Introducing the Anonimo Militare Chrono Marine Van Dutch Special Edition (event report with live photos & price)

For the launch of the Anonimo Militare Chrono Marine Van Dutch, we went to a pleasant place called Cannes, in the very south of France. There, we learned what this new watch is about, what the reason was for the partnership with Van Dutch yachts and how it has influenced the design of their iconic watch for this particular reference. So, let’s have a closer look at the watch and the nice experiences we had in Cannes.

As Anonimo has had little publicity for some time, it might be a good idea to refresh our memory and start with a short summary of the rather interesting history of this brand.

Historical background of Anonimo

Anonimo was founded in 1997 in Florence, Italy. During this year, Officine Panerai was bought up by the Richemont Group. Richemont decided to move Panerai from Florence to Switzerland, but a part of the employees did not move to there. When the brand Anonimo was established in Florence, the home-town of both brands, ex-Officine Panerai employees decided to change company. Thanks to these engineers, watchmakers and craftsmen, over the following years, Anonimo launched several models, such as the Militaire, the Polluce, the Nautilo and the Millemetri. The main focus of Anonimo was (and still is) dive watches.

Because of their diving spirit, elements like the crown positioning (which is always at the 4, 6 or 12 o’clock position) and the patented protection system were implemented. Nowadays, these are still the most recognizable elements for an Anonimo watch. The idea of the founder of Anonimo, Federico Massacesi, was that the product should always be more important than the brand. For instance, the name didn’t appear on the dial until 2010. The name Anonimo itself is in line with this idea – Aninomo is the Italian word for anonymous.

Until 2013, Anonimo was entirely located in Florence. However, this year, Anonimo was bought up by a group of private investors. Thus, the production was divided: Anonimo Firenze is responsible for the cases and Anonimo Switzerland SA is responsible for the movements. Anonimo was one of the first brands to use bronze as a material for their cases. Anonimo Firenze still relies on the Florentine craftsmen who have been making cases since 1939.

As for Anonimo Switserland SA, they use three different movements. These movements are: Sellita SW 200-1, SW 260-1 and SW 300-1. The movements and cases are then later assembled by MCH. The reason for this is because of the high quality and flexibility they offer.

In 2015, The collection was reworked to bring out a greater sense of cohesion refocusing on the Militaire and the Nautilo models.

The Anonimo Militare Chrono Marine Van Dutch

Looking at the Anonimo Militare Chrono Marine Van Dutch, it’s easy to spot the key characteristics of the normal Militaire Chrono model. For this reason, we’ll explain these characteristics first and then we’ll show what has been added to the watch to really give it the Van Dutch twist.

In short, the main specifications of the Militaire Chrono are:

• A cushion shaped case crafted out of bronze, stainless steel or DLC coated stainless steel
• A 43.4mm diameter and a 14mm thickness
• Sellita SW300-1 self-winding mechanical movement equipped with a Dubois Depraz 2035M chronograph module
• A small second indicator at 3 o’clock and a minute counter at 9 o’clock (classical to the Dubois Depraz module)
• The bi-material (metal and rubber) pushers for the chronograph
• The protected crown at 12 o’clock between the lugs
• The oversized 12, 04 and 08 indexes

Now that you know the main features of the Militaire Chrono and before looking at what Anonimo did to give this watch a recognizable Van Dutch look, we should understand the reasons for this partnership.

The statement made by Anonimo is that it is impossible to ignore when a Van Dutch yacht crosses your path. Due to the signature codes that designer and naval architect Frank Mulder implemented, the Van Dutch yachts became outstanding objects of great craftsmanship.

Whilst built in the Dutch city of Heerenveen, these yachts are primarily manufactured with Mediterranean cruising in mind. As mentioned by Anonimo, the yachts and the watches have in common that they stand out by their eye-catching design. These values shared by both companies made a partnership an appealing idea.

So what can be seen on the watch that gives it a Van Dutch twist?

The most obvious element that can be spotted is the Dutch flag on the dial at the 6 o’clock position. The other element can be seen on the left side of the watch. There is a very subtle plaque with the yachts constructor’s name on it. Secured to the case with two screws, this element bridges the world of luxury yachting and watch making. Finally, the choice of a blue dial, with a matching strap, was the key element of this yachting style.

Conclusion and price

Taking into consideration that Anonimo is a brand that is redefining itself in the last couple of years, we can say that the latest watches we have seen from them, as well as with this new limited edition are done pretty nicely, especially for the price that they operate in. We can expect a more consistent design in the future as they are refocusing on the Militaire and the Nautilo models. What we appreciate about Anonimo is that, even if some will scream that they look like Panerai watches, the found its own style with some recognizable elements.

Like the Van Dutch yachts, the Anonimo Militare Chrono Marine Van Dutch combines a masculine and elegant look in a stylish fashion. With all the key elements of the Militaire Chrono, it is a true Anonimo watch that has subtle details added to it to give it a Van Dutch twist. We think Anonimo and Van Dutch succeeded into bringing both worlds together. The Anonimo Militare Chrono Marine Van Dutch will be made in a series of 50 pieces, priced at 3,500 Euros.