Undisputed Elegance: Henry McIntosh On Maserati’s Fuoriclasse Timepieces

The automotive and watch industries haven’t always made seamless partnerships but Maserati is well and truly bucking the trend

Watch enthusiasts might recall the ill-fated partnership between two Italian brands, Ferrari and Panerai, that highlights it’s not always plain sailing when the two industries collaborate.

Maserati’s foray into the watch industry is on a very different path. With the Fuoriclasse particularly, or ‘undisputed champion’ to us monolinguals, Maserati has created a triumph of Italian design, with a startlingly low price point.

This Maserati Fuoriclasse comes in at just £319, which positions it within the fashion bracket of the horological world. Such watches often focus on form rather than function, Maserati has opted to ordain the Fuoriclasse with both.

Characterised by a sleek design, the Fuoriclasse range was created in homage to Maserati’s 100 years in the automotive industry. That’s a century of exquisite motoring design that has beautifully transcended into this timepiece.

The sharp edges of the 42mm stainless steel case resplendent with bolts and grill point towards the brand’s automotive heritage whilst contrasting the streamlined, curvaceous face of the bezel. Both are black in colour, as is the leather strap, creating a seamless exterior aesthetic.

This is a watch for the fashion conscious man, don’t be fooled by the sporty elegance of the Fuoriclasse’s look- it was designed for style rather than sport. The truly distinguishing part, stylistically at least, is the dial.

With the Maserati logo sat prominently at twelve, like a harbinger of quality, the dial is my favourite part of the Fuoriclasse and there’s plenty to choose from. I personally like the use of italicised indexes leading to slanting roman numeral markers, these not only indicate the time but also point to the centre of the watch and the finest part of the Fuoriclasse.

There sits a gold-ringed aperture which provides a window into the inner workings of the watch. This skeletal style is a personal favourite of mine as it demonstrates the beauty and intricacies of the Fuoriclasse’s automatic movement, whether you are into your watches or not this is to be admired and it looks incredibly stylish too.

At this price you will rarely get an automatic movement, normally your watch would have a quartz motor powering it. The difference? The Fuoriclasse will be powered by the movement of your wrist, a quartz watch requires the battery replacing every two or three years.

That’s a nice touch, as is the exhibition caseback which boasts another window, giving you a further insight into how the Fuoriclasse works. The back is also inscribed, with ‘Maserati’ sitting proudly above the window and ‘Italian design’ below- both signs of quality in automobiles and, now, watches too.

Of course, concessions must be made when the price point is so good, it’s rare to have an automatic movement in a watch of this cost, but it’s hard to find many points to critique. Even the 100-metre water resistance is highly commendable when you consider the role this watch will play in most men’s wardrobes.

After all, this watch won’t be strutted out on the sports field. Instead, it’s designed for those who want to look good and look good in any situation they might find themselves in- for the Fuoriclasse will complement casual attire as easily as formal wear. I love sporting the Fuoriclasse with a relaxed look just as much as I do in a suit and proudly wore it dressed to the nines for the Monaco Grand Prix.

The sporty elegance of the watch is alluring, the exterior design at once complementing and contrasting the stunning nature of the dial. Replete with that gold-ringed aperture Maserati has put their name to a thoroughbred winner in the Fuoriclasse.

Maserati’s range won’t be defined by the Fuoriclasse alone. Their collection offers remarkable versatility- in both style and price point. Ranging from the slick Traguardo Limited at the top end to the stylish Pneumatic, which is an absolute steal.

Whatever your style, there’s something for everyone in this encompassing range. As you might have guessed, I’m pretty pleased with the Fuoriclasse.

The Maserati Fuoriclasse R8821116008 Specs

• 42mm Case
• Automatic Movement : automatic skeleton SEA GULL TY6DSK
• Diameter: 45mm
• Water Resistance: 10atm
• Exhibition Back, Stainless steel case black Ip finish
• 2 year guarantee
• Black Leather Strap 
• RRP £319.00