Italy is well known for incredible works of art. Whether it’s statues, paintings, or even sports cars, Italy has a lot to offer. But does it manufacture watches? Well, in this article I’ll be looking at watches made in Italy.
Do Any Brands Sell Italian Made Watches? (The Short Answer)
After lots of research on Italian watch brands, I found 3 companies that offer Italian made watches. They are U-Boat, Anonimo Watches, and Locman.
Italian Watches, Made in Italy (Here’s What I Found)
Now that we know which companies manufacture watches in Italy, let’s take a closer look at the businesses behind the brands.
U-Boat
Unfortunately, at the time of writing this article, U-Boat’s official website seemed to be having some technical difficulties. Hopefully, by the time you are reading this, the website will be back up and running. So the information for this entry comes primarily from a handful of trustworthy third-party sources.
U-Boat was founded in the year 2000. By Italo Fontana in Tuscany, Italy. Its watches were originally inspired by drawings that Italo’s grandfather had made during the war. Fast forward to today and it is a luxury watch manufacturer that is known far and wide.
As mentioned above, I wasn’t able to access the company’s official website at the time of writing this article. However, I was able to see snippets of text from the website thanks to Google. According to one of the snippets, U-Boat watches are made in Tuscany.
Here’s a link to the company’s official website, hopefully by the time you are reading this it will be back online again.
Anonimo Watches
Anonimo Watches was founded in 1997. It is a high-end luxury watch manufacturer based in Italy. It’s worth noting, like many other watch companies out there, it does source some of its components from Switzerland.
The company’s manufacturing facility is located in Florence, Italy. This is where all of its watches are assembled and tested. As for its Swiss components, Anonimo Watches gets its Swiss movements from ETA SA and Sellita.
Anonimo Watches are very popular with avid watch collectors. The design quality is incredible and the company’s rich history helps it to continually grow and produce some of the most sought-after watches on the Italian market. For more information about the company check this out.
For those wanting to take a look at what Anonimo Watches has to offer, take a look at its collections below.
Locman
Locman was founded by Montovani in 1996. The company was founded on the island where Mantovani lived. Fast forward to today and the company still manufactures its products on the Italian island of Elba.
Everything from the design and testing to the company’s manufacturing is carried out on the island of Elba. It is a very proud Italian manufacturer with no intention of moving production overseas any time soon.
The company offers high-quality luxury watches that are made in Italy that rival Swiss-made watches quality while also being cheaper than most Swiss-made watches. Here are a few of its watches for those wanting to take a look for themselves.
Watches that Are Commonly Mistaken as Being Made in Italy
As I was doing the research for this article, I came across several companies that people seem to confuse as being Italian manufacturers. It’s worth noting that most of the misinformation isn’t from the companies themselves but from third-party sources. Here’s what I found.
Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo is an Italian fashion company that manufactures everything from clothing and footwear to accessories. This includes watches. While its watches are stunning, they aren’t actually manufactured in Italy.
I encountered a couple of third-party articles claiming that the company makes its watches in Italy. While Salvatore Ferragamo does manufacture a lot of its products in Italy, its watches are made in Switzerland.
If you still want to check out what Salvatore Ferragamo offers, here’s a link to its watch product page. Just keep in mind that they are not Italian-made.
Gucci
Gucci is probably the most well-known brand in this article. It is a brand worn by singers, actors, and almost everyone in the public eye. Known for its high-quality production, Gucci is a giant in the fashion industry.
With it being such a large brand it will come as no surprise to learn that it conducts its manufacturing in various countries all over the world. As for its watches, they are manufactured in Switzerland. The company has been manufacturing all of its timepieces in Switzerland since 1972.
I believe that people seem to be confusing the fact that it’s an Italian company with it being an Italian manufacturer. While it does conduct some of its manufacturing in Italy, its watches have never been made there.
Bvlgari Watches
Bvlgari Watches is another brand that is based in Italy but manufactures its products in Switzerland. I found a handful of articles stating that Bvlgari Watches conducts all of its manufacturing in Italy, this simply isn’t the case.
The company doesn’t shy away from where it produces its watches. In fact, it very clearly states on Bvlgari Watches’ website that its watches are made in Switzerland. I could find no evidence regarding the company making any of its watches in Italy. It looks like it’s another case of people mistaking a company’s headquarters as its manufacturing location.
Panerai Watches
Panerai Watches was founded in Italy, but like most Italian watch companies, its manufacturing is actually carried out at a facility in Switzerland. Its manufacturing facility is located in the town of Neuchatel, and from what I understand, this is where all of its manufacturing is carried out.
Lorenz
Lorenz is a luxury watch manufacturer that was founded in Milano in 1934. The company’s headquarters are located in Milan but as is often the case with luxury watches, its manufacturing is carried out at a facility in Switzerland.
Like the entries above, people are confusing a company’s headquarters with its manufacturing location. I could find no concrete proof of the company conducting any of its watch manufacturing in Italy. It even has the phrase Swiss-made on the company’s official homepage.