Our thanks to Watchismo for sponsoring another week of Boing Boing Blast, our delivery of blog headlines to your inbox.
Ilvo Fontana, crafter of precision engineering instruments, received a commission from the Italian Navy in 1942: to design and build a new type of watch for their pilots. This challenge meant satisfying the Navy’s precise technical specifications, while guaranteeing visibility in low light and reliability in any weather. The project never materialized, but Italo Fontana, Ilvo’s grandson, discovered the designs and used them as inspiration for his company’s U-Boat Watch. Handcrafted in Italy, each features a modified mechanical Swiss ETA automatic movement, and a new limited edition collection is available at Watchismo.com.