When I think of Anonimo, particularly its lineup of bronze-cased watches, I can?t help but be reminded of the old Barbara Mandrell song, ?I Was Country When Country Wasn?t Cool.? Because Anonimo was doing bronze long before it became the hot new case material in the horological world ? before Tudor, before Hublot, before Montblanc, and notably before the brand to which it has been most often held up for comparison, Panerai (the latter, not totally unjustly: Anonimo was established in Panerai?s hometown of Florence in 1997 ? after Panerai was acquired by the Vendôme Group and packed up for Switzerland ? by a team that included Panerai CEO Dino Zei, and in its early days showcased designs very similar to Panerai?s).
The Anonimo Militare Alpini continues the brand’s longstanding tradition of bronze-cased watches. When new owners acquired Anonimo in 2013, the brand opted to pare down its portfolio, which had grown a bit unwieldy, to two major collections, Militare and Nautilo, (recently joined by a third, the thinner, elegant Epurato), retaining some, but not all, of the technical features and aesthetic keystones that defined its early models, as well as adding a few new ones. From the Militare collection comes the limited-edition, camouflage-dialed model that I review here, the Militare Alpini Camouflage Khaki Limited Edition, which provides a great showcase for many Anonimo stylistic hallmarks, old and new ? not to mention being a really sharp-looking, undeniably mascu...