Watchuseek Admin
May 3rd, 2005, 01:20
Interview with Dott Col Dino Zei
http://www.anonimo.com/Basel05/images/dinoBio.jpghttp://www.anonimo.com/Basel05/images/dinoLine.jpg
During my visit to the
Basel Show 2005 (http://www.baselshow.com/) I was kindly invited by Mr. Frederico Massacesi from
Anonimo SpA (http://www.anonimo.com/) to have an exclusive interview with Mr. Dino
Zei for Watchuseek.com (http://www.watchuseek.com/) and the
Anonimo Forum (http://www.watchuseek.com/anonimoforum). No need to tell you that I felt honored by his request and gladly accepted the invitation.
The other day we met at the Anonimo booth and when I entered
the office Mr. Massacesi made me realize I was one hour late. Obviously because of a misunderstanding,
because I hate to be late for any appointment. I of course apologized and promised not to take too
much from Mr. Zei's time. During the interview Mr. Massacesi translated my question in Italian for Mr. Zei and for me the Italian answers in English. After reading the story about Mr. Zei and knowing about his background and career, I
decided to only ask him questions about his new watches and why he has chosen to work with Anonimo.
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/dinozei-interview2.jpg
from left to right: Ernie Romers, Mr. Frederico
Massacesi, Dott
Col Dino Zei
But first some information about Mr. Zei's background:
"Dino Zei was born in Viterbo (Italy) 1931. In 1950 he entered the Naval Academy, In 1958, as a Naval Weapons Officer, he graduated in Industrial Engineering at the University of Pisa. While he served in the Navy, he had numerous appointments on board and working establishments, study and experimenting organizations. His last assignment in the Navy began in 1968 and saw him fill the double position of Head of the Weapons and Explosives Section of the Centre of Studies of the Navy Commandos and Divers Headquarters "Teseo Tesei" and Head of the Ammunition and Missiles of the Standing Committee for the Experimentation on War Materials. In 1969 he also became Director of the Centre of Studies of the Navy Commandos and Divers Headquarters.
In 1972, after Giuseppe Panerai's death, he left the Navy to take up the management of "Guido Panerai e Figlio", a Florence-based company engaged in important and extremely delicate work for the Special Units of the Italian Navy. In the same year he established and became Sole Director of Officine Panerai Srl, which took over all the activities and industrial capabilities of Guido Panerai. He subsequently became Chairman of Officine Panerai SpA and, after the watch division and trademark were sold to Cartier, of Panerai Sistemi SpA, a position he held until 1999, when the business was transferred to the Bologna-based company Calzoni. He currently lives in Florence."
The interview:
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/dinozei-interview1.jpgfrom left to right: Mr. Frederico Massacesi, Dott
Col Dino Zei
Question #1: Mr. Zei, thank you for the opportunity to have this interview with you. May I ask you how you spent your time after you left the Panerai Sistemi SpA company back in 1999?
Answer: Well, I spent most of my time writing my book "The Panerai Book (http://www.dinozei.com/)".
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/thumbnails/001.jpg (http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/images/001.jpg)
click to enlarge (opens a new window)
Question #2: Mr. Zei, what made you decide to have your own watch brand (rather than a "Dino Zei" special edition by Anonimo SpA)?
Answer: I always had this passion for watches and to produce
my own Dino Zei collection (http://www.anonimo.com/Basel05/index.htm) (rather than having one special edition/model).
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/thumbnails/002.jpg (http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/images/002.jpg)
click to enlarge (opens a new window)
Question #3: Mr. Zei, what made you decide to work with Anonimo to design and produce your watches?
Answer: I received many requests by other companies to produce Dino Zei watches after the claim not to use the Dino Zei name for 5 years expired. For me the choice and decision to work with Anonimo is obvious. Mr. Massacesi and I already had a close relationship and we share the same passion and vision to produce high quality mechanical timepieces. Besides that Anonimo of course has the right (historical) expertise and technical knowledge to produce as such. Last but certainly not least we both are citizens of Florence and we share the wish to continue the Florentine watchmaking tradition.
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/thumbnails/003.jpg (http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/images/003.jpg)
click to enlarge (opens a new window)
Final question: Mr. Zei, the advertisements for your Dino Zei watches says "The Master returns". Who invented the slogan and are you happy with it?
Answer: It was Mr. Scott Moskovitz (Anonimo USA (http://www.anonimousa.com/)) who thought of the slogan and to be honest it is very good in English, but not that good in Italian. In Italian "Master" sounds like "Maestro" which means more or less being a "teacher". We need to think of a good slogan for the Italian language and market.
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/dinozei-interview3.jpg
from left to right: Mr. Frederico Massacesi, Dott
Col Dino Zei, Ernie Romers
End of interview: Mr. Zei thank you very much for your time and willingness to have this interview. I feel honored to have spoken with you and wish you good luck with your new endeavours.
Copyright 2005,
Ernie Romers for Watchuseek.com
http://www.anonimo.com/Basel05/images/dinoBio.jpghttp://www.anonimo.com/Basel05/images/dinoLine.jpg
During my visit to the
Basel Show 2005 (http://www.baselshow.com/) I was kindly invited by Mr. Frederico Massacesi from
Anonimo SpA (http://www.anonimo.com/) to have an exclusive interview with Mr. Dino
Zei for Watchuseek.com (http://www.watchuseek.com/) and the
Anonimo Forum (http://www.watchuseek.com/anonimoforum). No need to tell you that I felt honored by his request and gladly accepted the invitation.
The other day we met at the Anonimo booth and when I entered
the office Mr. Massacesi made me realize I was one hour late. Obviously because of a misunderstanding,
because I hate to be late for any appointment. I of course apologized and promised not to take too
much from Mr. Zei's time. During the interview Mr. Massacesi translated my question in Italian for Mr. Zei and for me the Italian answers in English. After reading the story about Mr. Zei and knowing about his background and career, I
decided to only ask him questions about his new watches and why he has chosen to work with Anonimo.
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/dinozei-interview2.jpg
from left to right: Ernie Romers, Mr. Frederico
Massacesi, Dott
Col Dino Zei
But first some information about Mr. Zei's background:
"Dino Zei was born in Viterbo (Italy) 1931. In 1950 he entered the Naval Academy, In 1958, as a Naval Weapons Officer, he graduated in Industrial Engineering at the University of Pisa. While he served in the Navy, he had numerous appointments on board and working establishments, study and experimenting organizations. His last assignment in the Navy began in 1968 and saw him fill the double position of Head of the Weapons and Explosives Section of the Centre of Studies of the Navy Commandos and Divers Headquarters "Teseo Tesei" and Head of the Ammunition and Missiles of the Standing Committee for the Experimentation on War Materials. In 1969 he also became Director of the Centre of Studies of the Navy Commandos and Divers Headquarters.
In 1972, after Giuseppe Panerai's death, he left the Navy to take up the management of "Guido Panerai e Figlio", a Florence-based company engaged in important and extremely delicate work for the Special Units of the Italian Navy. In the same year he established and became Sole Director of Officine Panerai Srl, which took over all the activities and industrial capabilities of Guido Panerai. He subsequently became Chairman of Officine Panerai SpA and, after the watch division and trademark were sold to Cartier, of Panerai Sistemi SpA, a position he held until 1999, when the business was transferred to the Bologna-based company Calzoni. He currently lives in Florence."
The interview:
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/dinozei-interview1.jpgfrom left to right: Mr. Frederico Massacesi, Dott
Col Dino Zei
Question #1: Mr. Zei, thank you for the opportunity to have this interview with you. May I ask you how you spent your time after you left the Panerai Sistemi SpA company back in 1999?
Answer: Well, I spent most of my time writing my book "The Panerai Book (http://www.dinozei.com/)".
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/thumbnails/001.jpg (http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/images/001.jpg)
click to enlarge (opens a new window)
Question #2: Mr. Zei, what made you decide to have your own watch brand (rather than a "Dino Zei" special edition by Anonimo SpA)?
Answer: I always had this passion for watches and to produce
my own Dino Zei collection (http://www.anonimo.com/Basel05/index.htm) (rather than having one special edition/model).
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/thumbnails/002.jpg (http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/images/002.jpg)
click to enlarge (opens a new window)
Question #3: Mr. Zei, what made you decide to work with Anonimo to design and produce your watches?
Answer: I received many requests by other companies to produce Dino Zei watches after the claim not to use the Dino Zei name for 5 years expired. For me the choice and decision to work with Anonimo is obvious. Mr. Massacesi and I already had a close relationship and we share the same passion and vision to produce high quality mechanical timepieces. Besides that Anonimo of course has the right (historical) expertise and technical knowledge to produce as such. Last but certainly not least we both are citizens of Florence and we share the wish to continue the Florentine watchmaking tradition.
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/thumbnails/003.jpg (http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/images/003.jpg)
click to enlarge (opens a new window)
Final question: Mr. Zei, the advertisements for your Dino Zei watches says "The Master returns". Who invented the slogan and are you happy with it?
Answer: It was Mr. Scott Moskovitz (Anonimo USA (http://www.anonimousa.com/)) who thought of the slogan and to be honest it is very good in English, but not that good in Italian. In Italian "Master" sounds like "Maestro" which means more or less being a "teacher". We need to think of a good slogan for the Italian language and market.
http://www.watchuseek.com/dinozei/dinozei-interview3.jpg
from left to right: Mr. Frederico Massacesi, Dott
Col Dino Zei, Ernie Romers
End of interview: Mr. Zei thank you very much for your time and willingness to have this interview. I feel honored to have spoken with you and wish you good luck with your new endeavours.
Copyright 2005,
Ernie Romers for Watchuseek.com