If ‘70s fashion was a bit on the wild side, ‘70s watches were the opposite: think clean lines, flat dials and simple, unadorned straps that are unlike most watches today. This is the aesthetic of Italian watch manufacturer D1 Milano and there is an upside to the sleekness apart from looking good. The unisex designs are lightweight and versatile, and while chunky watches can look sexy on the wrist, slim ones do, too.
Headed by its 26-year-old CEO Dario Spallone, D1 Milano started out as a concept he came up with at the Bocconi University of Milan. It gained tremendous traction and in just a year, already had its headquarters set up in the Dubai Design District.
The brand has offices set up in Milan, Dubai and Hong Kong, and is available in over 500 sales points with a strong presence in monobrand stores such as Luisa Via Roma, La Rinascente, Selfridges, Harvey Nichols GCC, and Lane Crawford to name a few.
D1 Milano P701 Automatic with skeleton dial(left), D1 Milano Super Slim watch
Dario shares, “Someone who would wear D1 Milano is cool, who plays by the rules but has some unique detail that they like to look at that makes them stand out. We say people who wear our watches wear their attitudes. This is a watch that gives you social recognition even if it doesn’t cost $10,000. It’s not about the price. This is a watch that you can wear every day and don’t feel it but at the same time it makes you proud because it differentiates you, it shows that you care about details, about trends and about style.”
Available in the Philippines are the brand’s four collections: The Polycarbon, Ultra Thin, P701, and The Super Slim.
The Polycarbon collection is D1 Milano’s bestselling timepiece. The entry-level watch is a thin and lightweight 40mm quartz with a black Luminova finish on the hands. It comes with either a silicone strap or Polycarbon bracelet and will retail from P8,000 to P11,800.
The Super Slim collection features a stainless steel case of either a 36mm or 40mm case and comes with an interchangeable strap options, with retail prices starting at P11,500 to P13,800.
Roy Chua, Dawn Dacanay, Manuel Dacanay, Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino, D1 Milano regional sales director for Asia Pacific Martina Zonta, Dino Dacanay, and head of marketing, fashion and sport for Lucerne Group Judith Staples.
The Ultra Thin is a unisex collection in 38mm or 40mm with strikingly luxurious and elegant lines found on the case and hands of the watch. The retail price starts from P18,200 to P23,800.
The P701 collection brings together all the hallmarks of the D1 Milano brand to create the perfect everyday watch. The collection uses a 1.55mm stainless steel case with an automatic movement and paired with either a rubber strap or stainless steel bracelet. Available in a skeleton dial and a solid black dial, the P701 stands out from the crowd as a serious statement piece. The retail price starts at P34,200 up to P43,800.
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D1 Milano is available at Swissgear Greenbelt 1, Wristpod Uptown Mall, Robinsons Ermita, SM Megamall, Swissgear SM North, Shangri-La Mall, and SM North EDSA.