VO Vintage 2022, amidst Andrea Foffi’s wonders and the announcement of Luca Soprana’s and Mo Coppoletta’s newly-born Consorzio Bureau Creativo

The third edition of VO Vintage 2022, which was held from 9th to 11th September within the Vicenzaoro trade show, was a truly successful event across the board. Watches for sale on display, conferences, courses and, why not, various convivial moments also thanks to our initiatives: WATCHOUSE’s and WATCH INSANITY’s events included dinners, happy hours and deejay sets worthy of the not-so-distant Adriatic Riviera! – in partnership with the fair’s organization skillfully directed by Marco Carniello, the indefatigable “Dominus” of the Vicenza event, and their entire and quite talented team at IEG (Italian Exhibition Group).

ANDREA FOFFI, MAGISTER OF THE MOST LEGENDARY OMEGA SPEEDMASTERS

Among the exhibitors, Andrea Foffi, who has been one of the world’s top vintage watches dealers for years. 

He was making his debut at VO Vintage, and literally left us open-mouthed – a “wow” effect which was provoked for two reasons. The first, because he brought the legendary Speedmasters from his personal collection – assembled over twenty years of work and research on the iconic chronograph that reached the moon – and featured in his unmissable monographic book, written together with the highly qualified Paolo Gobbi with evocative photos by Fabio Santinelli, entitled Magister. Andrea Foffi Speedmaster Selection. A truly must-see selection that we recommend you see in the coming months as part of the travelling exhibition to be set up in all Omega boutiques across Italy.

The second reason is the original and unconventional choice of watches on sale in his showcases because, at last, an amazing variety of watches was on display, apart from the usual Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet (obviously exposed there, too). Some names are soon made: a few De Bethune, such as the bestseller DB25 (time only with linear indication of the power reserve), several Gerald Genta, a hypnotic LeCoultre Memovox Polaris II E870 with blue dial, some delightful Piaget watches among which the rare Black Tie Arty, and again, Movado, Zenith, and rare and very rare Longines. “I must admit,” says Andrea Foffi, “that VO Vintage surprised me too. My colleagues had spoken well of it, but in person, the salon-like setting, the friendly atmosphere, the absolute security for exhibitors and visitors, and the level of the conferences with highly prepared guests, won me over.”

BETWEEN VINTAGE AND CONTEMPORARY, THE INFORMATIVE TALKS WITH REMARKABLE INTERNATIONAL GUESTS

In this sense, among the guests of the talk hosted by our chief editor Michele Mengoli and by Bruno Bergamaschi, alias Giorgione, co-founder of WATCHOUSE, we would like to mention our friends Sandro Fratini (always present at VO Vintage and, as you well know, the world’s largest collector of top-of-the-range mechanical watches), Maurizio De Angelis (super dealer who, with his last two auctions in partnership with Antiquorum in Forte dei Marmi, set two new Italian records) and Stefano Mazzariol, historic top dealer with a popularizer’s soul, Daytona guru and, above all, guru of the Newman dial on which he also gave a special – and very popular – lecture. Equally packed were the courses held by Professor Ugo Pancani, trainer of the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie, with lessons on “watchmaking complications” and “vintage watches maintenance.”

While on the contemporary watchmaking side, we assisted to a world premiere announcement of absolute importance. In fact, in the conference entitled “Watchmaking trends, between mechanical savoir faire and designers’ aesthetic taste,” cult designer Mo Coppoletta (who collaborated with Rolls-Royce, Turnbull & Asser, Maison Bonnet, Montblanc, Harry’s Bar and, above all, with Bulgari and Chronopassion for the wonderful Octo Finissimo Tattoo Aria) and the great master watchmaker Luca Soprana (winner of several Grand Prix in Geneva), as well as sharing their vision of the world of high-end watchmaking, officialized the birth of Consorzio Bureau Creativo. 

Mo Coppoletta himself told us what it’s all about: “After having already worked together on various projects in the watchmaking industry, and after a gestation of a few years, we have decided to bring together our technical and creative skills within this new consulting reality, which has just started and already has half a dozen high-end watchmaking clients – including a big player in the sector – and which will range from the idea of a brand or product to the most refined mechanics, to marketing and communication with strong storytelling.”

Luca Soprana explains why they decided to make the partnership official in Vicenza: “Mo has been living in London for twenty years, I’ve been living in Neuchâtel for the same period, but we are both proudly Italian: he’s from Verona and I’m from Vicenza. Italy is the land of creativity and of our origins, so the location of Vicenzaoro seemed perfect to us to make the birth of our very Italian Consorzio Bureau Creativo official.”

It is certain that from such a partnership we will see some really good things coming! By the way, all the talks we have mentioned will soon be available on the institutional site of Vicenzaoro – VO Vintage, while the next appointment of VO Vintage in Vicenza is set from the 20th to the 22nd of next January. See you there in 2023!

By Michele Mengoli