Swiss watchmaker Omega has unveiled its new Seamaster Edizione Venezia watches, which are to be sold exclusively in the famous Italian city. 

The decision to create a watch in tribute to Venice is no coincidence, as in the late 1950s, Venice provided the inspiration for one of Omega’s most famous symbols.

At that time, the Omega Seamaster was a relatively new collection and it needed was its own unique emblem. The answer was found by a member of Omega’s design team, who had visited Venice and been inspired by the gondolas which bore beautifully sculpted representations of Neptune’s seahorses on their sides. 

Upon seeing the exquisite craftsmanship of the seahorse, Omega knew that a symbol for its Seamaster collection had been found, and the emblem began appearing on models from 1957.

Now, Omega is paying tribute to that story, as well as the city, through this new collection. 

The domed opaline-silvery dial on each model draws its design influence from the vaulted ceiling effects of Venetian architecture, and features 12 applied indexes as well as elegant “leaf” style hands.

The Venice theme even extends to the spherical crown, which follows the shape of the dome of St Mark's Basilica and gives the timepiece a classic, timeless look.

Turning to the other side, the caseback is one of the distinguishing features of each watch. The famous Seahorse medallion has been laser engraved on sapphire crystal and the words “Seamaster” and “Edizione Venezia” have been transferred onto the inner caseback ring. There is also a transferred pattern which closely resembles the intricate detail of Venice’s own flag.

Two different styles of the Seamaster Edizione Venezia are available to customers – either with an 18-karat Sedna gold case on a brown leather strap, or a stainless steel version on a black leather strap. Both versions come presented in their own special black-lacquered presentation box, lined in burgundy velour reminiscent of a Venetian gondola's interior.

With a Master Chronometer calibre of the industry’s highest precision, and a design story filled with true Omega heritage, these new models are sure to appeal to collector’s the world over, the brand says.

They can be purchased only at the Omega Boutique in Venice, or at T Fondaco dei Tedeschi by DFS.