Member Profile
60
The Jeweller
Allemano – a marriage of style and precision
MAN sandblasted
T
DAY brushed
his is a story that marries the automotive world with that of luxury watches. It’s about a love of precision, mechanical excellence and aesthetics. It concerns an Italian family business with impeccable heritage, and, more recently, two men who could see the UK market was ready to be inspired by their vision of a watch brand with a unique difference.
measuring instruments have been on board everything that moves! Finally, after so many years in the mechanical industry – with just field technicians knowing their name – Allemano felt the time was right to make their product more visible. Today, their instruments have moved from the dashboard to the wrist and the inspiration for the watch collection comes, naturally, from the Fiat 501 Torpedo pressure gauge.
The Misaratori del Tempo collection by Allemano was born in 2019, a move that celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the Turin-based company installing the pressure gauge in the Fiat 501 Torpedo. From the 1950s onwards, Allemano’s
Mike Cantelo describes how (and why) he and his business partner, Tim Rapley, entered this picture: “Tim and I are both ex-high-end niche automotive engineers. Tim spent many years with McLaren in F1 – with time in Japan and Australia, and
At the NAJ Summit Suppliers' Showcase this September, one exhibitor in particular attracted plenty of attention, for the product, yes, but also for the fascinating back story. To learn more we spoke to UK distributor Mike Cantelo of Chrono Emotions.
then joined the Special Vehicle Operations division before setting up his own business in 2005, carrying out precision contactless 3D measurement. “We met when Tim came to Aston Martin where I was the production launch manager and plant manager for the Aston Martin Vanquish, from 2000 to 2007. We struck up a friendship, which has endured ever since. After he sold his business in 2019, Tim and I have been seeking opportunities to do business together. We chanced upon Allemano, and it immediately attracted us due to our love of all things precision, mechanical and aesthetic.
