Venezianico’s latest Nereide makes its point with colour rather than complication.
The Nereide Opale Blu takes the Italian brand’s 200-metre dive-watch platform and gives it a lab-grown blue opal dial with a level of saturation that feels almost electric on the wrist.
Limited to 600 pieces, it sits in that increasingly interesting space where a practical steel sports watch meets a dial material usually chosen for spectacle.
At a glance
- Venezianico has introduced the Nereide Opale Blu, a 600-piece limited edition of its steel dive watch.
- The dial is made from lab-grown blue opal by Kyocera, sliced to 0.4mm and naturally varied from watch to watch.
- It is priced at €1,350, approximately £1,150, and is scheduled to go on sale on August 25 with pre-registration open.
A blue opal dial grown for colour
The defining feature here is not simply that the dial is blue, but that the opal material itself is grown in that colour.
Venezianico is using a lab-grown mineral produced by Japanese materials specialist Kyocera, formed in a block before being cut into ultra-thin 0.4mm slices for watch dials.
That process means the blue isn’t a surface treatment or painted effect.
The colour belongs to the material, giving the dial its saturated tone and allowing the crystalline structure to shift between deep blue, teal and turquoise as the light changes.
As with many mineral dials, the appeal is partly in the variation.
No two examples are identical, which gives the Opale Blu a more individual character than a conventional lacquer or sunray dial could offer.
The Nereide case keeps it in diver territory
For all the dial drama, the watch remains recognisably a Nereide.
The case is stainless steel, measuring 42mm across and 12.5mm thick, with a 200-metre water-resistance rating that keeps it firmly within everyday sports-watch territory.
A tungsten bezel insert adds a useful layer of scratch resistance, while the broad case surfaces and wide lugs give the watch a confident tool-watch stance.
Polished facets and the Sansovino five-link steel bracelet soften that profile just enough for it to work away from the water.
It’s the kind of diver that doesn’t try to hide its size, but the vivid dial gives the watch a more refined and decorative edge than its specifications might suggest.
A Sellita automatic behind the display back
Inside is the Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement, a widely used Swiss calibre chosen for durability, familiarity and ease of servicing.
Venezianico has fitted it with a customised skeletonised rotor in rhodium-plated finishing, visible through the exhibition caseback.
The movement runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 38-hour power reserve.
Functions are kept straightforward with hours, minutes, seconds and date, which suits the Nereide’s practical diver format.
Details & Specifications
| Brand | Venezianico |
|---|---|
| Model | Nereide Opale Blu |
| Case size | 42mm diameter, 12.5mm thickness |
| Case material | Stainless steel |
| Dial | Lab-grown blue opal with teal, azure and cobalt reflections |
| Bezel | Tungsten insert |
| Water resistance | 200m, 20 bar |
| Movement | Sellita SW200-1 automatic |
| Frequency | 28,800 vph, 4 Hz |
| Power reserve | 38 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Caseback | Exhibition back with customised skeletonised rhodium-plated rotor |
| Bracelet | Stainless steel Sansovino five-link bracelet with micro-adjustment clasp |
| Limited edition | 600 pieces |
| Price | €1,350, approximately £1,150 |
| Availability | Sales scheduled from August 25, pre-registration open |
The Nereide Opale Blu is likely to appeal to collectors who want a capable steel diver but don’t want another conservative black, navy or green dial.
It’s still built around sensible dimensions, a dependable movement and 200 metres of water resistance, yet the blue opal gives it a distinct identity that feels very much in keeping with Venezianico’s more experimental side.
