Former MV Agusta boss helps design luxury hyperwatch

Like motorcycle racing, watchmaking takes dedication, precision, and talent, which is why former motorcycle executive and designer Giovanni Castiglioni is the perfect fit to work with high-end Swiss watchmaker, RO-NI.

The Italian, whose family founded Cagiva, and resurrected Ducati and MV Agusta, has collaborated with RO-NI on a new hyperwatch called the RT1 GC.

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While we’re not sure exactly what a hyperwatch is, RO-NI’s marketing material shows a high-tech timepiece complete with a ‘sophisticated CG-30-SV sintered graphene carbon suspension system’.

RO-NI is based in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and was founded by engineer Nicola Rosa. Inspired by off-road motorcycle racing, and motor racing in general, Rosa wanted to create a watch that replicated technology in high-performance motorcycles and cars. By using special materials and employing the ideas of handling and suspension, he was able to create his first sophisticated and durable watch.

Castiglioni’s involvement with RO-NI comes after a successful period as the head of MV Agusta. He took over the company from his father Claudio, who died in 2011.

Claudio was responsible for resurrecting the MV Agusta brand in 1992 after several years of dormancy. The Castiglioni family founded Cagiva in 1950 as a metalworks company. Cagiva would later enter the motorcycle business, before buying Ducati in 1985, and MV Agusta in 1992.

The Castiglioni family sold Ducati in 1996, but kept MV Agusta (and Cagiva) until Harley-Davidson bought the company in 2008. That deal only lasted two years and, in 2010, Claudio bought back MV Agusta for just 1 euro. Claudio died in 2011, and son Giovanni became the head honcho.

Russian entrepreneur Timur Sardarov became a shareholder of MV Agusta in 2017, and took total control of the company in 2019. Giovanni has continued his involvement with the company as a consultant, whilst also starting his own design company, C-Creative.