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Vincero conquers Kickstarter with timepieces using Italian marble

Vincero stands out with the use of Italian marble for the dial.

Vincero stands out with the use of Italian marble for the dial.

When a Kickstarter project is fully founded in less then six hours, it makes us curios to find out more about the people behind. Vincero, which mens “I will conquer” in Italian, is a new watch brand inspired by the art of the Roman Empire, offering watches that use Carrara marble for their dial. It is not the first time I hear about Carrara marble being used in watchmaking, Giuliano Mazzuoli’s Carrara and Carrara Chronograph cases are also sculpted from the same marble.

I’m not surprised by the fact that watchmakers take notice of this noble stone that was used by the greatest masters of Antiquity and the Renaissance. The people behind Vincero tap into the rich history of the marble to propose three models with marble dial: Carrara with white marble, Nero with black marble and Rosso with, you guessed it, red marble.

Vincero Nero with leather strap

The Roman numerals  make a direct reference to the source of inspiration for the Vincero collection.  Vincero Nero with leather strap

The story doesn’t stop at the marble, in their choice of components Vincero prove that they care about quality: anti-reflective sapphire on the front and back, Swiss SuperLuminova on the hands, Miyota 90S5 automatic and the option to choose between Italian leather strap or stainless steel bracelet with marble inserts.

Vincero watches come in a wooden box with marble accents.

Vincero watches come in a wooden box with marble accents.

Before you go, I asked Sean Agatep, one of the founders, to answer a few questions about Vincero:

WP: Who are the people behind Vincero? Please tell me how you guys met and who is bringing what to the business?

Sean Agatep: Vincero is operated by a group of entrepreneurs who have history in product development. We’ve made phone & tablet cases, promotional items, clothing, the list goes on. Then we started marking watches. Watches were the one product that we enjoyed the most and developed a real passion for.

Our team actually met in college and started our entrepreneurial dream right after graduation. Like any team, our strengths and weaknesses tend to complement each other to keep the operation running smoothly.

Where the idea of using Italian marble as a material came from?

We were tossing around ideas to answer the question — what just screams class & luxury? How do you know when you’re on that next level? Marble was something that kept coming up, so then we dug deeper to try to really understand why that was, and we kept relating back to the Roman Empire & then famous statues, sculptures, landmarks, etc.

How is marble as a material to work with?

Well, its not easy. Not every piece of marble has the ideal pattern or texture, so we’re really picky with the marble we use. Don’t get me wrong, its a lot of fun. Especially from a design standpoint. There are so many unique types of marble out there. Colours, textures, origins are all so dynamic that it helps fuel the creative process. It was really hard to decide on these three watch designs as our first three.

Now that you reached your target on Kickstarter, what’s next for Vincero?

Man, that’s tough to say. It’s exciting to see we’ve seen this strong of a response so early. Definitely validates our mission. We’re pumped to be able to get started & get these watches into market and then continuing to develop different unique watches. New styles, different product lines, collaborations are all things that I’m looking forward to once we get the ball rolling.

Will you develop new models? How about a ladies model?

That’s definitely the plan. These first three designs are just the tip of the iceberg. I can say for sure there will be at least one new model coming in the near future. There’s a lot we want to bring to the masses, all depends on the demand. The opportunity of being able to bounce new ideas off our current supporters is exciting.

Thanks a lot and let me wish you the best of luck with Vincero!

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With 28 days to go, Vincero raised $115,000, thanks to 284 backers. You can still benefit from an early bird price or a special combo of several models. For more details, head over to the Vincero Kickstarter page.

As a graphic designer, I'm fascinated by the crossroads between technology and aesthetics. Horology is one of these crafts, where art and engineering come together to produce mechanical wonders that grace the eye. WatchPaper was born from the desire to create an online tool where I can share my passion for watches.