DOGI Caboto Complications ? big and luxurious (AWW 32)

DOGI Caboto Complications - big and luxurious (AWW 32)

Specifications

Name: DOGI Caboto Complications
Movement: DOGI 1964 precision hand wind movement based on ETA 6498, shockproof incabloc, 17 jewels, 18000 bph.
Time display: 24 hour, minute, seconds, 24 on top
Face: white dial with two silver subdials - minutes at 24 and seconds at 12.
Case: All stainless steel case with transparent and snap cover case back.
Size: diameter 48 mm, 54 mm with crown, 55 mm lug to lug, height 14 mm
Water-resistance: water resistant
Crown: winding crown with 4.5mm sapphire stone on the top at 6 to set time
Crystal: domed sapphire crystal
Lugs: 22 mm



Foreword

To catch this watch you have to go (virtually) to Italy. DOGI Caboto was a limited numbered series official watch only for the members of Italian Geographical Society and your main chance is when some society member (or his family) is selling it. Occasionally you can find in in some exclusive antique watch shop or in Italian watch collectors forum.

I was looking over a time for this DOGI and finally I found it in one Italian classified ads site. The seller's father was a geographer. The asked price was EUR 900. I made my offer and together with a very expensive shipping (the most expensive extra courier shipping I ever saw worldwide) I got it somewhat cheaper.

From the other side I have to say that I never got a watch in such a big and heavy box!

Comments

The packaging is mindlessly luxurious. The outer carton box is 32 x 24 x 7.5 cm. Inside is natural leather box of the same size in the shape of thick book with a golden text on the spine - "CABOTO, 24 ore fuso orario" (24 hour time zone). This leather box has very nice enamel logo of the Italian Geographical Society on the front and text "CABOTO Complications 24 ore fuso orario". The box is nicely inside suede lined and beside the watch you have inside the box six (!) different certificates and documents plus 68 x 30 cm (!) suede leather towel to clean and polish the watch.

This watch is huge! 54 mm with crown and 55 mm lug to lug. Condition - never worn before, no usage marks on the watch and bracelet, plastic protector on the case back.

What I didn't understand from the pictures was that in contrary to most 24h regulators (with a main central minutes hand) Caboto's main central hand is the hour hand. That makes DOGI Caboto into one hand 24h watch with two small assisting subdials for minutes and seconds. I like it!

Dial. White enamel lacquered with 8 round cut sapphire stones mounted in gold filigree settings as odd hour markers. Even hour blue numbers. Outer silver timezone circle with cities names. Big central hours hand. Minutes silver subdial at 24, seconds silver subdial at 12. All hands are blue. Coat of arms of the Italian Geographic Society in English blue at 18. DOGI logo in English blue and gold at 6. Top white diamond in round brilliant cut in the gold center of hour hand.

With a picture it's difficult to convey the impression made by occasional sparkling of precious stones used on the dial. Especially small true diamond in the very center is attractive. In the specifications I tried to give an exact description of the dial. One of the attached certificates is for diamond and sapphire stones.

Interesting is the list of cities on the dial's outer time zone circle. On the top is of course Rome. The full list is: Rome, Cairo, Moscow, Riyad, Calcutta, Dhaka, Djacarta, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Vladivostok, Auckland, Samoa, Hawaii, Anchorage, S. Francisco, Denver, Chicago, New York, Santiago, Rio de Janeiro, Azores, Madeira, London.

Movement. Another nice version of ETA 6498, which you can see through the transparent case back. Cote de Geneve 30s decoration, guilloche rhodium finish. Blue screws. Text SOCIETA GEOGRAFICA ITALIANA ROMA engraved on the ratchet. Bridge signed with DOGI logo.
In the list of certificates you can see one with timing machine data.

Case. Stainless steel case with satin finish. The case back is transparent with sapphire glass (diameter 30 mm). The transparent window has a snap cover. Inside this cover is engraved the name of the owner, the serial number, text "SWISS COMPONENTS" and DOGI logo. Outside on the case back is following text:
OROLOGIO UFFICIALE DELLA SOCIETA GEOGRAFICA ITALIANA
CABOTO COMPLICATIONS
ALL STAINLESS STEEL
[COAT OF ARMS OF THE Italian Geographical Society]

Another not so common feature I like is the snap cover of transparent case back. My watch has a serial number 60, out of 1599. As you see this limited series was not so limited - Italian Geographic Society has many members. The modified well-known ETA 6498 is nicely decorated and as you can see from another added certificate is accurate too.

Bracelet. There are two especially made leather bracelet options. One is natural Louisiania crocodile (Alligatore Mississippiensis) strap. The second option, what I got, is Venezuela cayman (Caimano Crocodylus Crocodylus) blue strap. Of course again the certificate including export license numbers of these leathers is attached.

Last and not least. What is DOGI and what is Caboto?

DOGI is a small exclusive watchmaking brand started in 1964. Since 1985 DOGI is owned and controlled by watchmaker Aldo Gerosa. For Italian Geographical Society DOGI made in 2002 two official watches - wristwatch Caboto Complications and clock Marine 800. Other exclusive watches by DOGI are Urim Shamir, Leonardo Codex and Anniversario 2011. (Orologi)

Caboto was an Italian, in Italy known as Giovanni Caboto, in many other countries as John Cabot. The famous navigator and explorer who discovered North America for England and is held to have been the first European stepping on the mainland of North America since Vikings. A good choice to name the official watch for a geographical society.

Summary

I don't know what to say. Here I paid a lot of money and got a watch which is too big for me to wear. I'm not even sure is it a good investment. Still I'm very satisfied. I got what I was looking for and the result was much more than I expected.

Customer satisfaction = customer perception - customer expectations

Pictures







Certificates

Italian Geographical Society



Warranty




Jewels



Watch no 60 + leather straps



User manual



Timing machine