Meccaniche Veneziane
Today’s video is an unboxing and first look at the Meccaniche Veneziane Nereide Ardesia — one of the earliest watches from this Venice-based microbrand, born out of a Kickstarter campaign by two brothers, Alessandro and his brother, just over a year before this review.
This is presentation done right. Inside the outer cardboard is a solid wooden box that smells genuinely nice and is clearly handmade in Italy. Inside that: a personal thank-you card signed by the founders, a printed note about the old clock that inspired the brand, and a signed warranty certificate. The watch itself sits in foam under a clear protector, with an extra silicone strap included alongside the leather one it ships on. For a brand this young, it’s a remarkably thoughtful package.
The Nereide Ardesia is a 42mm stainless steel diver with a domed sapphire crystal carrying anti-reflective coating — and a subtle blue hue that catches the light beautifully at an angle. The case finishing in brushed steel is excellent, and the crown carries the brand logo with a matching blue accent that ties the whole package together.
The dial itself is matte black — “Ardesia” is Italian for slate — with a clean, uncrowded layout: applied markers, a date window at 3 o’clock, the brand logo, and “Swiss Made, Automatic” printed at the bottom. The bezel is aluminum with an enamel insert, 120 clicks, and a simple numbering scheme (15, 30, 45) with a red marker at 12 — a small detail that makes the bezel easy to read at a glance.
Flip it over and you get an exhibition caseback showing the Cal. MV135 — a Swiss-made automatic based on the Sellita SW200, running at 21,600 bph with 21 jewels and a 40-hour power reserve. It’s one of the brand’s more accessible movement grades rather than their most heavily decorated, but there’s still visible finishing on the rotor and bridges that you don’t typically see at this price.
At 200m water resistance with a screw-down crown, this is a genuine tool diver, not just a diver-styled dress watch. On the wrist it wears comfortably for a 42mm case, though the included leather strap runs on the shorter side — if you have a larger wrist, you may find yourself on the last hole. The silicone strap that’s included is genuinely nice too — soft, well-made, and a good option for a sportier look when you want a change from the leather.
At around $700 (and reportedly less during the original Kickstarter campaign), the Nereide Ardesia punches well above its price. Swiss automatic movement, sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance, two quality straps, and presentation that rivals watches costing two or three times as much — Meccaniche Veneziane set a high bar with one of their first releases, and it still holds up.
Verdict
For a brand that was barely a year old when this watch arrived, Meccaniche Veneziane nailed the brief. The Nereide Ardesia is a genuinely Swiss-made automatic diver — Sellita-based movement, sapphire crystal, 200m water resistance, screw-down crown — wrapped in a presentation that feels far more expensive than its price tag. The matte black dial is restrained and well-balanced, the blue hue on the crystal and crown is a lovely touch, and the unboxing experience with the wooden box and personal note from the founders adds a sense of craft you don't get from bigger brands. The only real gripe is a leather strap that runs on the short side — an easy fix with the included silicone strap or an aftermarket option. At around $700, this is one of the more convincing microbrand divers I've handled.
Reviewed by
Five Minute Watch Reviews
Independent watch reviewer covering affordable mechanical watches. Every watch covered has been worn personally — purchased, gifted, or borrowed and disclosed. Review scores reflect genuine hands-on experience only. See our editorial policy.
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