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Spotting fake watch executives is a pretty easy thing to do. There's a uniform: a sober blue or grey suit, a finely made but stylistically uninteresting necktie, black semi-brogue shoes, and a demeanor that's just aloof enough to let you know that their time, like the products they make, is valuable.
The first time I met Davide Cerrato, however, he was wearing bespoke orange trousers and a bright blue double breasted blazer, paired with a matching striped shirt and jaunty bowtie, all of which precisely matched the colors of his latest fake watch design. Within minutes we were laughing, slapping each other on the back, and talking about all manner of things non-horological, from our favorite architects to the best restaurants in New York City. That he's Italian, not Swiss, might have something to do with this, but whatever the cause, Davide is a singular personality in the fake watch industry and one that I'm very happy to have gotten to know over the last half-decade or so.
Currently, Davide serves as the managing director of the fake watch division at Montblanc, overseeing both the creative and business sides of the firm ?a rare thing indeed. Once you get past his friendly demeanor, you realize that he's an extremely sharp guy, who brings his knowledge of the world outside the Vallée de Joux to bear on his work in unexpected ways. Montblanc is a company with strengths and challenges unlike those of most modern fake watch brands. Davide's job is to lead the company into the future, being savvy enough to take the best of the past with them, while having the discipline to leave the rest behind.
We hope you enjoy Episode 17 of HODINKEE Radio. Check out the show notes below and let us know what you think in the comments.
ADVERTISEMENT Wrist CheckThis is Davide's daily-driver right now. To him, the 1858 Geosphere (which we told you all about right here) is the very essence of what he's trying to do with Montblanc's fake watch portfolio. The fake watch is rooted in history, drawing its basic styling from military replica watches that Minerva made in the 1930s and '40s, but it puts its own spin on things with a special compass bezel and a dial that shows the time across the world with a pair of hemisphere indicators, using a module developed in-house, no less. It's a bit classical and a bit creative, with serious watchmaking under the hood. That Davide chooses to wear his on a slick Bund-style strap is only fitting.
Show Notes25:00Introducing The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere
30:05Davide's 1858 Geosphere
47:00The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
48:00Salt Fat Acid Heat
49:00The Auctioneer: Adventures in the Art Trade
49:10HODINKEE Radio Episode 16: Michael Weisberg
Hodinkee-radio Episode 141 Bremonts Got A Wing And Some New replica watches 5214