The world of watchmaking is undergoing an interesting evolution: times of markets, wars, companies and elections are causing us to revisit so many of our flags when considering the purchase of a watch.

There are those who prefer aesthetics, those who prefer the movement, those who prefer the price range, those who prefer the small case, and those who still lean toward revisitations of the past. Vintage has completely pervaded our evaluations of beauty and in fact we are finally getting back to what are the true canons of beauty: small cases, proportions, inventiveness and, certainly, flair. I know this sounds self-celebratory and, as an Italian, excuse me but it is!

Vintage has arrived, a little bit in everything, because perhaps most of the big companies have put in designers and manufacturers who look at marketing indicators that are not reflected in the real taste of people, collectors of any kind. Good luck to everyone for the future, but if we look at who is producing what is increasingly being appreciated at this time, it is undoubtedly the independents, big or small, and that we can say has all the spotlight on them.

Clearly, a distinction must be made here as well, independent is one who does not belong to a group, but also one who is an artisan and does it himself, and for three… And it is precisely with the concept of “independent” that today I take you to discover a new project with such well-known names as Ruben Tomella and Mo Coppoletta.

But who exactly are these two characters who have appeared on the watchmaking scene?

Ruben Tomella

Ruben Tomella, is none other than the owner of GaGà Milano, an Italian watch brand known for its shapes, colors and style, independent by birth. You can say anything about Ruben but not that he doesn’t lack flair, desire to be different, unique…in short, it’s hard for him to go unnoticed, and after all, a GaGà is exactly that. Add to the recipe that he is one of the best people, on a human level, you will find in the industry and you get the idea of the character.

Mo Coppoletta

Mo Coppoletta is a professional artist and designer, who in our world (the watch world) is known for several collaborations, including the latest and wonderful (in my opinion) with Bvlgari and Chronopassion with “tattooed” Octo Finissimo. This is a story where business is involved but marginal. Finally, dare I say it, in a world that should be about passion. The two had already worked together on a revival of the GaGà Milano logo a decade ago.

The GaGá Laboratory Project

– How did this project come about?

Mo Coppoletta: It had been 3 years since Ruben told me that he wanted to do something cool and that he wanted to do it together. However, we needed a starting point and a goal. We both agreed to focus on the aesthetic aspect, me being a designer and him being creative. It had to be a watch with a high perceived value for money. And I must say we succeeded. Then tastes are always subjective, but anyone can realize that it is a well-made product.

– What were you inspired by?

Mo Coppoletta: We were inspired by Milano da bere, by a period, the 1950s/60s, the second after the war. A time when Italy had a dazzling design boom in which fans, lambrettas and more were in everyone’s homes, objects that everyone could afford.

Creations that seeing them now evoke a prosperous time when Italy was beautiful, fresh, sparkling also thanks to a bit of American influence that brought us rock n roll and chrome.

– Going into specifics, what kind of results did you get?

Mo Coppoletta: Starting to design appeared something round, soft-looking, in reality translated into a soft stone that retains the DNA in the lugs and crown but completely detaches it from its heritage. We finished the lugs, we modified parts of the case by making inserts that enriched the whole, raising the level of complexity yes, but that gave us the opportunity to indulge ourselves with many possibilities of combinations.

Another key aesthetic component was due to the fact that we wanted the dial to be striking, in line with the 1950s but also contemporary; the absence of the minute hand and the hour window bring our eye to the central part of the watch, leaving the rest in the background for a moment. The perception is soft and sophisticated, consistent with the rest of the watch but with a strong, assertive graphic impact.

Of all the designs that were made we decided, for the time being, to keep two versions: the Fifty with its green, I would say almost vintage copper; the Baohouse with black as the protagonist and a couple of touches of red.

– As an art director would you like this line to be maintained as well?

Mo Coppoletta: We care that this artistic care is present and carried through in every aspect of the brand, in communication above all. In fact, we chose Alessandro Ristori as our ambassador. Alessandro for me is the best entertainer of the moment and perfectly marries this 50s/60s taste of which we also propose a revisitation.

– How is it possible for a person who started in the art of tattooing to be drawing watches today?

Mo Coppoletta: Advice given by those who have made it is worthless in my opinion: if Lady GaGa tells me I can do it or what I have to do, okay I think, thank you, you have made it…but the other 3 million who sang better than you are back to work! I think strong interest and enthusiasm count a lot. Of the things I draw I am a collector and consumer. Bottles, clothes, watches… the latter world has fascinated me for a long time, I’ve studied it, discovered it, and am constantly learning about it because I like it. This I think makes a difference in everything.

– Ruben, how do two creative people get along? And how did they manage to get along in this new project? With a specific logic, in this case we don’t create a brand from scratch but revisit something that already exists and create a rib of it with the same DNA but a very different identity? Something new for one and not new for the other.

Ruben Tomella: It is an important moment for me, we are definitely talking about the second chapter of my working life. It was time to change something, kind of like when for a while you keep a style then you look in the mirror and you think it’s time to change. It was important for me to have a person beside me that I trusted, but more importantly I was comfortable with. Mo is a friend, I have known him for years, I have a deep respect and esteem for him. I’m 50 years old and if I’m with someone it’s because I enjoy being with them otherwise I don’t need them, I can easily do without them.

And this is the human side, of everyday life. On the professional side, I know what’s always on his mind, he’s a lover of things, he knows what the currents are, and he lives all that. He is a collector and connoisseur of this world, there are tons of designers who don’t know the product, they have no idea what they are producing.

– Two creative people working together: it happens then that not only opposites attract!

Ruben Tomella: There were moments of decisions where there was a decision to keep dna gaga and others where you had to get out of dna gaga. We never clashed on style, if there is no trust on the artistic side you don’t perform anymore and I preferred Mo to give the line, on the other side I know, with some experience, how to do it, or rather what you have to do to make a watch. It is not that simple. Our watches have a case with 7 parts, the dial has 8. Already that might give an idea of the work behind it.

– What is it like to start a project “almost” from scratch?

Ruben Tomella: Clearly we are humble in thinking that this is a new project, there is a lot to do and we are just at the beginning. We know where we want to go and who we would like to have our products. We don’t just want collectors, let’s call them a bit watch nerds, we think our brand can have a broader clientele, we have fashion traits, strong design connotations that wink at lifestyle.

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