10:10

Neprosolar: “50 years and yet nothing invented?”

Temps de lecture : 2 minutes

Time to Watches 2026, breaking new! First unveiled at the Basel Fair in 1976, Neprosolar 1976–2026 is back 50 years later at the Time To Watches (Lodge) exhibition: timeless avant-garde design, Back to the Future, Swiss-made, highly advanced technology, on-trend…

A Shaniah Asha Gibson’s selection / @TRP, Cabinet d’écritures et d’influence
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Its retro-chic style is all the rage since Bamford London set the trend: the store has been a huge hit! It is renowned for creating bespoke models for die-hard collectors and trendsetters.

Timeless design, cutting-edge technology

Remaining completely loyal to its original lines, the Neprosolar hasn’t aged at all in 50 years! It has actually been improved, boasting water resistance to 30 metres – a real technical achievement given its striking and unusual design. As for its power reserve, it now lasts for over 500 days.

The original prototype, unveiled for the very first time

Starting with an original prototype found in a box, the Neprosolar 2026 has been completely rebuilt, as faithfully as possible. Time management and display functions have been jointly developed with Dynamic Motion, a Swiss company with expertise in electronic technologies and tailor-made developments. Its micro- photovoltaic cell and rechargeable battery revolutionise solar energy capture and storage.

“Nothing new in 50 years?”

To understand the origins of this very contemporary model, one must reread the personal and intimate pages of a family watchmaking adventure launched over 50 years ago by Dr Paolo Spadini (1926–2024), a key figure in the early years of quartz watchmaking and miniature alarm clocks: his son Daniele Spadini and his team turned heaven and earth to ensure that the revival of the original 1976 Neprosolar could be presented to his father before he passed away.

The 1976 press release has been found in the JSH archives of Baselworld (from 1969): three texts in French, English and German, under the black-and-white picture

Mission accomplished! The latter, with the 2026 edition on his wrist, proud and smiling, couldn’t resist leaving one last gift, a spontaneous and legendary remark:

Paolo Spadini to his son Daniele: «But haven’t you really come up with anything new over the past 50 years»

Back to the Future: A New Chapter

Right down to the detail of its purely watchmaking finishing touches, the Neprosolar embodies accessible Swiss excellence: the brushed and polished steel of its case and the machined bracelet links, its 3-atmosphere water resistance and its red OLED display in the pure spirit of the 70s make it a truly desirable piece.

A timepiece whose memory is unlikely to be erased, thanks to its unique box display, a so looked-like time-capsule that was definitively able to protect this design for almost 50 years and that further illustrates this time journey and back to the future.

The battery has an approximate zero-to-full solar recharge rate of around 20 hours. If the display is activated 10 times a day without solar recharge, the battery will discharge in around 500 days.

The Neprosolar is delivered in an aluminium cylinder, whose nostalgic look is reminiscent of those time capsules sending a message from the past to the future.

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