WATCH & JEWELRY /
SIHH＆BASEL
March 30, 2015
N.O.A | Italian Flair Meets Swiss Watchmaking: A New Kind of Luxury Watch
N.O.A | NOAH
Italian Flair Meets Swiss Watchmaking Expertise
A New Breed of Luxury Watch
You already own traditional dress watches and sleek, modern sports models. But where can you find a timepiece with a truly novel design that immediately strikes you as "new"? For those who have grown weary of existing luxury watches, we highly recommend "N.O.A (Noah)," born in 2003. It's an original watch that, while simple, reveals its charm the more you look at it.
Reporting and text by Yasuhito Shibuya
A Rising Star Brand Founded by the Inventor of the 3D Index
In recent years, the "3D index" has become a standard in watch design. While the technique of embedding three-dimensional parts into a dial, rather than simply printing indices, has existed for some time, the 3D index achieves a striking face by designing not only the dial itself but also the index components to create visual impact and depth.
N.O.A is a nascent brand founded in 2003 by Nicola Andreatta, born in 1973, who invented this 3D index (patented in the USA in 2006). He is of Italian and Swiss heritage, grew up surrounded by watches due to his family's watch parts manufacturing business, and has also worked as a consultant for watch brands. The brand name is an abbreviation of "None Of the Above."
Impactful Yet Elegant Designs
The iconic model of N.O.A is the "16.75 Collection." It is named after 1675, the year Dutch mathematician, physicist, and astronomer Christiaan Huygens invented the hairspring, a key technology in mechanical watches. The dial design, with indices rising from a bowl-shaped dial inspired by a parabolic antenna, is fundamentally simple, yet it displays a variety of expressions depending on the viewing angle.
In 2011, this series saw the release of the "16.75 Nishikigoi," specially created as a tribute to Japan, and the "16.75 Luna Roja," colored in red and black. Also noteworthy is the new "Mammoth Collection," the largest in the collection at a 48mm diameter black case automatic windingchronograph, with its novel and robust design.
This is the perfect choice for those seeking a cool designer watch, or for individuals who already own many timepieces and desire a new style of model.
16.75 Nishikigoi
A chic, Japan-exclusive model showcasing N.O.A's distinctive design flair.
This skillfully designed, simple watch features a grey dial with a deep central recess and grey 3D indices, achieving both a calm ambiance and high legibility. The yellow, blue, and red accents on the indices at 1, 2, and 3 o'clock, the model name, and the second hand provide exquisite highlights. The see-through case back, allowing a view of the automatic movement, is adorned with a black print of a Nishikigoi illustration, which Andreatta himself found deeply inspiring.
Automatic winding, 44mm diameter black PVD-coated stainless steel case, black calf and rubber strap, see-through back, 100m water resistance, world limited to 245 pieces, ¥199,500 (estimated price). Scheduled for release in August.
Europa Passion Omotesando
Tel. 03-6638-6633
http://www.europassion.co.jp/noa/noa.html