I’ve Never Seen These Materials on a Dive Watch Before, Let Alone at This Price

Venezianico has built a reputation for constructing affordable watches with the type of uncommon and dazzling materials typically reserved for the luxury tier.

A prime example is the Nereide dive watch, which was outfitted with a Damascus steel dial a few months ago and now features an absolutely mesmerizing dial made from artificial opal.

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Stone dials have been all the rage in 2025, and whether they are advertised as such or not, there have been plenty of stunning artificial stones used. Aventurine glass has been a particular favorite, used by brands like Christopher Ward and Bremont.

However, Venezianico is one of the few to utilize lab-grown opal, which is surprising, given the results. The hearty and capable Nereide Opal dive watch, with a case, dial and bezel entirely in metallic hues, bursts to life on the dial with a glittering geometric rainbow.

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Outside of the mesmerizing dial, the Nereide Opal is a familiar dive watch. It has a 42mm steel case, a sizable crown guard, a 60-minute dive bezel with a coin edge and a five-link steel bracelet secured with a folding clasp.

Venezianico

It is powered by a Sellita caliber SW200-1 automatic movement, the same one found in popular divers from Christopher Ward, Marathon, Unimatic and many others.

It beats at 4Hz, has a 41-hour power reserve and features a customized signed rhodium-plated rotor with radial Côtes de Genève finish, visible through an exhibition caseback.

She’s like a rainbow

The optical effect of the opanl dial is similar to the many mother-of-pearl-adorned dive watches that have emerged in recent years, but magnified tenfold. The lab-grown gemstone, manufactured by Japanese brand Kyocera, achieves a geometric perfection rarely seen in the natural form.

As with natural opal, this synthetic variety is made with 80 percent silica, which creates the blue, green, purple, yellow and pink hues as it reacts to light. The remainder of the substance is a clear resin that holds its shape, making it easier to work with than natural stone.

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The obelisk hands, applied baton hour markers, date window frame and applied cross logo are all metallic with a mirror polish to accentuate the glittering dial. The hands and hour markers are all filled with Super-LumiNova.

Damn-near indestructible

Another outstanding material feature of the Nereide Opal is a tungsten bezel insert, which is found throughout the dive watch collection, marked with a 60-minute dive track and a lume-filled pip. It has a deep gray hue and is virtually guaranteed never to scratch, crack or tarnish.

Tungsten is one of the most durable metals on the planet, with a hardness of 9/10 on the Mohs scale — for comparison, stainless steel is 5/10, and titanium is about 6/10, depending on its composition. It also has the highest melting point of any metal.

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The Nereide Opal presents an unusual blend of cold industrial metal and vibrant stone. A mix of brushed and polished finishes on the case and bracelet unify the materials in a cohesive, sporty dive watch look.

Availability and price

The Venezianico Nereide Opal will be available for preorder from Venezianico on December 24 for $1,395, a remarkably fair price for the materials, construction and finishing of this dazzling diver.

This is a limited production of 500 pieces, and an email signup is now available to receive a reminder as soon as orders open.

Venezianico

Venezianico Nereide Opale

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Sellita caliber SW200-1 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $1,395 at Venezianico

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