If a new watch release has to be inspired by racing cars – and many out there are - it should really be the product of a Swiss-Italian collaboration. It just makes sense: the Swiss are leaders in luxury watchmaking, while the Italians are known for making beautiful sports cars that are full of soul.

Meccaniche Veloci, founded in 2006, calls itself a It seeks to bring some of the adrenaline and speed of the motor racing world into watchmaking.

Swiss-Italian outfit Meccaniche Veloci excels at the intersection of that space. Referring to itself as a “creative time lab”, the brand has been around for just over a decade and aims to bring the ideas of speed and adrenaline to luxury watchmaking.

The Icon Tourbillon

Having previously relied mostly on movements by ETA for its creations, the brand has now taken its work one step further with the release of its first in-house tourbillon movement, the MV8880.

The Geneva-based brand will equip its Icon and QuattroValvole with the Swiss-made MV8880, which will enhance their already recognizable piston shaped case, especially with their carbon fibre skeleton dials.

The new MV8880 calibre

Along with the tourbillon, three different and independent time zones will be displayed in the remaining “cylinders”. And I bet these new models will be put to good use within the Bespoke Atelier, which offers personalisation services to Meccaniche Veloci customers.

The release of its first tourbillon movement is no doubt an attempt by Meccaniche Veloci to consolidate its position in the high-end watchmaking. And in today’s hyper-competitive watch market, the impression seems to be that a brand doesn’t get taken very seriously without releasing a tourbillon model, hence the MV8880.

All that that suggests a correspondingly high price point: the titanium models will be priced at 55,000 Swiss francs while the pink gold version will be nearly 50% more expensive at 75,000 Swiss francs.