Carrara Marble Watches Tap Into a Rich Italian Tradition

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The Carrara and Carrara Chronograph are the two latest timepieces by Giuliano Mazzuoli. An Italian designer, Mazzuoli was raised in Florence and works there in the city today. His creativity is sparked by place and culture, and he is known for his innovative wristwatches inspired by the Italian automotive scene. In the Carrara collection, Mazzuoli diverges from his interest in car culture, however, turning his focus to another Italian institution: marble.

The namesake material of the Carrara collection overlays the moderately large case of 44.5mm wide and 13.5mm thick. By definition, the marble is sourced from the city of Carrara in Tuscany, Italy. Paying special attention to detail, Mazzuoli had the supply extracted from caves below the Apuan Alps, where artists have sought striated white marble for centuries. These caves are where Michelangelo himself travelled to find the stone worthy of his earliest masterwork, the sculpture of David. Mazzuoli could not have chosen a more respected, culturally significant location and material.

When used to produce wristwatches, marble makes every piece unique. Its white surface is naturally varied with gray shadows, a cloudy visual rarely seen outside of architecture. Marble is pleasing to the touch as well, being highly polished and softer than metal. The softness of Carrara may be a concern for some potential buyers, though the inner case of stainless steel makes Mazzuoli’s creations more durable than otherwise. Bonded with epoxy, the exterior and interior casing make a formidable pair. The internal metal also makes the design more lightweight than might be expected, so much so that Mazzuoli compares the feel these designs to that of wearing a watch with an aluminum case.

Aside from their star material, the Carrara watches boast a Swiss movement and Italian craftsmanship. The automatic model utilizes a Swiss ETA 2824-2 automatic mechanical movement, and the dual-register chronograph does just as well with a Swiss La Joux-Perret caliber LJP 7771 automatic chronograph movement. Both designs feature a three-hand movement with lume and a red second hand. The hands move across a fade-proof dial made of sunray polished ceramic. The face comes in white, blue, or gunmetal gray and is studded with raised indices. All of these details are protected beneath a domed and anti-reflective-coated sapphire crystal. On the flipside, the caseback is secured with stainless steel. The edge of the case includes three pushers, with the crown positioned at three o’clock and wrapped with a white ring of rubber. Completing the simple yet striking look, there is a Tuscan calf leather strap with metal screws and folding deployant clasps. The straps come in blue or black and are affixed without lugs, one of Mazzuoli’s signatures.

The handsome watches are intended for gentle everyday wear or occasional use and near-constant display. Find the Carrara ($4,900) and Carrara Chronograph ($7,900) in select watch stores around the world.

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