The bronzo beast of a beauty or beauty of a beast! And just in time for #greendialwednesday . The Carlson Icon with its beautiful Italian watchmaking goodness from the masters at Ennebi/Relojes e Instrumentos. In 2014, Fratelli Bettarini s.r.l. was born out of the desire of Diletta (from London, UK), Gherardo (from Barcelona, Spain) and Lapo (from Brussels, Belgium), the “Bettarini brothers (and sister)” to carry on the project of their father, Alessandro, co-founder of Ennebi and master watchmaker.

The company R&I – Relojes e Instrumentos is born from a very simple idea: to create and supply to a public of experts, professionals, collectors or simply enthusiasts, mechanical precision watches of the highest quality created, with an innovative design and extreme solutions, designed and handmade, offering the possibility of customising them to meet the needs of our customers. These features make our products unique, tailor-made.

Some specs on this beast:

It’s one of 21 others and no two Icons are identical
Case is bronze with a blasted finish
Case back: titanium
Movement: Swiss ETA 2824
Bezel: uni-directional bezel with special locking mechanism and lever. Palladium markers.
Sapphire Crystal
26mm aka my favorite lug size
53mm x 17mm thick

First impressions?!? Impressive. Badass. Quality. I was immediately impressed by the overall appearance of this watch. The green dial is what first caught my attention and kept my attention. I wasn’t sure what shade of green this dial was going to be in person because pictures never give the exact shade but I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw it in hand! In my opinion it’s the perfect shade. There’s something so perfect about a green dial and bronze case that is the equivalent of peanut butter & chocolate! They just go together so damn well.

The skull logo on the dial and caseback is what initially attracted me to this watch and the fact that Ennebi’s masterful watchmaking was responsible for bringing this project to life was something else that attracted me to it. The case is based on the Ennebi 5218 aka the Titanic because of its 65mm case. My brother Anthony Troiano of AJT Jewellery has one of those beasts. I’m jealous. I almost bought one a few years ago and wish I had. They are quite rare.

I love how the patina is forming on this watch. It’s funny how I absolutely love bronze but I hate it when it’s brand new and shiny. I’m weird like that….but I’m weird a lot about so many things….. yeah, yeah I know you already know that.

This bronze case is incredible. It has made it onto my wrist almost everyday since it’s arrival. Right now I’m alternating between two bronze watches everyday. I’m not complaining. There’s no denying that Ennebi/R&I know how to execute a watch case. My favorite detail on this case is definitely the crown protector. I like how the crown guard isn’t a solid piece. Obviously for the assembly purposes of the crown itself the guard had to be removable. What I mean, is I like how the screws that hold the crown guard add a nice bit of detail to the case.

The screws are a consistent design detail that can be found on the crown itself and on the bezel markers. The bezel markers and the crown itself are made from palladium, which is more rare than gold or platinum. I like the contrast between the palladium and the bronze. That contrast adds depth of detail to this case. The bi-directional rotating bezel is controlled by a locking lever located on the left side of the case. In order to move the bezel, the lever must be pulled out, then the bezel can be freely rotated in either direction. To lock the bezel, simply push the lever back into the closed position.

The short lugs allow the 53mm watch to be worn with that smaller than the dimensions imply comfort, but rest assured this watch has some major wrist presence. I often take this watch off just so I can admire it. I love it on the custom red Blue Radish Straps leather NATO because I can easily take it off the strap so I can admire every angle of this watch.

There is something so magical about a green dial and bronze case combo. What is it that makes it so magical?!? How do you make it more magical? Well Ennebi/R&I added these bronze hands to the green dial and threw in that red second hand that is a ever so subtle nod to the Italian flag colors. They definitely added to the magic. Topping it off in terms of pure magic is the badass skull logo. Which coincidentally, also appears on the case back, thus making the case back also quite magical.

How about this patina?!? Every week during this review, the natural patina progresses with its own unique personality that adds to this watch that is already so full of personality. I love how patina adds so much character. There were just 21 of these made, and no two were made the same. Which is an amazing thing in and of itself, but what takes that uniqueness even further is, no two of those watches will develop the same patina. Watches definitely extend our memories of an experience that we live through, patina extends the personality of the watch and the watch is an extension of our personality.

This bronze beast has been monopolizing a ton of my wrist time lately. During this review period I received a gift from one of my watch idols, Alessandro Bettarini. He sent me a signed copy of his book ‘Prototipo 1000 metri O.P. as a thank you for my purchases the Seimila Metri and the Fondale Vintage. It was one of those pinch me am I dreaming moments. Bettarini is an absolute living legend. What does Bettarini have to do with this watch?!? Well it’s on of his works through his company R&I . As I mentioned before this watch is based on his Ennebi “Titanic” 5218 watch which is a whopping 65mm. This bronze beast here is a more everyday wearable 53mm. I’d love to own the 5218 and I’d probably wear it everyday to be honest.

There are certain watchmakers who I just love how they operate and create. There is something so mesmerizing about how Alessandro creates these beautiful works of Italian horological art. I would love to own one of his prototypes he created for Panerai. He started working for Panerai Meccanica in 1980 and by 1988 he was head of the Officine Panerai design team. Don’t get me wrong, I am so grateful that I own 3 of his watches, but the watch nerd inside of my heart and brain wants more!

Alessandro’s magic touch is apparent throughout all the details on this watch. It’s a wonderful piece that hits me right in that wonderment of horology. I am definitely a fanboy of Ennebi and everything that Alessandro creates. Is there a watchmaker that you hold near and dear to your watch loving heart?!?

The cohesive design that is carried from crystal-to dial-to case-to caseback is definitely Alessandro Bettarini is known for. The only thing that could be improved is the bezel lock. It locks the bezel but it isn’t a strong enough lock to keep you from being able to rotate the bezel. It’s definitely not a deal breaker in my opinion, but it’s something that could have been improved upon. Thankfully, the rest of the watch and its details are damn near perfect.

This bronze beast is an excellent example of what Bettarini started all those years ago when he was still employed by Panerai and has carried on all these years later. R&I did a phenomenal job with this watch. The only thing that I would recommend some tweaking to, is how the bezel locking mechanism works. The opening and closing of the bezel release works great but it’s the locking of the bezel that needs a bit more hold.

The dial on this watch never ceases to wow me every time I see it. The hands are absolutely incredible, the size, the proportion to the dial and the bronze used to make them. The cardinal markers are also very well designed in terms of size/proportions and color/lume treatment. As you all know, I am a matte black dial guy through and through, but this green dial is right up there! There’s that undeniable beauty of a green dial and a bronze case. The skull logo is the icing on the cake for me.

I love how this 53mm case wears and feels on my wrist. It was my daily wearer for about a month, so it was my companion throughout work, hikes, workouts, working on my Jeep, etc…..once it was strapped to my wrist, it was like it wasn’t even there. That’s why I always have a chuckle and have to bust chops when I read someone saying that a watch is too heavy. This watch has great wrist presence. What really surprised me is how many of my patients at work complemented me on it. We all know that the geriatric population tells you how it is, so it was cool to hear some love for this bronze beast.

The patina is coming in beautifully on this watch. I love natural patina, as it just adds so much character and detail to a watch. My favorite areas of patina on this watch is around the bezel markers and on the crown guard. I tried to highlight these areas in the pics.

The hands on this watch are absolutely incredible. The hands are big and badass, yet perfectly proportioned to this dial. The details throughout this piece are extraordinary. There are so many details on this watch that I love to look at, to examine, to study! There are some watches that just exude personality and this watch is definitely one of those watches.

This was a watch I added this year to give some variety to all the matte black dials I have in the collection. I was surprised by how much I like this green dial, but for me, green dials only work on bronze watches. I do particularly like green dials on a stainless steel or titanium watch. The lume treatment on this watch is another winner. It’s another watch that glows like a flashlight. I wouldn’t expect anything less from a watch coming from the house of Ennebi/R&I.

When most hear that a case is 53mm, the first thought would not be that the watch is comfortable. Despite what some may think, this watch is extremely comfortable and easily works for me as a daily wearer, no matter what I am doing…….and yes it fits under a cuff of shirts and jackets. I can’t wait to take this watch on one of my camping trips. It’s been way too long since my last trip.

I am so impressed by this watch on all levels. There’s something magical and special about bespoke watch making. Just because the popular brands don’t work for me, it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with them. They just aren’t what I look for in watches. I think the watch community as a whole needs to realize that there are watches that work for them and there are watches that don’t. Enough with the negative bitching and crying “this watch is too big, this watch is too small, this watch looks strange, this watch is all hype.” This hobby is supposed to be fun and not a cesspool of negativity.

Thanks so much for reading. Thanks to Carl West and R&I for making this watch a reality.