Venezianico Honors The Legendary Concorde With The New Bucintoro 1976 Chronograph
Some watches come with great stories. The new Venezianico Bucintoro 1976 is one of those. It is the second model in the brand’s Legacy of Time series. So, what is the story? If you’re over 40, you’re probably familiar with the Concorde. British Airways and Air France used the supersonic jet to fly from Paris and London and across the Atlantic to land in New York in just 3.5 hours. From 1976 to 2003, the Concorde was the majestic flagship of the airlines’ fleets. With the new Bucintoro 1976 chronograph, Venezianico honors this legendary supersonic jet in grand style.
The Italian brand went to great lengths to make this new Bucintoro 1976 limited edition truly special. Venezianico will produce only 100 pieces of this chronograph. All of them will be powered by NOS Lemania 1873 calibers hand-restored by master watchmaker Daniele Zorzetto. Each watch will also have a plate on the left side of the case to display the unique LE number. That doesn’t seem special in itself, but the fact that this plate is made of titanium cut from an original Concorde engine blade makes it very special indeed. Now, before getting into the details, I should mention that fans quickly fulfilled the preorder for all 100 pieces already. However, if you’d still like to learn about the story behind this watch, read on.
The story of the Venezianico Bucintoro 1976 Chronograph
A legendary caliber and a piece of the Concorde are only two of the many ingredients to create a superb chronograph. It only took one glance at one of the press pictures for me to crack a smile. Even before I learned about the watch’s special story, I thought it was a great-looking chronograph. The beautifully sculpted case with its flat bezel looks stylish. Additionally, the combination of a cream-colored dial contrasted by a dark blue tachymeter ring and sub-dials with gold-colored details makes for a stylish composition. As you will understand, there is more to the story than just the watch’s historical references.
But let’s first focus on that story for a bit. As mentioned, from 1976 to 2003, the Concorde flew from Paris to New York in 3.5 hours, breaking the sound barrier during its flight. The iconic supersonic jet traveled between the two cities at a speed of Mach 2.04, or 2,179 km/h, at a cruising altitude of 17,000 meters.
Those are still impressive numbers, even almost 50 years after the first flight took off. But that story would not be as iconic if it weren’t for the Concorde’s distinctive design. As the first plane to achieve regular transatlantic flights at Mach 2, it became a symbol of an era. Talk to almost anybody over the age of 40, and they will know about the Concorde’s cultural importance.
The details of the Venezianico Bucintoro 1976 Chronograph
Let’s look at some details of the watch. The Bucintero 1976 has a 42mm stainless steel case with a 49mm lug-to-lug and a 13.1mm thickness (including the 1.6mm double-domed sapphire crystal). This beautifully sculpted case also has a 100m water resistance rating and features two nicely integrated pushers on the right side. Naturally flowing guards protect the knurled crown, emphasizing the elegance of the case design. The flat bezel, case flanks, and lugs feature a brushed finish with polished chamfers for extra visual contrast.
Inside the case lies a beautiful layered dial featuring different sections inspired by the analog instruments in the Concorde’s cockpit. Three slightly recessed avio-blue registers with gold-colored borders contrast the ivory center.
Furthermore, the main dial also features gold-colored applied hour markers filled with white Super-LumiNova. A nice detail is that the sub-dials integrate some of the Concorde’s typical features. The 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock displays the speed of travel, while the 12-hour counter at 6 o’clock features a gold fuel gauge.
A dial with striking depth
Outside the central portion is a recessed cream-colored ring containing the combined track for minutes and elapsed seconds. The track is encircled by an avio-blue ring that holds the white tachymeter scale and the three take-off phases (V1-VR-V2) of the Concorde in gold. As you can see, it’s a cleverly designed dial full of details hinting at the iconic aircraft.
A dark blue Italian leather strap with a branded stainless steel buckle rounds everything out in style. Additionally, each watch comes with the brand’s Sansovino steel bracelet. This five-row bracelet has polished and brushed links and a folding clasp with push-button release. However, as I mentioned, the watch also contains a very special detail.
The unique Concorde titanium plate
On the case’s left flank, you will find a titanium plate cut from an original Concorde engine blade. It displays each limited edition’s number (xxx/100) in gold. The special titanium-nickel alloy has flown thousands of supersonic hours across the Atlantic and adds a unique touch to each watch. The metal has been reworked and engraved, making this chronograph a true collector’s item.
But that’s not where it ends. If you turn the watch around, you will find the beautiful Lemania 1873 movement. Venezianico was able to source 100 NOS calibers, and the brand’s master watchmaker, Daniele Zorzetto, restored all of them.
In addition, the original 1970s decorations were reproduced using traditional finishing and inking techniques. This manual-winding movement operates at 21,600vph, has 18 jewels, and offers 40 hours of power reserve. It is great to see this classic caliber return in a limited edition like this.
Final thoughts on the new Venezianico Bucintoro 1976 Chronograph
All in all, Venezianico did an excellent job creating the Bucintoro 1976 Chronograph. Story aside, this chronograph looks stunning. As soon as I saw the images of the watch, the flat bezel made me think of the design of the Laventure Automobile Chronograph. That watch also features a beautiful cream-colored dial with a three-register layout. Another watch that came to mind when I saw the design was the HTD Hesagraph Variante B. It also has a similar case style and three-register layout, and I adore that watch. Therefore, it is no surprise that I also love this new Venezianico Bucintoro 1976 Chronograph.
The story of the watch, brought to life by the titanium plaque, is remarkable. If you are a fan of aircraft and, specifically, the Concorde, you will understand the attraction of this chronograph like no other. Lastly, the fact that Venezianico could source 100 Lemania 1873 movements to power the watches shows the brand’s incredible dedication to improvement with every release.
All 100 pieces of the Venezianico Bucintoro 1976 chronograph were available for €4,750 in a specially created box. As mentioned, all of them sold out on preorder in no time, showing that the legacy of the Concorde lives on. I love what Venezianico achieves with its Legacy of Time series, and the two sold-out editions show that fans also love the concept and watches. I can’t wait to see what the next release in the series will be.
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