Beautiful side profile of Gruppo Gamma Vanguard watch

Our longest-running collection, the Vanguard is Gruppo Gamma’s signature interpretation of the Italian military tool watch - bold, functional and unapologetically mechanical.

Inspired by the dive watches used by Italian frogmen in the 1940s, but better designed, and better built.

The case was redesigned from the ground up in 2014 and finetuned through the years, achieving that distinctive profile and timeless vibe to ensure that the Vanguard will remain on your wrist for a very long time.

Crown protection and locking device of Gruppo Gamma Vanguard

Since the invention of timepieces, the crown has been and continues to be the part that's most vulnerable to moisture and dust, unintended impact, and wear and tear.

The Vanguard has incorporated the integrated crown guard and lock, a device that's precision-engineered to protect the crown and eliminate your worries.

The Vanguard Family

Since 2013 the Vanguard's case diameter has mostly been 44mm, but in this latest execution all models are 42mm, in brushed and weathered finish. Steel bracelets, a first for Gruppo Gamma, are also available.
Also, for the first time ever, lume-infused forged carbon dials are added to our product lineup.
These updates refine the Vanguard while preserving its core design and character.

Lume-infused carbon dial

Lume-Infused Dial

Gruppo Gamma has been in the business of producing sandwich dials for more than a decade. Few brands do it better.

With the current selection of Vanguard models the sandwich dial gets even better - it's made of lume-infused forged carbon, resulting in a marbled surface finish that glows in the dark. No two dials are alike so the watch would be uniquely yours, forever.

Featured in models AG-10, AG-11, AV-10 and AV-11.

Weathered case and crown lock

Weathered Finish

Weathered finish, or aged steel finish as it's sometimes called, is a case finishing technique that Gruppo Gamma introduced in 2017 and has refined over the years.

The combination of weathered steel case and box-shaped sapphire crystal makes the Vanguard the perfect choice, if you like a timepiece with an aged, battle-worn character that’s also stylish and fuss-free.

Featured in models AV-10 and AV-11.

Leather watch strap with steel buckle

Strap Monster

Gruppo Gamma has always been known for "strap monster" watches that look great with just about any strap.

Each Vanguard is now shipped with a premium leather strap or steel bracelet, and a canvas strap. Changing straps has also never been easier as we've switched to using thick spring bars, and our signature multi-purpose tool continues to impress.

We have a good in-house selection but if you already own other 22mm straps or plan to buy aftermarket, this is the watch for you.

Reviews

There're many reviews of the Vanguard. We’ve listed the reviews of only those Vanguard models that are still available for sale.

Kaminsky Blog

Chrononautix

WatchDad

Craftsmanship

As a watch enthusiast, you expect your timepiece to be tough and yet refined.
You'd recognise and appreciate the ​use of the best materials for your timepiece.
​There's no other way by which high quality can be achieved.

Mechanical Timekeeping

Mechanical watches are powered by energy stored and harnessed through an intricate clockwork of tiny gears and springs, a technology that preceded quartz watches by almost a thousand years.

The mechanical movements used in our timepieces are of class-leading reliability. They are easy to maintain, and should run trouble-free for many years.

Sapphire watch crystals

Sapphire

Corundum, also known as sapphire, has a hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale of 1 to 10, and is surpassed in hardness only by diamond.

Compared to mineral glass and acrylic crystals, material and tooling costs are much higher for sapphire. All our sapphire crystals are double-domed and have anti-reflective coating on the underside and while this further increases costs, it also improves readability and shatter-resistance.

Premium leather sheets

Leather

Leather has been in use since prehistory for clothing and shelter. It played a key role in the evolution of pocket watches to wrist watches, when timepieces were first worn on the wrist of military personnel by means of leather straps.

Our leather straps are made of top grain cowhide from reputable tanneries.

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