Venezianico has never been a brand to shy away from the experimental. After deep dives into Ti-Damascus and coral, the Venetian watchmaker is turning its gaze toward the hypnotic shimmer of lab-grown gemstones. Its latest drop, the Nereide Opale, is a striking 500-piece limited edition that reimagines the rugged dive watch as a piece of psychedelic wrist art.
The star of the show is the dial, crafted from lab-grown opal produced by the material masters at Kyocera in Japan. Composed of 80% silica and 20% resin for structural stability, this material captures the “frozen fire” of natural opal while offering the durability required for a tool watch. Because the material is sliced from a large block, no two dials are identical; each one presents a unique, iridescent light show that mimics the glitter of sun-drenched snow.
But don’t let the jewelry-grade aesthetic fool you—this is still a Nereide at heart. The 42mm stainless steel case boasts 200m water resistance and features a unidirectional bezel with a tungsten insert. Boasting a 9/10 on the Mohs hardness scale, the bezel is virtually scratch-proof and provides a dark, moody contrast to the shimmering dial.
Inside beats the reliable Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, visible through an exhibition caseback and decorated with a custom radial rotor. Dropping on December 24th for $1,395, it’s the perfect excuse to break your “no more watches” resolution before the year even ends.
For more horology news, see the Le Régulateur Louis Erard x Worn & Wound.
