The Mido Baroncelli Heritage Piano City watch hands-on

Do you know a city that could ever represent the concept of design better than the city of Milan? In 2017, I find it hard to find other cities like that in Europe, both for events that catalyze the world’s attention and for the architectural buzz that keeps fueling the city. Places such as the Gae Aulenti Square or the Vertical Wood are landmarks for tourists, and so are the beautiful Art Déco palaces of the “Quadrilatero del Silenzio” (“The Four Corners of Silence”)  or the Vertical Wood; a rare example of integration and development of green spaces in a city that boasts some of the most beautiful and best-preserved parks in the world.

The “Piano City” event is one of those events that you would expect to find, for its originality, in place like Soho (NY), and yet it is a truly Milanese event that takes place, among other locations, in the Isola district (and in three other places that fully symbolize the role of the Milan architecture throughout history). The event takes place in a square, from where you can enjoy the breathtaking views of the vertical woods; it was the end of a journey that began in the early afternoon under the guidance of an architect, who told us the story of the most important buildings of the city center, from the Vittorio Emanuele Gallery to the Marino Palace.

One of the partners of this event is MIDO, who moved from its role of architecture’s solid partner – one of the brand’s written statements – to the role of musical partner of an event that began last weekend in Milan and that will progressively expand to other Italian cities, which represent the triumph of art and culture, like Florence and Venice.

Three days of music that started on the notes of Chilly Gonzalez, who performed at the Modern Art Gallery (Galleria d’Arte Moderna or “GAM”) of the Royal Palace and ended with the swing of Luca Filastro and the performance of Vincenzo Pasquariello, who played the music of Philip Glass accompanied by the dancers of Cafelulè. The spectacular performance took place against the walls of the Memory House, next to the green area, where the two virtuosos played. I love music and I am generally open to any form of art, but it is watches I love even more and they represent my very own art interpretation; thanks to the partnership between the city and MIDO, the manufacturer had the chance to present a special edition exclusively created for this event – the Mido Baroncelli Heritage Piano City.

The official watch of the event became the watch of the four pianists, who alternated in the concerts. MIDO released only one single digital image of the Mido Baroncelli Heritage Piano City (which fully contrasts with the colors of a piano keyboard), but I had a great time taking pictures of the timepiece lying on top of the wire of that very same piano, on where Luca Filastro performed his swing; an act that captured the attention of the whole audience and even of those passers-by, who were strolling around the square by chance.

What I like even more is that the Mido Baroncelli Heritage Piano City was “mine” for two entire weeks; a period of time quite reasonable if compared to a short photo shooting session that could last maximum for a day. With a diameter of 39mm on the men’s version – the one I wore with a blazer or with jeans – the Mido Baroncelli Heritage Piano City is an elegant three-hand-timepiece with a style that could be compared to that of the Bahuaus movement and an ivory- grainé dial. The watch also features a three-step bezel (whose style reminds us of that of its Blancpain‘s cousin; the Villeret), and an extremely thin case, so that, after having worn the watch for a minute or two, you suddenly turn your sight to your left wrist to double-check whether the timepiece is still there or you have actually lost it.

This is a three-hand-watch I had the pleasure of wearing already at Baselworld 2016 event and that maintained the same 1192 caliber, while almost doubling the hours of power reserve (80 hours vs. 42 hours) if compared to the original version.

The timepiece features a central seconds hand crafted in a beautiful shade of blue that tends to a light blue color and that, like all azured counters, changes its shade from a bright blue color to an opaque blue color depending on the light angle.

The only real sad moment was when I had to return the timepiece, because this is one of those watches that develops a symbiotic relationship with your wrist, and it does so in such a discreet manner that you are unable to find even the least defect or weakness on it! Not even on the date window; a feature that naturally leads me to criticism, but which, on this instance, perfectly matches the overall design of the light dial that sports extremely thin indexes; yet another element of expressive strength and minimalism. See you at the next Piano City event then and, hopefully, at another Limited Edition Mido.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®)

Gaetano C @Horbiter®