR : Thunder Gray, Ocean Blue and Coffee Brown
TYPE : Leather Strap from 2DStarps
COLOUR : Brown
BUCKLE : Buckle
WIDTH (mm) : 20
WATER RESISTANCE : 20 ATM/ 200M
WARRANTY : 2 Years International
- Good value for money
- Very easy and comfortable to wear
- Quality construction
- Quality control issues on the leather strap
- Weak luminescence
- Poor packaging for the price point.
Final Thoughts
After a few days on the wrist, this Italian watch has surprised me positively for its character and ease of use. A well thought and finely executed timepiece that offers a lot more watch for your money. Sporty and gritty for a day in the water but also classy and worthy of a suit night! My overall impression of this watch is it can easily be compared with more costly competitors, based on its specs and performance. A few tweaks in the design and final execution would definitely establish it in the watch market for long!
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