Hands-on: Venezianico Redentore Riserva Di Carica

Hello my fellow watch enthusiasts and welcome back to Trapped In Time Watches.
Today we are taking a look at a timepiece from the Italian brand Venezianico.
Venezianico (Formerly known under the name Meccaniche Veneziane) is an Italian based company which was founded in 2017. A watch brand that has built a very individual and recognizable design language based on the rich architectural heritage from one of Europe’s oldest cities; Venice.

The watch we will be discussing today is the Redentore Riserva Di Carica, one of their flagship pieces, taking intricate design and watch complication to a whole new level at this price point.
For you non-Italians reading this (including myself)… Riserva Di Carica  means Power Reserve. An appropriate name as this is one of the most striking characteristics of this timepiece. Furthermore the Redentore’s design was inspired by the architecture of Palladio’s Basilica del Redentore (Basilica of the redeemer).

Before diving into the watche’s detail, I wanted to share my customer support from the service team at Venezianico. I came across the brand on multiple watch communities that I follow on facebook, instagram and online fora. And to be fair, it wasn’t the watches that lured in to check them out. It was the passion and pride for their brand, their country and heritage that  got me interested in finding out more about this company from Venice.

A rather broad line-up of both sporty and dressy watches, all with a lot of special features (un-ordinary calibers, high tech skeleton pieces and bold color combinations) makes sure that any watch enthusiast can find a watch that will suit their taste.
Combine all of this with two passionate owners (Alberto and Alessandro Morelli), who are very closely involved with the Venezianico community… It’s no wonder that the brand name enjoys a lot of respect within the world of horology.

Let’s talk numbers. 

With a diameter of 40mm and a total height of 14mm, the 316L stainless steel case of this Redentore might look rather big at first sight.
The substantial distance between the dial and domed sapphire crystal makes this timepiece rather thick.
However, thanks to a well developed case shape, reasonable diameter and short lug-to-lug distance of 48mm, the Redentore should be a ‘wrist friendly’ watch for most wrist types.

OK… but how does it look?

Well, I can tell you that Venezianico did an excellent job with the style and overall finishing, featuring satin brushing, alternated with high polished lugs and complementary bezel.

All edges of the case are well machined and feel/look sharp, which adds to the luxury feel of this timepiece.

I like how the addition of crown guards makes up for a hybrid of both dress and sports watch.
When taking a look at the side profile of the Redentore, you’ll find a signed, coin edged crown featuring the brand’s logo, the Venetian Cross.

Even though the crown has a push-pull mechanism, the water resistance is still an adequate 100m.
This water resistance is also ensured by the 6 screws which keep caseback firmly in place. 

Talking about that caseback, it’s a shame that you only get a glimpse of this art piece when you take off the watch. Showcasing the ‘Basilica del Redentore’ with an extraordinary amount of detail. 

Let’s flip this thing around again and take a look at the ‘main event’, the Redentore’s dial.
I chose the beautiful sunburst blue variant, but it’s also available in a lot of other evenly attractive colorways.
The Redentore’s watch face is defined by its contrasting sunburst, high polished indices and razor sharp sword style hands combined with a full date wheel at the six ‘o’clock position.

And if that’s not enough, you also get an integrated power reserve indicator, located at the first quarter of the watch dial. 

It’s a serious eyecatcher with all of these features packed into the dial, but thanks to a clever configuration/implementation, the Redentore has a very well balanced look and feel. Kudos to the design team for that!

In order to facilitate all of the above mentioned features, the Redentore Riserva Di Carica houses Seiko’s premium NE57 caliber. With its center hand power reserve indicator (41 Hours), multi-eye date complication with quick date correction, 29 jewels, hand hacking and winding capabilities  this is a real powerhouse beating at 21.600 vibrations per hour. The spec sheet promises an accuracy between -20 to +40 seconds per day, which is acceptable at this price point in my honest opinion. I got to get a reading on my timepiece through a friend who has a time grapher and mine came in at -11 seconds a day with a healthy amplitude and beat error. 

So, on paper this is a more than decent watch, but maybe even more importantly, how does it wear?  Well I can tell you that this is one of the better fitting watches that I have in my collection.
Again, Venezianico did a great job with the case shape and even though it’s a rather thick piece, the Redentore doesn’t feel top heavy at all. 

One thing that also contributes to a convenient wearing experience, is Venezianico’s registered ‘Canova’ bracelet. Manufactured out of sixteen different molds, the Canova features brushed links, with high polished center links (following the same grade in finishing seen on the case) made out of solid 316L stainless steel. The bracelet tapers down from 20mm to 16mm at the clasp, which is a (solid, integrated AND signed) butterfly clasp.
For me, this fitted perfectly once sized up for my 17 cm wrist but I can imagine that this might be somewhat a hit and miss story as this style of clasp doesn’t allow for any micro-adjustments.

Venezianico also offers several genuine Italian leather strap options.

My personal verdict:

This Redentore Riserva di Carica has checked a lot more boxes than I originally expected, offering a sporty alternative if you are searching for a qualitative timepiece that can be worn on both formal and casual occasions.

Add an intricate design, premium caliber complication and multiple color schemes to the mix and you have a great discussion piece which can appeal to all kinds of watch enthusiasts. 

Feel free to check out the Venezianico website as they have some awesome promotions going on!

Michael From Trapped In Time Watches