Paradisi, the quality micro-brand’s romantic side

Let’s start from an assumption that watchmaking enthusiasts too often forget. Italy is one of the world’s big players in the manufacturing sector, playing on a par with Germany – just to name one top international competitor. It is a world leader in several of these sectors. Then, the country has unique competences in quality craftsmanship, for an uninterrupted history of savoir-faire that goes all the way back to the ancient communal trades of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, all the way to precision micro-mechanics, another segment of absolute excellence. Not to mention Italian watchmaking, which is historically an integral part of the Swiss industry because many components of a high-end Swiss watch – from the case to the natural stones used on the dials, to the bracelets and straps, etc. – may have been produced by independent Italian suppliers.

The premise on this unique background serves to explain how Paradisi, the brand we are presenting today, succeeds in making cutting-edge handcrafted sports watches, selling them all over the world from a workshop in Pineto, a pleasant seaside village overlooking the Adriatic Sea of Abruzzo in the province of Teramo!

THE CHOPPY SEA OF HIGH-END MICRO-BRANDS

First of all, what do we mean by high-end micro-brands? They are rather recent brands, not particularly structured in terms of locations and human resources, which produce a few dozen to a few thousand pieces annually. And the price list? They start from 500 up to 5 thousand euros. And up to this point, thousands of small companies scattered all over the world fall into this category.

The difference lies in the term ‘high-end’, which identifies the very few companies capable of producing pieces with original technical-aesthetic contents built ad hoc for them (cases, glasses, dials, bracelets, etc.) or perhaps even made in house (thanks to workshops with numerical control machines and equipment made specifically for the production and testing of their timepieces). And companies producing mechanical movements of a certain prestige, like, for example, the Calibre G100 by La Joux-Perret.

Here, the category narrows down to only a very few. We’ll take our chances: our favourites are the highly original ‘sport-chic’ models of the Swiss-Malaysian Ming, that is its current entry level and most of its previous production with calibres created (or modified) by Schwarz-Etienne; the revisited Furlan Marri classic (the founders are the Italo-Swiss Andrea Furlan and the Saudi Arabian Hamad Al Marri), with its sublime sector dials, Breguet-style indexes and cow-horn lugs, or the very latest Disco Volante; and, of course, the super-water-resistant sports watches of 34-year-old Riccardo Paradisi, with the RP01 water-resistant to over 3.000 metres that can also be used in saturation diving without the helium valve; and the RP02, a 1,800 metre water-resistant sports watch with three case variants: grade 23 titanium, 904L steel and Ampco 18 bronze; with packaging always consisting of a simply stunning aluminium ingot!

INTERVIEW WITH RICCARDO PARADISI

What is your personal story and the reason for the birth of the brand?

As a child, just like now, I was attracted to the world of sports cars and everything mechanical. I approached the watchmaking world at the age of 23, and while I was buying my first watches I started to study all the cases’ patents – design, construction techniques, water resistance, etc. – from the 1960s to the present day. When I was 24, I designed and produced a titanium component for mounting different types of straps on the Citizen Promaster. From there I made components for titanium and steel watch cases, to start imagining what my own watch could look like. In short, the reason is my irrepressible desire to see my ideas come alive!

What difficulties do you deal with when building an artisanal brand?

The work behind the making of a watch is immense, and the difficulties I encountered are many. I didn’t like the idea of being tied down only to watchmaking suppliers. So I started with a blank sheet of paper, and to make each component I got in touch with those who could produce them and had the technology to do so. It was a long and articulated process, but with patience I managed to establish relationships with companies all over Italy so that I have no design or project limits. The first RP01 prototype was created in 2019, with a one-piece 904L stainless steel case on which I personally performed several tests with a machine I designed to perform tests up to 3,500 metres below sea level.

What does your supply chain look like and what characterises it?

All of my suppliers are excellences in their respective fields and have very high levels of specialisation. In all cases, they are medium and small companies with whom I can communicate quickly and directly. Most of them are from outside the watchmaking world. For example, the people who make my sapphire crystals also make microscope lenses.

What do you consider to be the strengths of your brand?

Paradisi is a young brand, but continuous innovation is – and always will be – a hallmark of my watches.

What are the special features of the RP01, your first model in the collection?

The RP01 was born with the ambition of making a diver that was resistant to over 3,000 metres below sea level and could also be used in saturation diving, i.e. in a diving bell, without the aid of the helium ejection valve! This exceptional result was achieved thanks to meticulous case design. The RP01 was produced in 30 pieces and is currently sold out.

Tell us about your second model, the RP02…

The RP02 was introduced to the public last September at Vicenzaoro. To make this model, I chose alloys such as grade 23 titanium and Ampco 18 bronze, as well as 904L steel, which is also used on the RP01. I chose these alloys because they have truly unique performances in terms of corrosion resistance and biocompatibility. Just as unique, in terms of difficulty, are their machining parameters, but the experience gained from the previous model certainly helped us. Water resistance for the RP02 is 1,800 metres, while the movement is the Cal. G100 by La Joux-Perret with a power reserve of 68 hours. I chose this excellent movement because it is highly customisable to the customer’s taste and requirements. In any case, the RP02 is constantly evolving!

Which sales channels do you use?

Sales are currently mainly online from our website, but we are trying to create a small re-sellers network both at home and abroad. The price of the new RP02 starts at 2,850 euro and it is produced in 50 pieces for each metal variant: grade 23 titanium, 904L steel and Ampco 18 bronze.’

Where do you see the Paradisi brand in five years’ time, and how will you develop future collections?

In five years’ time I’ll be pleased if even only 10 per cent of the ideas in my head will have come true! I enjoy designing watches, and I think it is important to stay true to yourself by experimenting with new ideas. Just as I think you must always have respect for your customers. We are working on several projects, but I can’t reveal much at the moment. Certainly these are initiatives that will make people talk about Paradisi!

By Michele Mengoli