Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu: A New Monochromatic Blue Take on Lab-Grown Opal

Venezianico returns with a new limited edition of the Nereide featuring a unique lab-grown opal dial, revealing shifting shades of teal, azure and cobalt under changing light.

Introducing the Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu, a new limited edition that places lab-grown opal at the centre of the design. Following the response to the first Opale edition, the Italian brand returns with a new interpretation defined by an unprecedented monochromatic blue palette.

Depending on how the light interacts with the surface, the dial reveals shifting shades of teal, azure and cobalt, while each individual piece retains its own unrepeatable pattern.

Limited to 600 pieces, the Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is priced at €1,350.

Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu and Its Lab-Grown Opal Dial

The defining element of the Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is its lab-grown opal dial, produced in the laboratories of KYOCERA® in Japan through a proprietary process.

According to Venezianico, the material requires extended growth periods and extremely rigorous control during its formation. This process creates a surface with considerable optical depth, allowing the dial to display different colours and reflections as the light changes.

The material is composed of 80% silica (SiO₂) and 20% resin.

Because the production process is lengthy and the material is available only in limited quantities, Venezianico works with small batches, resulting in highly limited production runs.

A Dial Only 0.4mm Thick

Transforming the lab-grown opal into a finished watch dial is a particularly delicate process.

Each dial starts from a sheet of lab-grown opal measuring only 0.4mm thick. Despite the material’s exceptional hardness, its thin construction makes it extremely fragile and requires careful control throughout production.

Venezianico carries out the cutting, drilling and polishing processes in-house using dedicated tools. The indices are also applied by hand.

Every stage requires precision and experience, with the goal of preserving the delicate structure of the material while transforming it into a functional watch dial.

The result is a surface where every individual piece develops its own distinctive pattern.

A Monochromatic Blue Interpretation

For the Nereide Opale Blu, Venezianico moves away from the more varied colour palette of the previous edition and adopts a monochromatic blue aesthetic.

The dial can reveal shades ranging from teal and azure to deeper cobalt reflections, with its appearance changing according to the angle and intensity of the light.

This means the dial is constantly evolving visually, with different areas becoming more prominent depending on the conditions.

No two patterns are exactly alike, giving each Nereide Opale Blu its own individual character despite the watches sharing the same overall colour concept.

A Diver Case Designed Around the Opal

The lab-grown opal dial is housed inside the 42mm Nereide case, manufactured from 316L stainless steel.

The watch measures 49mm from lug to lug and has a total thickness of 12.5mm.

The clean lines and geometric construction of the Nereide’s diver-inspired case are deliberately restrained, allowing the opal dial to remain the visual focus.

This approach creates a contrast between the functional architecture of the diver and the highly expressive surface of the lab-grown opal.

Tungsten Insert

The Nereide Opale Blu features a tungsten insert with a polished, scratch-resistant surface.

The material has a hardness of 9/10 on the Mohs scale, providing a high level of resistance while adding another technical element to the watch’s construction.

The use of tungsten also reinforces the Nereide’s functional character, balancing the delicate nature of the opal dial with a highly resistant component.

Powered by the Sellita SW200-1

The story continues on the reverse side of the watch.

Inside the Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is the Swiss Made Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement.

The movement is fitted with Venezianico’s signature rhodium-plated rotor, which is crafted from a brass base before being skeletonised and engraved.

Its surface receives a radial Côtes de Genève decoration, while the outer sections feature soleil brushing. The rotor is then finished with rhodium plating, creating its distinctive silver-toned appearance.

The combination of these finishes provides an additional point of interest when viewing the movement through the caseback.

Dedicated Opale Blu Packaging

Venezianico also created dedicated packaging for the Nereide Opale Blu.

The watch comes in a box featuring an iridescent blue finish designed to echo the colours and depth of the lab-grown opal dial.

Its surface reacts to light with changing blue nuances, creating a visual connection between the packaging and the watch itself.

The packaging therefore continues the same material-inspired identity beyond the watch.

Limited to 600 Pieces

The Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is limited to 600 pieces, reflecting the restricted availability of the lab-grown opal used for its dials.

Each watch features an individual opal pattern, meaning that every piece has its own combination of reflections and colour distribution.

With its monochromatic blue aesthetic, Japanese lab-grown opal dial and Swiss automatic movement, the Nereide Opale Blu continues Venezianico’s exploration of distinctive materials while maintaining the functional character of the Nereide collection.

The result is a diver-inspired watch where the dial becomes the central element of the design, changing character with every shift in light.

Technical Specifications

Pricing and Availability

The Venezianico Nereide Opale Blu is limited to 600 pieces and priced at €1,350.

Following the response to the first lab-grown opal edition, this new version introduces a completely different visual identity through its monochromatic blue palette.

The combination of teal, azure and cobalt reflections, an individual opal pattern on every dial and the technical construction of the Nereide case makes the Opale Blu a distinctive addition to Venezianico’s collection.

For collectors interested in watches built around unusual materials, the Nereide Opale Blu places the optical depth of lab-grown opal at the heart of the design, while retaining the functional character of a modern diver-inspired timepiece.

For more information, please visit the official Venezianico website.

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