If any watch enthusiast could list out his objects of desire, the Dottling Colosimo watch case from German safe manufacturer Dottling would definitely figure in it. As it turns out, the first gold sponsor of Commercial Interior Design’s One Hundred Objects of Desire, B5 The Art of Living, has submitted the Dottling Colosimo watch case for publication in the Commercial Interior Design (CID) magazine.
The Colosimo is currently the smallest safe in the world. It weighs a trifling 66 lbs and has been built on a 1:13 scale. Named after a legendary Chicago mobster boss, “Big Jim” Colosimo, the safe has been in the making for three years. The company likes to call it “haute safeology” said Markus Dottling, managing partner at the German firm.
This little safe can be customized to suit the user. Clients could choose to have it fitted with a humidor with integrated air humidifier made of cedar wood. Alternatively, they could go in for a Dottling precision watch winder. Dottling predicts that owners would be tempted to open the door again and again just to celebrate this “mechanical spectacle”.
The idea of featuring the Dottling Colosimo watch case in CID magazine’s One Hundred Objects of Desire came from Patricia Boettcher, B5 founder and exclusive distributor of Dottling products in the region. Boettcher describes the Dottling Colosimo watch case as an “aesthetic gem”. She marvels at the intricacies and details while adding that these watch winding boxes have a contemporary appeal.
This luxury watch winding instrument is an incredibly creative and exquisite unit. It is the perfect safe for your precious collectibles. However, this high-end watches winder has competitors on the luxury scale. Earlier on, we had encountered the Orbita watch winders, luxury watch cases that were targeted at the ladies for a change. The lines were clean, feminine and pretty, a welcome diversion from the masculine designs for most watch winding boxes. Orbita was also behind the classic design of the Avanti 3, a watches winder that doubled up as a safe for jewelry as well.
There was also the stunning Phantom watch winder from Buben and Zorweg which sought inspiration from high-end sports cars. And offering a techie, robotic appeal was the Origin Times watch winder built out of a Bugatti Veyron engine block. For a more classic take, check out the Custodia from Erwin Sattler. This manual and automatic watch winder is not just another watch winding box. It assumes the stature of a piece of furniture. Short of resembling a small wine cabinet, the Custodia is an example of watch winders that collectors would adore. It comes fitted with LED lamps that light up your watch collection each time you want to show off. Another watches winder that allows owners to store up to 20 mechanical watches at a time is 2008’s Watch Winder Pro from Steinhausen Armada.
Of course, the Dottling Colosimo continues to be the smallest of its kind. All eyes will be on this watch safe when CID’s One Hundred Objects of Desire are unveiled in Dubai on 5 June.
