Anonimo

Anonimo was founded in 1997 in Florence on the initiative of Federico Massacesi, at a turning point for Florentine watchmaking: that same year Officine Panerai was acquired by the Vendôme group (later Richemont) and moved production to Switzerland. Several artisans and former Panerai technicians who chose not to follow the move stayed in Florence and created Anonimo, with the stated goal of continuing the Florentine watchmaking tradition tied to military diving instruments.

From the outset the brand paired Italian design — bronze cases worked in Florence, robust shapes inspired by military diver's watches — with Swiss mechanical movements (ETA, later Sellita). The name itself, "Anonimo" ("anonymous"), reflects a stated philosophy: putting the instrument and its wearer at the center, not the prestige of the brand name. Between 1997 and 2003 came the models that defined the house's identity, from the Millemetri to the Professionale.

In September 2011 Massacesi sold the company, which then went through a period of reduced activity. At the end of 2013 a group of European investors acquired the brand, forming a new entity, "Anonimo Switzerland SA" — legally separate from the previous "Anonimo Firenze" — with headquarters moved to Switzerland; watch assembly then shifted across the Alps, while the bronze cases continued to be worked in Florence by local artisans. The brand's relaunch debuted at Baselworld in 2014.