Hands-On Review With the Venezianico Nereide Avventurina

You’ve probably noticed it too but it feels as if 2024 has seen more aventurine used in watchmaking than usual. Interestingly, it’s believed that aventurine glass was first discovered during the 17th century in Murano, Venice. The shimmering material gets its trademark sparkle from the presence of mineral inclusions, or chrome-bearing fuchsite, which is often mica (green) or hematite (with a reddish-brown hue).

Aventurine can form naturally when these mineral inclusions become suspended within molten quartz during crystallisation. In other cases, aventurine is created intentionally by introducing small flakes or other reflective minerals into molten quartz. In both instances, it leaves the stone with a fascinating sparkle and one that quite clearly, and romantically, resembles a star-studded sky.

Over the last few years, there’s been an increasing number of watchmakers utilising this sparkly glass, typically placing it onto the dials of watches. I’m sure we can all call to mind a few popular examples of an aventurine dial watch and there’s likely to be a crossroads at which we arrive at the same conclusion. For instance, we’re all familiar with the Christopher Ward C1 Moonphase which has proven to be so popular that a reworked 37mm version was released just weeks ago. Then there’s the Omega Speedmaster Blue Side of the Moon and the infamous H. Moser & Cie. Endeavour Perpetual Moon if you’re looking for higher-end examples.

If it makes sense for any watch brand to jump on the sparkly bandwagon though, it’s Venezianico. It’s unlikely that the brand’s name will have left you in any way uncertain but Venezianico are an Italian watch brand based out of the historic city of Venice. Known for their distinctive designs inspired by the materials that have shaped Venice over the centuries, the Venezianico catalogue features unique odes to Venice like the Historia Temporis inspired by an ancient coin commissioned in the 17 ^th century, the Bellanotte which represents a traditional Venetian celebration of the same name and even a watch celebrating the 700 ^th anniversary of Marco Polo.

Their Nereide collection is comprised of mechanical diver’s style watches with entry-level pricing and handsome designs to boot. In this review we’ll take a look at the Venezianico Nereide Avventurina (ref. 4521550), which is just one of a handful of references by the Venetian watchmaker to feature that distinctive sparkly glass I’ve been banging on about…

Despite the aventurine glass doing such a good job speaking for itself, let’s begin by getting up close with the night sky dial. With the glass processing technique having been invented in Venice, it’s an obvious choice for Venezianico to use the material in their watches. Characterised by needle-like metal micro-inclusions which produce a multitude of glittering reflections, the very first examples of aventurine were made by complete accident when Venetian glassmakers poured copper fragments into glass paste.

Evoking the mysterious sense of the darkness of our stark universe, the Nereide Avventurina dial is composed of tiny fragments of light which stand out against the deep blue aventurine. Presented with a date window found at 3 o’clock, applied hour markers and BGW9 Super LumiNova on the hands and hour markers as well as the 60 minute marker on the bezel, the overall effect is clean and legible. Sprucing up what would otherwise be one of many sub £1k dive watches, the aventurine dial injects a vital sense of personality with an authentic Italian origin story to match. Completed by a delicate rehaut design and a sunray texture, the dial is at once complex and timelessly simple.

Moving on to the case now… Crafted from polished and brushed 316L stainless steel with a 42mm diameter and 49mm lug-to-lug width, the Nereide Avventurina will wear nicely on most wrists thanks to the curved caseback which ensures that, despite its 12mm thickness, it won’t wear too tall. This is partly thanks to its curved, shorter lugs, which hug the wrist and help the watch to sit flush on the wrist.

On the inside we have the Swiss Made Sellita caliber SW200-1 automatic movement which offers a 41-hour power reserve with hours, minutes, central seconds and date complication. The closed caseback features a laser-etched motif of a submarine which pairs nicely with the respectable 200m water-resistance.

Aside from its water-resistant capabilities, the Nereide Avventurina also offers extreme resistance to knocks and shocks due to the use of tungsten. Rarely seen in watchmaking, tungsten is an extremely heavy, grey metal which has been used as the insert material for the unidirectional rotating bezel in all Nereide models. Coupled with the robust sapphire crystal that shrouds the dial, the Nereide Avventurina offers an impressive level of endurance and is very much a ‘Go Anywhere Do Anything’ watch. 

The Nereide Avventurina is offered on a handsome rubber strap which is colour-matched to the dial and has been made in Italy. The curved ends ensure a good fit and make for a sophisticated but rugged option. If smarter metal is more your thing, the Canova bracelet can be added for +€85.

Overall, the Venezianico Nereide Avventurina is a great value proposition and a brilliant entry-level dive watch for those looking to get their collection off the ground without parting with too much hard earned-cash. The aventurine is a nice stand-out feature amongst the other Nereide models in the line-up and with authentic ties to Venetian materials and history, the Nereide Avventurina is bound to make for a good conversation piece too.

• BRAND: Venezianico
• REFERENCE: 4521550
• CASE MATERIAL: 316L Stainless Steel
• DIAL: Aventurine
• DIMENSIONS: Ø42 mm, lug to lug 49.00 mm
• MOVEMENT: Automatic Cal. Sellita SW200-1 Swiss Made
• CRYSTAL: Sapphire Glass with anti-reflective coating
• LUMINOUS MATERIAL: BGW9 Super-LumiNova®
• BEZEL: Tungsten insert, 120 clicks
• WR: 20ATM (= 200 metres)
• STRAP: Rubber band made in Italy