One of the pitfalls that some microbrands and small independents fall into is being ‘too’ niche. When you build your brand around a hyper specific concept, it’s all too easy to fall into familiar patterns and churn out repetitive watches. However, despite having a concept as narrow as ‘the City of Venice’, Venezianico have proven time and time again that they are far from running out of ideas. They’re willing to push the boat out both mechanically with pieces like the Utopia II and also aesthetically with a huge variety of dial materials and textures. Their latest launch falls into that latter category: the 600 piece limited edition Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu.
This is a follow-up to 2025’s original Nereide Opale but pushes the concept even further. That original watch introduced their first opale dial, a lab-grown mineral dial produced by Japanese brand Kyocera. The artificial opal is produced in a block and then sliced to 0.4mm thick for use in the watch, with no two dials being identical. For the Opale Blu, they have produced that same material in blue for the first time.
Crucially, the Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is not an opal dial painted blue or given a blue finish. The material itself is grown to be blue – the colour is a property of the material. It’s this fact that allows for the rich intensity of tone and extreme saturation that makes it look electric. Plus, the crystalline look of the structure creates natural shifts in colour, resulting in a mixture of shades from dark blue to teal and turquoise as the light interacts with it.
The new dial is held in the familiar case and body of the Venezianico Nereide. A 42mm x 12.5mm stainless steel case with 200m water resistance rating and fitted with a tungsten insert bezel for superior scratch resistance. It has broad surfaces and wide lugs that give it an unapologetic tool watch profile on the wrist, which is tempered only slightly by polished facets and a smart five-link bracelet. In combination with the crystal-style display it’s a great office diver, suitable both on land and in the water.
Inside the case and visible through the exhibition caseback is the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with custom, rhodium-plated Venezianico rotor. It’s a well-regarded workhorse calibre that combines practicality (any service centre will be able to look after it) and accessibility.
The Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is priced at €1,350 (approx. £1,160) in a limited edition of 600 pieces. It goes on sale on August 25th, but you can pre-register your interest now on Venezianico’s website. While I personally enjoy classical and restrained watch design, there’s something magnetic about the vibrancy of the Opale Blu – it really captures a sense of the glittering blue waves of the Mediterranean in the Gulf of Venice.
Price and Specs:
More details at Venezianico.
