Yes, it’s yet another Sub homage, and it’s vintange-style too. Should we blame Meccaniche Veneziane for that? I don’t think so. The microbrand watch market is getting overcrowded very quickly and sometimes the best way to survive for new brands is to go safe route. And what’s the safest route to go in watch market than a well executed, high quality Sub homage/variation? There is none in my opinion. And in case of Nereide, it’s not a lazy copy but rather an interesting approach with some clever design choices along with a nice retail package.
When it comes to specification, Meccaniche Veneziane Nereide has a 42 mm Oyster-style stainless steel case. The larger size means the watch will fit a greater variety of wrists. The case has nice brushed finish and you can tell that the manufacturer pays attention to details. There is a beautiful see-through caseback with all the necessary information engraved on it. What is more, the crown at 3 o’clock is signed with a cross as seen in the company logo. Finally, we have a high quality domed sapphire crystal with an AR coating on the inside.
When it comes to dial and bezel, things are getting more interesting. There are 4 color schemes available: black with gold, black with gold and red bezel, blue, and green. Furthermore, the first two colors are also available with black PVD case. That’s quite a lot to choose from, which is always a good thing. Personally, I like the green version the most as there is not many “Hulk” Sub homages on the market. The dial design and hands are slightly different from what we usually see. Instead of classic round indices, we have a rectangular diamond-cut indices and pencil-style handset. I have to admit that this combination looks great and it feels fresh in such a type of watch. However, the dial looks kind of busy due to significant amount of text. There is Meccaniche Veneziane logo, which takes 3 lines of text and another 4 lines of text at 6 o’clock position. Perhaps it’s little too much for my taste.
Meccaniche Veneziane Nereide is powered by a Japanese Miyota 821A automatic movement. The brand decided to spice it up a little and added a custom rotor, which admittedly looks quite appealing. Miyota 821A is quite a basic movement with 21 600 BPH and 42 hours of power reserve. Unfortunately, it’s lacking a hand winding option. Nevertheless, it’s a robust and reliable automatic workhorse.
Meccaniche Veneziane Nereide’s Kickstarter campaign starts on 5th of June 2017. It’s worth checking it out as the early bird price will start as low as 229 Euro. In my opinion, it’s a great price for the package you get, which includes the watch itself, a vintage handmade leather strap, and a beautiful wooden box. If you don’t want to miss the Kickstarter campaing launch, be sure to check out Meccaniche Veneziane website and sign up for their newsletter.
| Model | Meccaniche Veneziane Nereide |
| Diameter | 42 mm |
| Thickness | 12 mm |
| Lug to Lug | 50 mm |
| Lug width | 22 mm |
| Crystal | Domed sapphire crystal, AR coating on the inside |
| Movement | Automatic Miyota 821A, 42 hours of power reserve |
| Water resistance | 200 m |
| Price | 229 Euro – early bird Kickstarter price |
