I’ve been after a Gruppo Ardito watch for about 8 years or so, Fabio Sammarro can attest to that. I traded off my Corrigia and took this piece in. I am so stoked. There is something so incredible about Italian watchmaking, which is some of my personal favorite to be honest.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with GAW watches they are a handcrafted workshop, headquartered in Alessandria (between Milan and Turin, in northern Italy), a famous internationally recognized area for the historical traditions of craftsmanship of the highest level, as the goldsmiths and fine jewellery. G.A.W. manufactures a range of watches featuring hardwearing materials, a “bold”, innovative appearance, and excellent construction mechanics.

The G.A.W. watches are designed to comply with the highest quality standards; part of the componentry is made directly in the workshop and in any case, all of the parts are proudly made in Italy (with the exception of the movement, which is Swiss) by expert master craftsmen, under the direction and constant supervision of G.A.W. New product and prototype ideas are developed within the company.

The dials are manufactured in-house, so as to better manage the numerous graphics and background colours. The assembly workshop has been structured to manage assembly of parts and also after-sales assistance. In order to operate in a flexible, innovative manner, some of the high-tech content instruments have been manufactured in-house, for example those needed to test watches underwater up to a maximum pressure of 500bar.

This piece is amazing me the more time that I spend with it. The bead blasted stainless steel case goes so well with the matte yellow dial. I appreciate the design of this case. It reminds me of some sort of WW2 era submersible device. This is an excellent example of the bespoke watch design and engineering that I truly love. The lugless design adds to the uniqueness of this watch. I really appreciate how Gruppo Ardito has that cohesive design language that flows so well between all of the details, especially between the lugless design and the no crown guards. This gives the watch an even more pronounced cylindrical appearance.

In my opinion, the “nut” shaped crown is a great choice for this watch. I definitely appreciate it being large enough to grip onto and how smooth it operates. It’s extremely easy to unscrew/screw down, it’s easy to wind the watch and it’s easy to adjust the time, not only all that but the crown is buttery smooth during all of those operations.

The six screws around the fixed bezel aren’t just for decoration, they hold the bezel in place, but that’s not all. Gruppo Ardito included a bronze bezel with this watch. Not only is it bronze, but it has a different design too. I’ll post pics of this in another post. This interchangeable bezel system is so cool and unique. For me, this makes more sense than what brands like Formex did where you can just pop off the bezel. One hard hit out on an adventure, it’s bye bye bezel. GAW bezel is secured by six screws so you aren’t accidentally knocking this one off.

This cylindrical case reminds me of a piece of equipment from Captain Nemo’s submarine from a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. As you can see from the pics, this boy is thick. It sits tall on the wrist which gives it a cool and unique wrist presence. Its lugless design allows it to wear extremely manageable on the wrist. Top heavy yes, but zero wrist overhang. If you are one who worries about case size, then you wouldn’t be looking at this watch anyway.

The blasted finish on this watch just increases that tool watch goodness that I love and adore. This is how a tool watch should be finished. Either stainless steel, bronze or titanium, with brushed/blasted/matte finish. My tool watch definition doesn’t include polished finishes, ceramic cases, carbon fiber, plastic……does that mean tool watches can’t have those things? No it doesn’t for others, but yes, for me personally it does. I’m not here to tell you what you should do for you, only you can decide that. What I am here to do is share my experience based opinions on these kind of tool watches so that you can decide for yourselves whether it’s a watch that you would like to study in person by owning one of your own.

The case on this watch is designed with quality, engineering and durability. A durability that you can rely on but also not have to worry about one it’s strapped on your wrist. A grab n’ go watch that can sustain amounts of ASA and still look good regardless of how many battle scars it acquires. That’s what’s important to me, quality, engineering and durability. That’s what makes a watch worthy of my time to review and to own. That’s some of the criteria for watches to make it into the Dirty Dozen.

Who doesn’t love a delicious, Italian sandwich dial?!? This yellow is gorgeous! A proper tool watch must have a matte dial, matte case, with nothing shiny or polished. I’m sorry but that’s what is clearly states in the Book of Watches, specifically in the gospel of Tool, chapter 3 verses 7-13. I don’t understand why some companies are hell bent on making tool watches blingy/shiny/polished….well I know, because they see Rolex doing it. News flash, Rolex makes retail luxury dress watches, not tool watches. PSA to watch companies, do your own thing, march to the beat of originality! It much more respectable when you do because not all of us watch geeks worship the crown!

Thankfully, brands like GAW are doing their own thing and making original, unique tool watches. The handset on this NumeroZero watch are beautifully designed and executed! I really like their shape and size, which compliment the dial quite nicely. What also is a nice compliment to the design of the hour and minute hands is the semi-skeletonized treatment they both received. The second hand is beautifully designed as well, in terms of the overall length, shape and counter-balance. It’s definitely the icing on the handset cake here.

I think GAW did a great job with the text on this dial too. It’s just enough detail to appreciate. Don’t get me wrong, I do love a busy dial, but I think this dial perfectly suits the design language of the rest of this watch.

Was there a watch or a brand responsible for your love of watches? If so, which watch or brand?

The 19.5mm thick case stands nice and tall. When I used to pay attention to case size, I would never consider a watch that was under 14mm thick. It’s so silly to place rules on ourselves in this fun hobby of ours. This 46mm case wears more like a 44mm watch because of the cylindrical shape of this case and the integrated lugs. It’s a pucking awesome case. The case is topped off with a 4mm crystal.

Ticking away inside the pucking awesome case is a workhorse movement that has proved its rugged reliable strength time and time again. What movement you ask?!? Well none other than the ETA 2824-2 elaboré!

The porthole to the dial is a nice 4mm crystal and around the crystal is the sterile bezel that is secured via 6 hex-head screws. GA carried over the functional details onto the caseback with 4 hex-head screws. I appreciate when a company has a clear vision and that vision is carried throughout the design with consistency. The rugged beast of a beauty has a water resistance of over 1000 meters. If I didn’t know better I would believe that this watch was designed by Captain Nemo himself while in his Nautilus submarine while in Italian waters with help from GA’s very own engineer, Fabio Chiappino!

As I wrap up this review of the NumeroZero and I have to say that I am sad. Why am I sad?!? I am sad because I waited so long to add one of these into my collection. I am happy I went with the yellow dial. The shade of yellow is perfect in my opinion. This dial works in harmonious, horological harmony with this case.

If you are one of those people who like a thin, dressy looking dial, this watch is obviously not for you. If you are one of those people like myself who enjoy unique designs, who likes good quality and wants a watch that millions of others don’t own, then you might want to treat yourself to checking out GAW. The quality is some of the best I have experienced on a microbrand.

I like how this watch wears, especially on a thicker custom leather strap. The height gives it a unique look on the wrist and the integrated lugs allow it to wear smaller than what the measurements imply. I think this watch works on every level. It’s also worth a mention that if you are one of those size conscious people, GAW makes models in smaller sizes too.

I honestly wouldn’t change anything on this watch. It’s great just the way that it is. GAW had a clear vision of what they wanted the NumeroZero to be and they executed that vision brilliantly in this badass tool watch. It will stand up to adventures and whatever ASA that you expose it too. I don’t think this is going to be the last GAW that I add to my collection.

This little yellow Italian badass on a killer custom strap. A tale of Gruppo Ardito Watches meets Gunny straps. I am enjoying this combo for sure. The Gunny Mission Impossible 5 strap goes perfectly with the NumeroZero watch. I like how the blue strap matches the blue hands of the watch and the yellow stitching matches the dial. There’s nothing better than a custom leather strap.

This is definitely not my last GAW watch by any means. I hope to add another one at some point. I love when I find a brand that works for me and that checks all my boxes in terms of quality, design and execution. You never know what you might get. It’s always a gamble when you try a brand for the first time. I am pleasantly surprised by GAW.

The NumeroZero is a fantastic watch. The quality is exactly what I expect from a brand but unfortunately don’t always get. Smaller brands like GAW typically do have better quality than the big name brands. So thankfully I am rarely ever disappointed by the brands I gravitate towards. The finish on the NumeroZero is what impressed me the most. Next was the design and closely followed by the flawless function. The crown function is so precise and smooth but what takes the crown(pun intended) is when I manually wind this watch. Yeah, it’s an automatic movement but winding this watch is so damn satisfying because of how the crown functions.

I am glad that I traded for this watch. It was definitely worth it!

Thank you all for reading! Here is an interview I did with Gruppo Ardito’s front man Fabio:

Stephen: What initially got you interested in watches?

Fabio: I have always been a watch collector, initially with less important pieces and then with watches from important brands, but in each of my watches I always found something that I didn’t like and I would have preferred to be designed in another way, hence the desire to produce my own watch, originally just for me.

An interesting and very educational parenthesis is when I collected a good part of the Omega sports watches from the 70s, watches that made me fall in love with this brand are the Speedsonic and the Ploprof.

Stephen: Do you remember the exact moment when you decided to start your own brand? Care to explain that moment?

Fabio: In 2012 / 2013 with some work colleagues we talked during a coffee break that the passion for watches was not just mine, and so we first talked about how it would be nice to make our own watch, then I started drawing of the sketches, which were liked and which will see the birth of numerozero after a few years.
NumeroZero was made this way because it was produced with traditional machine tools, therefore the result of necessity. We created 5 prototypes for 5 people, we immediately gave ourselves the name Arditi (for what we were doing without having experience) and group because we were 5 people. Thanks to our friend Lex from Oceanictime to whom we sent some photos which he published made us understand that he liked the watch. So we decided to create G.A.W. srl (Ardito Watches Group) unfortunately we lost people who were scared of the undertaking we had to carry out and its difficulty.

Stephen: Can you explain where you draw inspiration from when designing your watches, can you explain that process to everyone?

Fabio: The approach that we wanted to give to our watches especially at the beginning comes from the Florentine school of Panerai, Anonimo etc. Hard and pure watches.
As we matured we understood the demands of the world market and to survive we had to listen to all the voices, so we worked maintaining the historical line, but inserting a less aggressive line that could please more people. This is what we did and Dandy, Lince, Explorer etc. were born. however, keeping the GAW DNA unchanged, by looking at a GAW you understand that it is a GAW and are unlikely to confuse it with anything else.

Stephen: Is there a watch that you are most proud of?

Fabio: I actually have 2, the Lince which allowed us to become known to many for its softer lines and the Kraken, it is a unique watch and even those who criticize it would like to have it, the nice thing is that the third edition is due to come out, but it still has several upgrades expected in the coming years which will make it increasingly unique.

Stephen: Are there any watch brands that inspire you?

Fabio: actually no, I try to absorb the best I can learn from all the brands, because every brand has wonderful products and mediocre products.

Stephen: Where would you like Gruppo Ardito to be in 5 years?

Fabio: I would very much like to be able to reap the sacrifices for the 24-hour work done in recent years. I would like G.A.W. can reach a size that doesn’t worry too much about the economic part, with a commercial department that can take care of sales so that I can dedicate myself full time to the design of new watches, which are in the drawer, but for obvious reasons are coming out slowly .

Stephen: What has been your biggest triumph?

Fabio: The great satisfaction is having designed the Kraken which allowed us to have significant and self-limited waterproofness (the test equipment allowed us to reach 11,000 meters) with the very few tools at our disposal, precisely from a very micro brand. Leading the Kraken to be put into production, while 2 major brands created only laboratory watches a few years ago.

Stephen: How does your design process start and how does it evolve? 

Fabio: It all starts from a blank sheet of paper and a small idea, which watches and in which price range we need to place ourselves. Then from there we start with the CAD design of the internal part and the study to have the greatest possible waterproofness. Once this is resolved we move on to the aesthetic and ergonomic part. We then proceed with a 3D resin sample, once all the mechanical checks have been carried out, we move on to the drawings for mass production.

Stephen: Do you have a dream project that you would love to do if money or time was not an issue?

Fabio: I would like to make 2 watches, one totally made in Italy, there are now possibilities for this.
Then I would like to create a super-complicated chronograph with a vintage Patek movement and a platinum case, but aesthetically similar to GAW style.

Stephen: What brands inspire you?

Fabio: Now the brands I follow most are the classics but in their sporty versions, I don’t deny that I am a fan of Genta.

Although not all of his creations were wonderful, but for me he is the most enlightened of watch designers. But I’m not the only one who thinks this way.