Porthole Series
INSPIRED BY MARINE EXPLORATION, DESIGNED TO TAKE IT ON
The Porthole Series is our first collection and required almost 2 years of development and several iterations to refine its design and performance.
The project is characterized by the integration of several reinterpreted nautical elements, harmonized within a case featuring a unique and registered geometry.
(design registration no. 015148945-0001)
Water-resistant to 200 metres despite its exhibition caseback, the case is crafted from materials and treated with dedicated finishes to ensure high resistance to corrosion, abrasion and impact.
The design is conceived to emphasize its rounded form from every angle, recalling the aesthetic of a porthole through the geometric continuity between its components and the reduction of the typical protrusions found on common divers, without sacrificing lugs or crown protection.
THE PORTHOLE
The front features a sapphire crystal with an anti-reflective coating and a 60-click unidirectional bezel machined from solid 316L steel and coated with Titanium Aluminium Carbonitride. Together with the CarbonForged insert secured by equiangular Torx screws, it defines the visual identity of the series.
3D-PRINTED NAUTICAL SKEG-STYLE MICRO LUGS
On the sides, the case (machined from solid CuSn8 phosphor bronze, micro-blasted, or 316L + TiAlCN) features lugs divided into four distinct elements, inspired by the concept and shape of a nautical skeg.
Like a skeg in relation to the hull, the lugs are conceived as distinct structural appendages, individually secured to the case middle (stainless steel Torx screws) to preserve the continuity of the circular profile.
Their complex geometry is achieved through 3D printing in 316L using selective laser melting (SLM).
The process allows shapes that would be impossible to achieve using traditional methods and, thanks to the rapid melting and cooling cycles layer by layer, produces a fine-grained microstructure that provides greater hardness and yield strength than conventionally machined material.
This makes the lugs even more resistant to impact and, thanks to the addition of the ceramic coating, even better protected against corrosion and abrasion.
SHIP'S WHEEL-STYLE EXHIBITION CASEBACK
The rear features another sapphire crystal and a caseback (in 316L + TiAlCN + laser engraving with a contrasting finish) inspired by a ship’s wheel, articulated into six radial elements that house the securing screws and echo the rhythm of the front, reinforcing the unity of the design.
The continuous curvature between the caseback and case enhances the sense of roundness and integration of the elements, while also improving ergonomics and comfort on the wrist.
RECESSED CROWN AND STRAP
The knurled 316L screw-down crown is housed in a slightly recessed position to preserve the clean circular profile of the porthole case, while also maintaining axial alignment with the movement in the event of lateral impacts (in the absence of crown guards) and reducing exposure of the sealing area.
The ultra-resistant vulcanized NBR rubber strap (Made in Italy by Bonetto) echoes the knurled pattern of the crown and fits into slightly recessed profiles to reduce the gaps between its flat ends and the round case, once again reinforcing the sense of fusion and continuity between the elements.
The overall result is a compact and balanced architecture that, with just 46 mm lug-to-lug, ensures a comfortable fit even on smaller wrists, while maintaining the presence and robustness of a true 42 mm tool watch.
"BAJAU" IS THE FIRST MODEL OF THE PORTHOLE SERIES
The first model in the collection was born from a trip to Malaysia in 2024, during which we learned about the culture of the Sama-Bajau, a people who have lived in deep symbiosis with the sea for over a thousand years.
Extraordinary fishermen and freedivers, the Bajau have developed physiological and genetic adaptations over generations that allow them to remain underwater on a single breath for several minutes, moving and even walking along the seabed as we do on land.
The Bajau seemed to us the perfect emblem to celebrate that ancestral bond between humankind and the sea, which is why we wanted to imprint it on our diver with a luminous sketch on the dial (Swiss Super-LumiNova® BGW9).
and with laser engraving on the movement rotor (Swiss Made SELLITA SW200-1), a freediver together with two yellowtail triggerfish and a blacktip reef shark: special and recurring encounters during our dives in the waters of Redang.
[ The complete technical specifications of the Valmeria Bajau are provided in the section SHOP ]
Pulau Redang - Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia 2024