Scottish Watches Podcast #725 : Bringing Italian Flair To The Watch Industry With D1 Milano

2025-11-10

Welcome to the Scottish Watches Podcast Episode 725! The Swiss have SWATCH, the Japanese have G-SHOCK and Italians have D1 Milano! Today, we’re speaking with Dario Spallone, founder of D1 Milano! A brand that has successfully merged Italian design with contemporary pop-art sensibilities. D1 is best known for experimenting with materials like polycarbonate with soft-touch coatings, PVD-treated components, and carbon fiber dials, all while keeping the finishing and details far beyond what you’d expect at the price point. In this conv...

Welcome to the Scottish Watches Podcast Episode 725!

The Swiss have SWATCH, the Japanese have G-SHOCK and Italians have D1 Milano!

Today, we’re speaking with Dario Spallone, founder of D1 Milano! A brand that has successfully merged Italian design with contemporary pop-art sensibilities. D1 is best known for experimenting with materials like polycarbonate with soft-touch coatings, PVD-treated components, and carbon fiber dials, all while keeping the finishing and details far beyond what you’d expect at the price point.

In this conversation, Dario takes us through the origins of the brand, which he launched at the age of 20, and explains why simplicity in design often conceals the most complex decisions. We’ll dive into their cult favorite Sketch editions, the ultra-thin line, and the brand’s R&D collaborations with the Polytechnic University of Milan that are pushing new material science into accessible watchmaking.

We also explore how D1 Milano approaches collaborations, from comics to the upcoming Pan Am project. This is a deep dive into how a young Italian brand has carved out a unique identity between fashion watches, Genta-era inspirations, and design experimentation.

Click here to read along and see the photos in our show notes as you listen – http://www.scottishwatches.co.uk/2025/11/10/scottish-watches-podcast-725-bringing-italian-flair-to-the-watch-industry-with-d1-milano/

Dario is wearing his D1 Milano Ecru Polycarbon

Rikki is wearing his D1 Milano White Sketch PolycarbonD1

White Sketch Polychrono Chronograph

D1 Ultra Thin

D1 Milano Mechanical Skeleton

D1 Milano Poly CarboniumD1 1970 Milano Groovy Green

D1 Milano x Pan Am

D1 Milano x INTERD1 Milano x Prema

D1 Milano Website: https://d1milano.com

D1 Milano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/d1milano/

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