Gagà Milano gets groovin’ again with the Crystal and other important news!

Let’s start with two facts that really matter. The first one is related to the novelty that we are unveiling you today as an absolute premiere, and that we will continue to discuss at Vicenzaoro (Saturday 21, from 4 p.m.). And here it is: come and see the Crystal live in Vicenza, because its aesthetic peculiarities – transparencies, different facets and reflections – are surprising; just think of the lightness of the K9 case.

The second fact, on the other hand, is related to a remarkable continuous performance, which probably not all of our readers are familiar with: Gagà Milano, founded by the grandiose Ruben Tomella in 2004, represents the greatest commercial success in the world by an independent Italian high-end brand in the last fifteen years. With an exploit that has also become a real cultural phenomenon in Japan. Let me tell you a personal anecdote on this. My friend Alessandro Maestri is one of the greatest Italian baseball players ever, with a professional career of fifteen years on the mound and four World Baseball Classic – the World Championship – with the Azzurri (the national team). In 2012 he was the first Italian to play in the Japanese league, where baseball is the national sport, and when he first walked into the locker room at the Osaka Dome – the wonderful stadium home to his new team, the Orix Buffaloes – all his teammates had a Gagà on their wrists. Everyone!

That said, this is the first time we’re writing about Gagà Milano on WATCH INSANITY, so before we get into the specifics of the new model (and other news we’ll anticipate in a moment), it’s worth giving a brief overview of the brand and its varied collection. For Ruben Tomella, watchmaking is not just a huge passion, it is a destiny, because at the age of 14 he was already working in his father’s watch strap manufacturing company in Crema. But that was not enough for him, he wanted to be the master of his own growth. So in 2000 he opened his first jewelry store, offering a vast array of brands. But something was still missing. Ruben wanted to bring his own concrete contribution to his personal passion for hands: founding his own brand was just a natural consequence. Thus in 2004, as mentioned, the brand inspired by the “Gagà de Milan” (gaga about Milan) philosophy was born.

A concept – coming from the typical expression in Milanese dialect characterizing the Economic Boom years – that defines the refined man, always ahead of others in style, quality of life, and manners. An example of elegance in everything he does, with a maniacal attention to every detail, and a touch of irony and eccentricity. Which, for those lucky enough to know him, is actually what Ruben himself represents. But aside from the spot-on name, in its own way the disruptive aesthetic of his first model, the Manual 48mm, is both ingenious and simple.

Tomella has in fact selected the main elements of an antique pocket watch (extra-large dimensions and winding crown at 12 o’clock) and reinterpreted them to his taste – the “Gagà de Milan” taste – in his first and very successful wristwatch. Hence the decision to equip the entire collection with cases of varying diameters, using oversized lugs and Arabic numerals, often very colorful, on the dial. And the identity-defining crown at 12 o’clock.

The rest is history, with flagship boutiques all around the world; special editions with Warner Bros. (the “Batman” and the “Wonder Woman”), Hello Kitty, the Inter Milan football team; sponsorship of the Aprilia Racing Team at Moto GP; and the super-special endorsement of Neymar Jr.. In addition to the Gagà Manufacture in Switzerland bringing the mechanics to a next level, and an identity-rich collection that ranges across the board from the historic and iconic 48mm Manual in steel (listed at 1,690 euros), to the striking hand-chiseled (from 3.800 euros to 23 thousand euros), to the Quirky Tourbillon (120 thousand euros and 140 for the all-diamond one), without forgetting the women’s line (Lady) or the various themed interpretations, such as the shaped case (Napoleon), the one with traditional lugs (the Classic), the Skeleton, and so on.

Now, coming to our article’s focus: 2023 is an extremely important year for Ruben Tomella and its internationally minded brand. First, because it is the start of the journey that will culminate in 2024 with the celebration of the 20 years of the company. And above all because a series of truly noteworthy novelties are to come. Which we will unveil together with Ruben Tomella at Vicenzaoro (January 20-24), in the special talk curated by Watch Insanity and hosted by Jacopo Giudici and myself.

The event, which will also be live-streamed on the Vicenzaoro channels and made available on the official website of the Vicenza event, will take place on Saturday 21 from 4:00 to 4:45 p.m. in Lounge 7.1. In addition to presenting the Crystal, Ruben Tomella will bring other important news and, most importantly, introduce a sensational “dream team” partnership that will have the entire watchmaking world talking.

Now let’s turn our attention to the new model you see in these photos.

The Crystal Ref. 8060 is an “only time” watch with central seconds with remarkable technical-aesthetic content – which, again, we strongly recommend you see in person because the transparency of the case, its facets and reflections are truly astonishing and deserve to be observed closely through a watchmaker’s magnifying glass.

The round case, as mentioned, with sinuous facets, is totally made of (very hard) K9 glass, as is the convex top glass with double curvature (we will discuss the K9 technical specs in detail in Vicenza), with a diameter of 46mm, which, due to the particular shape of the lugs, is extremely wearable on the wrist. With another pleasant surprise: its overall lightness.

The stylistic elements are Gagà’s usual, with patented crown also at 12 o’clock on the K9, with double safety o-ring, polished hands coated with blue Luminex and an “explosion” of Arabic numerals applied on the transparent dial over the skeletonized automatic movement: 28,800 vibrations per hour, precision in the range of -10 and +20 seconds per day, and 70 hours of power reserve. The skeletonized movement is also visible through the transparent case back, secured with 4 screws and a transparent nylon gasket. The strap is made of silicone to match the color of the case, which comes in five color versions: totally transparent, black, green, blue and aquamarine. While water resistance is set at 100 meters. Finally, the list price will be under 2 thousand euros (1,990 to be precise).

As mentioned, for more technical details about the Crystal we look forward to seeing you at our talk (in Vicenza or online) – as for more crazy news…

So, to all those among you who are “Gagà de Milan:” see you at Vicenzaoro!

By Michele Mengoli