Hands-On With The New Echo/Neutra Cortina 1956 Coppa D’Oro Delle Dolomiti
Today, I’m looking at a watch that pays tribute to the Coppa d’Oro car race. There are a few alternate hobbies and interests that seem to complement watch collecting. Perhaps none come as close as the fascination with cars. It’s the similarity that they are mechanical objects with the sole original purpose of being useful tools. A car takes you from A to B, and a watch tells you the time. However, automotive technology evolved over decades, and enthusiasts began to push their cars to their limits in speed or endurance; thus, car races were born. Watches still played their part as tools used to time these races and determine the victors.
Formula 1 is perhaps the most famous institution in motorsports. It is often considered the pinnacle of modern speed-based car racing. However, fans of classic, antique, and vintage cars are also well catered to. And that’s where the watches I have before me today nicely slot in. Echo/Neutra has produced two limited editions of its successful Cortina 1956 Chronograph to celebrate the 2024 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti race, which recently took place in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Of course, Cortina d’Ampezzo lends its name to Echo/Neutra’s most popular watch family.
A need for speed at the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti
The Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti has been a regularity on the streets of Cortina d’Ampezzo since 1947, and it started as a pure speed race. Today, it is famous for its antique/vintage cars produced until 1971. It takes racers along a picturesque route through the Dolomite mountains, a UNESCO World Heritage site. With fresh, rarefied air and breathtaking landscapes, the radiant and jagged mountains’ winding roads are traversed by cars that enthusiasts can only dream of. This year marked the 76th edition of the Coppa d’Oro racing through northern Italy’s majestic Dolomites. It took place from the 18th to the 21st of July. This year, the team of Mario Passanante and Alessandro Molgora took the first-place finish in the Fiat 508C of Franciacorta Motori, repeating their success of 2023.
The Cortina 1956 Chronographs may seem familiar…
So, now that we’re up to scratch about the race, let’s take a closer look at the watches. Each variation is presented as a limited edition of just 100 pieces. The 40mm stainless steel case measures 14.1mm thick (including the domed sapphire crystal) and 46mm lug to lug. This is the same case Echo/Neutra uses for the rest of its Cortina 1956 Chronograph models. It’s a beautiful shape with a Speedy-inspired fixed bezel and a lovely tapered, polished facet along the lugs. While not a copy of the famous Speedmaster case, there’s enough familiarity to allow this case to feel right at home on most wrists.
Aside from the aesthetic differences, one key differentiating factor of this Limited Edition compared to the brand’s core collection is the tachymeter scale on the bezel. Echo/Neutra usually uses a telemeter scale on its chronograph bezel, but in keeping the spirit of the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti, the tachymeter feels more appropriate. I don’t usually care for chronograph scales as they’re largely redundant in this day and age. However, the tachymeter is a nice touch, and I particularly liked the playful font used.
Two tasteful colors
This limited edition comes in two different colorways. We have a blue and peach model and a peach and blue one. Essentially, they’re opposites of one another. The peach dial certainly stands out as the more “different” of the two variations. Its color is not one you see very often on watch dials, certainly not as the primary color, but it’s rather fetching here. It’s playful and tasteful in execution. The main dial and bezel use this color, with a darker blue for the hour markers, bezel text, and sub-dials. Sitting proudly at 6 o’clock is the Coppa d’Oro logo in red. The blue dial is certainly more subtle and less bold. As mentioned, it’s the inverse of the peach dial. The blue dial ekes out in front and is my favorite of the two, but it is a close call.
Another thing you may notice on the dial is the number of different fonts used. Usually, this is a sin, but on this occasion, I’m willing to give a little leeway — stay with me here. I count four to five different fonts/variations, but given the watch’s inspiration and tie-in to the car racing, it kind of works. Think of the cars that participate in these races, and you’ll see a few different sponsors with their badges and logos on the side or hood. Do you catch my drift? Whether Echo/Neutra planned it for this reason or not, I’m on board.
The hands are the brand’s standard handset used in the Cortina collection. An arrow-tipped hour hand and a baton minute hand feature the only lume on these watches. Echo/Neutra decided to forgo lume on the bezel or the dial to keep the color schemes uniform and on-plan. There’s one final detail that you may have missed. The central chronograph seconds hand features a tip in red and white, the colors of the signs on the Dolomite mountain trails. The brand hides this Easter egg on all its watches, a subtle nod to its Italian heritage.
Blue leather or steel mesh
Each Echo/Neutra Cortina 1956 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti comes with a blue leather strap and a stainless steel mesh bracelet. I noted in my most recent Echo/Neutra hands-on review how nicely made the leather straps are. Again, I am pleasantly surprised by the quality and feel of the leather strap. This is no afterthought accessory. The handcrafted Italian calf leather is supple and breaks in nicely.
The blue- and the peach-dial watches both come with a blue leather strap, albeit in slightly different executions. The blue watch keeps it simple with a vintage-style strap and a contrasting side-stitch accent. On the flip side, the peach watch features fully stitched sides. The one point I’d like to see addressed is the lack of quick-release spring bars. These days, I feel like they are often, and should be, the standard option for leather straps.
Based on previous experience, I don’t care too much for mesh bracelets, especially those with straight edges rather than specially fitted end links. Consequently, I initially wore the Cortina 1956 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti watches on their leather straps for the review. However, curiosity got the better of me, and I gave the mesh bracelets a chance. The quality is fine enough, and the signed clasps are generic in style but do their job. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the on-wrist experience once I strapped the watch on. Aesthetically, the mesh bracelet was a great match.
Sellita inside
As mentioned, the Cortina 1956 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti only differs aesthetically from the core collection. Therefore, inside, we find the same hand-wound Sellita SW510M BH b with Elaboré-grade finishing. This caliber gives the wearer 58 hours of power reserve. Though the movement remains hidden behind a steel case back, Echo/Neutra has proudly signed it with the logo and Cortina 1956 branding. Operated via the push/pull crown, it winds smoothly and has good action on the pushers. In short, the movement does a commendable job across the board. I don’t have a timegrapher, so I cannot give you a highly detailed report on the accuracy other than that I did not have to adjust the time over the week. I always set my watches a few minutes fast anyway, so I wouldn’t likely notice any slight deviation.
It’s fair to say that these two limited edition releases are not groundbreaking in design compared to the brand’s existing offerings. If you already have one of the other Cortina 1956 Chronographs, there’s no reason to rush out to buy another one unless you specifically like the new colorways. That said, if you don’t own one and you appreciate Echo/Neutra’s design language, the Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti limited editions are certainly worth investigating. The colors are charming, and the small production run will undoubtedly appeal to some out there.
Final thoughts on the Cortina 1956 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti
The blue variation was my favorite, but I couldn’t make up my mind about the strap and kept swapping between the blue leather and steel mesh bracelet. Both were excellent options for an everyday chronograph. Priced at €1,690 (including VAT), this is not a cheap watch. Breaking the four-figure barrier means that there’s a lot of competition for your hard-earned cash. However, given the continuing quality that Echo/Neutra delivers and the charming design, I think the brand deserves fair consideration. You can learn more about the Echo/Neutra Cortina 1956 Coppa d’Oro delle Dolomiti on the brand’s official website. I guess the final question remains: which of these two colors is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
