Hands-on with the Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic Collection – Cinquanta and Bauhaus (Live Photos)

A Paradox of Design and Watchmaking Substance

In the ever-expanding world of independent watchmaking, few brands manage to create a truly original design language right out of the gate. Even fewer do so while pairing their aesthetics with genuine horological substance. But that’s exactly what Gagà Laboratorio has achieved with its debut collection: the Labormatic.

A New Name with Real Credentials

For many collectors, Gagà Laboratorio may be an unfamiliar name. The brand was quietly launched in 2020, the result of a collaboration between Ruben Tomella and Mo Coppoletta. Tomella brings a background in watch manufacturing, while Coppoletta—based in London—is an award-winning tattoo artist and multidisciplinary designer whose past work includes projects with Romain Jerome, Stepan Sarpaneva, and perhaps most famously, Bulgari.

Design-Driven, But Not Design-Only

With Gagà Laboratorio, the duo set out to blend Swiss watchmaking with unmistakably Italian design. And the Labormatic doesn’t just wear that philosophy on its sleeve—it builds it into the very DNA of the watch.

Let’s be clear: the Labormatic is a design object. That much is obvious from the first glance. But it’s not a design object masquerading as a watch. Built at the brand’s own Swiss facility—Gagà Manufacture, which has been producing watches since 2012—the Labormatic is just as much about engineering as it is about aesthetics.

Case & Wearability

The case is a feat in itself. Made of stainless steel and constructed from seven separate components, it’s unlike anything else in the market today. Officially, the case measures 42mm in diameter, 13.3mm thick, with a 50mm lug-to-lug span. But those numbers tell only part of the story.

Wrist Size: 6.75in / 17cm

Thanks to its unconventional geometry and smart ergonomics, the Labormatic wears significantly smaller than the specs suggest. On a 6.75-inch wrist, it feels closer to 41mm—and visually, it reads even more compact. It’s a design that breaks the mold without breaking wearability.

Movement & Mechanics

Inside the Labormatic ticks the La Joux-Perret G100 caliber—a movement increasingly favored by independent brands for its reliability and specs. The G100 offers a robust 68-hour power reserve and beats at 28,800 vph. A custom Gagà rotor is visible through the exhibition caseback, underscoring the mechanical credibility behind the design-forward exterior.

Rethinking the Dial

At launch, the Labormatic is available in two distinct variants: Cinquanta and Bauhaus. Each one isn’t just a colorway—it’s a conceptual design statement.

• Cinquanta features a pale green dial and takes inspiration from mid-century Italian industrial design.
• Bauhaus, with its stark black dial, pays homage to the modernist school of the same name, reinterpreting minimalist principles through a postmodern lens.

Both models feature slightly different finishes, layouts, and case treatments, reinforcing the sense that these are more than variations—they’re individual works of design.

Reading the time requires a brief orientation, but the logic reveals itself quickly. Hours are displayed digitally via an aperture at 12 o’clock. Minutes are indicated on an inner rotating minute disc. Seconds are tracked by the spinning Gagà logo at center. Once you get used to it, the layout becomes intuitive. In fact, it’s part of the fun.

The Art of the Unexpected

Even the pin buckle deserves a mention. Rather than a generic component, it’s been designed to echo the geometric themes of the case, closing the loop on a truly comprehensive design vision. That kind of detail is emblematic of the entire project.

The Labormatic is full of apparent contradictions. Radical in design, but rooted in traditional watchmaking. At a glance, it looks like no other watch on the market—but the more time you spend with it, the more its logic reveals itself.

And in that sense, the Labormatic isn’t just another new watch—it’s a challenge to rethink what a modern timepiece can be.

Final Thoughts

The Gagà Laboratorio Labormatic isn’t for everyone—and that’s exactly the point. It’s for collectors who value creativity, who are drawn to watches that spark conversation, and who appreciate design that’s as intentional as it is unconventional.

If that sounds like you, you can explore the Labormatic collection now at collectivehorology.com. As always, thank you for supporting independent watchmaking.