A luxury watch brand reputed for their creativity and technological prowess is U-Boat. Their Italian craftsmanship is influenced primarily by founder Italo Fontana who seeks to shape and evolve their current collections into something new and unique. On trend is the new U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo watch collection, a duo of designs which combines the DNA of a 1930’s watch with one of the brand’s best-selling modern-day models.
The U-Boat Doppiotempo was originally launched back in 1938 for the Italian army’s parachute assault regiment, the Col Moschin. Since then, it’s dual time function – which suitably translates to “Doppiotempo” in Italian – has remained a constant in the brand’s collections offering essential tools for even the most intrepid endeavour, military or otherwise. On the other end of the spectrum is the U-Boat Capsoil, an inevitably modern watch first seen in 2019 with a mechanism and dial completely immersed in an oil bath. This ground-breaking concept not only effortlessly lubricates the movement but provides an unmissable dial layout with ink-black colouring, a three-dimensional finish and a wandering compensation bubble. Today, these elements of past and present unite for the U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo.
The case of the new U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo watches are distinctively Capsoil in their construction, neglecting the chunky bezels and large left-hand crowns of their other designs and opting for a slim, almost invisible bezel, slender down-turned lugs and two subtle crowns. The cases measure to 45mm in diameter and are available in two colourways, the first in stainless steel (reference 8769) and the second in satin-finished black DLC (reference 8770). Both are equipped with high quality domed sapphire crystal glass and a black vulcanized rubber strap embossed with the U-Boat logo and secured by a pin buckle finished in its corresponding case material.
The two crowns placed at the left hand position are used to control the timekeeping functions laid out on the dial. The first crown allows you to set the time and date while the second is for adjusting the dual-time function and the rotating internal bezel for keeping track of a second time zone. Lastly, like all Capsoil models, the U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo watches are safely assured a 100 metre water resistant rating helped by an innovative locking system on the case back. This also allows for quick battery replacement in spite of the oil-immersed interior.
The Lucca-based watch manufacturer’s Oil Immersion concept meets the Doppiotempo complication on the dial of each U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo watch. It is here that the oil filling the case creates an absolute black finish at the centre, promising an even more intense black than any ordinary dial. The movement of the oil on your wrist extends its three dimensional finish further while giving a strange illusion of the absence of glass. Floating around the dial is also a compensation bubble which distorts the functions as it counteracts temperature variations.
The intense blackness of the dial also provides the U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo watches with incredible legibility contrasting powerfully to the beige-coloured hands, indexes and internal bezel scale. The hands and indexes are also helped by Superluminova coating. Splashes of bright red also ensure effortless readability of the second time zone hand and the lettering at 6 o’clock which explains the watch’s operation between 0 and 60 degrees Celsius.
Also immersed in a bath of oil is the U-Boat Capsoil Doppio Tempo’s movement. Swiss made and personalised to U-Boats specifications, it is an electro-mechanical calibre responsible for powering the hours, minutes and second time zone complications on the dial.