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Customer Service Dress watches are tough.
If you’re anything like me, you love the unique, rugged look of field and dive watches.
The only problem is that these watches look out of place with a blazer. I’ve been building up my more formal wardrobe, and I wanted to pick up a watch that would suit a more dressy occasion (pun intended).
The journey led me to the Filippo Loreti Venice moonphase watch. The design, reminiscent of a few classic Swiss legacy timepieces, caught my eye.
I decided to dive in and give the young brand a shot. Keep reading for my full review.
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Filippo Loreti Venice Overview
The Filippo Loreti Venice is a moonphase dress watch. What’s a moonphase watch, you ask?
Well, that bottom dial with the moon and stars isn’t just for decoration. The movement will track the waxing and waning moon.
Moonphase watches have intense complications and do much more that read the minute and hour. The Venice is a big picture watch: the subdials read out the day, date, month, and the cycle of the moon.
Pretty cool, right?
Things to Consider Before Buying a Filippo Loreti Moonphase Watch
The Filippo Loreti Venice moonphase watch is an entry-level dress watch. It’s unique, looks sleek and classy, and it’s relatively inexpensive.
One issue I have with FL is that they market their watches as true luxury timepieces that rank up there with legacy Swiss brands. For legal reasons, they can’t mention the brands by name, but they’re referring to Rolex, and their name is reminiscent of Patek Philippe.
The Venice is nice, but it’s not on the same playing field as any Swiss legacy brand. I’ll dive more into specifics later, but know that a true luxury watch will cost much more.
Still, true luxury might not be what you’re after—it’s not what I was after, either.
Built with a Japanese Miyota moonphase movement, the Venice boasts a dressy polished case and a visual depth that's hard to find at this price point.
Filippo Loreti Venice Review
Packaging and Unboxing
The Filippo Loreti Venice comes in a neat black box with a black faux-leather interior. As far as unboxing experiences go, this is solid for a watch under $200.
I don’t place too much importance on the box because I keep my timepieces in a separate watch case, but if you’re thinking about giving a Venice as a gift, the packaging makes for a nice presentation.
Case
The 40mm case is made with 316L stainless steel. It’s not very thick at 9mm, which is nice for keeping under a shirt and jacket.
I like the high-shine polish and the rounded bezel—the case design is simple and elegant.
Dress watches trend on the small side, so 40mm is actually a bit large. Still, it’s nowhere near bulky, but guys with narrow wrists might find it a little oversized for formal occasions.
Caseback
The caseback on the Venice (and across all Filippo Loreti watches) is outstanding. It features a laser-etched design of the Basilica di San Marco in Venice.
It’s attached with four screws, so there’s a good chance you can even swap out the battery on your own if you have a tiny screwdriver.
Filippo Loreti gives the Venice a 5atm water resistance rating, which is more than this classy watch will ever need for my daily use.
Dial
Here’s where the fun is at.
The Venice has three subdials—four if you count the moonphase complication. The subdials track the day, date, and month.
With the elaborate movements, Filippo Loreti keeps the rest of the dial sparse. The chapter ring is slightly raised, which increases the amount of depth in the face of this timepiece.
The minute and hour hands are sword-shaped, and the overall look is very elegant. But the shining star of this piece is the moonphase complication.
With the classic navy and gold combination, the moonphase caliber adds a unique touch that’s difficult to find for this price. Moonphase watches aren’t very common, and I’ve found that people quickly take notice. You’ll get more comments than usual when wearing the Filippo Loreti Venice, which could go either way if you’re an introvert or extrovert.
Crystal
Looking through the Filippo Loreti site, it’s not clear what material the crystal is made from. Overall, digging in more on this section, I became a little wary of the brand, because they have conflicting information on the very sales page.
In their spec column, they say the Venice is decked with a sapphire crystal, which is a high-quality piece of glass that’s resistant to scratches.
But a little further down the page, they say they use hardened mineral glass, which is a different material. It’s also less scratch resistant.
Seeing this conflict in information, I have to assume they’re using the lower-grade mineral glass. It makes sense, too. At under $200, many brands opt for mineral glass or sapphire coated mineral glass.
Some brands under $200 go all out and use sapphire, so it’s definitely possible from a business standpoint.
In their FAQ, they mention they use sapphire coated mineral glass, which is a third type of material.
It’s not clear what they actually use, which is a major disappointment. Heck, I’m ok with it if they use mineral glass—it’s a dress watch and I don’t plan on doing any heavy lifting with it. But I expect clear, accurate information.
Movement
The Venice is built with a Miyota 6P00 movement at its core. This is an inexpensive movement, but it’s reliable Japanese quartz.
Most of my watches run with Japanese quartz, so what I’m about to say isn’t a negative critique, but more a clarification of terms.
When people talk about luxury watches, generally they’re discussing something with an “automatic movement.” Basically, the watch will wind itself as you wear it and the actual movement of the hands is mechanical.
In a watch-lovers world, the more complicated the internal mechanics, the more praiseworthy the piece is.
If you’re not super familiar with watches, you might find it ironic that more expensive automatic watches are often less reliable than inexpensive quartz watches. Even more, quartz watches don’t need to be rewound often, whereas an automatic will stop ticking after a few days and you’ll need to reset the time nearly every time you put it on your wrist.
All of this is to say: if you’re thinking about buying Filippo Loreti because you want a luxury watch, don’t.
If you think the Filippo Loreti Venice looks cool, then I can assure you that the internal mechanics are solid and reliable. You’re not about to be scammed on a piece of junk.
Strap and Wearability
The Venice has two strap options: leather and stainless steel mesh. I like the mesh bracelet better for formal events, which is the primary reason I picked this timepiece up.
I love how easy the bracelet is to adjust—no tools needed. And it’s comfortable overall. My only issue is with how the strap is, and how the extra length makes one side bulge out.
I can’t imagine anyone needing the full length of the strap, and I think the brand could’ve reduced the length by a full inch and still fit just about every customer.
What do Other Reviewers Say?
The Venice moonphase has impressive reviews on the Filippo Loreti site, with over 4,000 reviewers giving the watch a 4.8-star average.
Positive reviews focused on the handsome look of the watch. Negative reviews almost all mentioned the length of shipping time. These watches do come from Hong Kong, and can take longer to arrive than what most of us have grown accustomed to.
Built with a Japanese Miyota moonphase movement, the Venice boasts a dressy polished case and a visual depth that's hard to find at this price point.
My Thoughts Overall On Filippo Loreti Venice
What I Like
The Venice is a great-looking timepiece—unique, elegant, and the right proportions for a dress-watch.
It runs with a reliable Miyota 6P00 Japanese quartz movement at its core.
The mesh strap is easy to adjust without tools.
I liked the silver and white color the most, but there are plenty of other options to choose from.
What I Don’t Like
Their lack of clarity on the material used in their watch crystal is a disappointment.
The mesh bracelet seemed excessively long, and that extra length makes the strap bulky on the side.
Who is the Venice for?
The Venice moonphase watch is a great choice for guys looking to pick up a classy, unique, eye-catching timepiece without breaking the bank.
The Verdict
The Filippo Loreti Venice moonphase is exactly what I was looking for when shopping for a unique dress watch under $200.
Dress watches are a tough nut to crack. They’re usually quite simple. Their power comes from elegant materials like domed sapphire crystals and ornate complications. But you’re not going to find that for under $200. You’re lucky if you can find it under $500.
The Venice has the brilliant white dial, dapper sword hands, and the novel moonphase caliber that elevates this timepiece. The slim case fits well with a suit and dress shirt, and the high-polish shine brings the whole look together.
The Venice isn’t a luxury watch, and the Filippo Loreti’s own confusion around whether it’s a sapphire or mineral crystal is a testament to that.
But it’s a fine looking piece and I haven’t seen anything else on the market that has the same sophistication for the price.
Built with a Japanese Miyota moonphase movement, the Venice boasts a dressy polished case and a visual depth that's hard to find at this price point.
FAQs
How do you adjust a Filippo Loreti Venice?
The Filippo Loreti Venice moonphase watch has a three position crown and a hidden pusher. The crown adjust the moonphase and date at position two, and the day and time at position three. The hidden pusher adjusts the month.
How does a moonphase watch work?
Moonphase watches feature a calendar complication. Your moonphase watch will show where the moon is in its cycle. The moon diagram on your watch dial should be at the center position when the moon is full. As the diagram moves to the right, the moon will be moving toward a crescent phase.
