MISANI Ermitage, hand-wound

— Italian elegance, stated clearly —

MISANI was founded in Milan in 1978 as a jewellery house, out of the sensibility of Ivo Misani — a man described as a magician of form and a coachbuilder of time. The originality of the shapes won people over quickly.

The case measures 31 × 36mm: built on straight lines, with a soft arc at each corner, holding both a respect for traditional watchmaking and a distinctly Italian playfulness.

The business is now run by his wife Susan and their son Nick, whose designs continue to give the brand new air.

— A red note, in the Art Deco manner —

Geometric markers in good order on a lightly aged cream dial, and one vivid red triangular hand marking the time.

Roman numerals at twelve and six add a classical calm inside an otherwise modern design.

Misani's habit of fusing the aesthetics of different eras — baroque through Art Deco, Hellenistic through Renaissance — is present here too.

— A movement on show —

The movement is ETA's calibre 2512, one of the celebrated movements of the mechanical golden age, best known for its use in Cartier's Tank Louis Mechanical.

A slim calibre adopted by serious houses, with the pleasant winding action particular to hand-wound watches, visible through sapphire.

— Quietly known —

Some people hear the name MISANI and feel a kind of nostalgia. A watch for anyone who wants individuality that does not depend on fashion.

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