THE BRAND
ABOUT US
VALMERIA™ is an independent watch brand founded by Luca Tarelli, a mechanical designer with an engineering background and a passion for watchmaking.
Born as a personal project developed by Luca over the course of 3 years in his spare time, Valmeria evolved into a mature and professional model. This led his wife to the idea of turning the project into a brand, drawing on her knowledge in the field.
Carolina Usatii, with a commercial background, directly manages the brand, overseeing its development and day-to-day operations, while sharing the same interest in assembling watches as a moment of focus, calm and fulfilment.
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Luca was fortunate to start out in the field of high-precision machining from the very beginning, working alongside highly experienced professionals, starting with his father, and working directly on machine tools in controlled environments to manage tolerances sometimes smaller than one hundredth of a millimetre.
Over the years, he had the opportunity to work across the entire process, from research and development to design, from prototyping to industrialization, working directly in the field: both in the workshop, among lathes, milling machines, grinding machines, EDM and surface treatments, and in the technical office, working with CAD/CAM programming and design. This journey allowed him to build a 360° knowledge of mechanics and to develop the awareness that he could independently develop complex manufactured objects.
The Valmeria project was the natural convergence of all this.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe that the distinctive character of a watch emerges only when the project is conceived and developed from scratch by the brand, as a direct expression of its technical expertise and creativity, rather than when it is limited to the customization of standardized, mass-produced components. This is why we like to develop our models from a blank sheet, with proprietary components produced in our workshop, giving our watches an artisanal look that is immediately distinguishable from a factory-made product.
Mechanics at the heart:
Construction solutions, materials and machining are the true heart of the project. This philosophy leads us to undertake complex production processes, long lead times and high costs, but allows us to achieve a level of originality and quality that is difficult to reach through mass-production methods.
Each component represents an opportunity to apply dedicated mechanical solutions: alongside traditional machining processes, we often make use of advanced production processes or those typically reserved for sectors where precision and build quality take priority over cost, such as electrical discharge machining (EDM) and metal 3D printing (SLM).
For us, Engineered in Italy means exactly this: designing and developing each watch through a proprietary and transversal engineering approach, combining advanced production processes with craftsmanship.
The Origins of the Brand – The Meria River Valley
The name of the brand is inspired by the Meria Valley, an Alpine valley at the foot of the northern Grigna, crossed by the stream of the same name, which flows into Lake Como in Mandello del Lario, Luca’s hometown.
As it winds through the rocks, the stream forms clear natural pools. Some can be reached along the valley’s trails, while others can only be discovered by making your way upstream from within the river itself. Among them, one of the most beautiful lies hidden inside this small cave, far from the beaten paths: a little untouched corner that Luca used to reach with his friends when, as boys, the Meria was their playground.
An evocative place that has remained a symbol of adventure, which is why it is now part of the brand’s identity:
The triangle represents the cross-section of the cave, while the two waves evoke the water flowing through it.
A simple symbol evoking the continuous flow of the river, a metaphor for the passage of time.
THE MAKING OF A VALMERIA
From design and technical drawings to prototyping and the development of the final components, through to assembly and final testing, the brand personally oversees every stage of the development of its watches.
Some machining processes and surface treatments are entrusted to specialized partners, but most of the work remains in-house at Valmeria. This is also why each production run is necessarily limited.