#Riva runabout series

If Chris-Craft was to Cadillac, it seemed, then Riva would be to Ferrari.Ĭarlo was very perceptive to the growing demands of a post-war Europe flush with prosperity, and excelled at capturing the collective zeitgeist. They were handsome, powerful, reliable, and attainable by the burgeoning upper middle class. He did this by looking to the American company Chris-Craft, emulating its processes, but also taking it a step further.Īt the time, Chris-Craft was the Cadillac of runabouts – they defined a product and a style. When it was his turn to take the helm, however, Carlo broke with tradition and transformed the small family business of made-to-order powerboats into a global industrialized powerhouse. Here in the town of Sarnico, Carlo followed in the footsteps of his father who, after having apprenticed under the original paterfamilias, slowly transitioned Riva from a maker of transportation and passenger craft to pleasure and power craft.

It’s a place that begs James Bond to chase villains or seduce women on something as appropriate as a shiny mahogany speedboat. Similar to its larger and more famous brothers Lake Como and Lake Garda, the tip of Lake Iseo sits at the foot of the Alps and is surrounded on both sides by screensaver-worthy countryside, villages and vineyards. Carlo was the great-grandson of Pietro Riva who, 177 years ago, founded the namesake company on Lake Iseo in northern Italy. Tropez without sun worshipers celebrating on a Riva boat, or can Lake Como be complete without George Clooney plying its waters in a Riva, evoking a modern day Carey Grant?īeyond the irresistible jet-set imagery of the Riviera of the 1950s and ‘60s, Riva boats still command smiles and drools today with their contemporary models. To illustrate this, is it possible to picture St. The wooden Italian speedboats ooze glamour and sophistication, especially when they were so famously owned and graced by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, and power duo Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor–the mid-century equivalent of Jay-Z and Beyoncé.Įven today, the myth of Riva isn’t just era defining, it’s place defining. The MSRP is $ 1,795 (USA list).Riva has always been at the top of the Richter Scale of cool. As we are familiar from the previous versions, a miniature Runabout Boat is added into the presentation box. The straps are secured with a folding clasp made of stainless steel. The new models are offered on leather straps finished in dark blue or brown. The movement is also equipped with GMT and date function. Self-winding movement beats at 4Hz and offers a power reserve of 38 hours. The model is powered with the Caliber FC-350. The hands and indices are SuperLuminova filled for better legibility at dark conditions.

The watch is water resistant to 50 meters.įrederique Constant Runabout Riva comes with two dial colors as silver and black. The front side of the case sports a scratch resistant sapphire crystal while the caseback features the Riva Historical Society logo.

#Riva runabout series

The new series comes in a stainless steel case measuring 42mm in diameter. The latest model comes in two different versions and limited to 2888 pieces per each. The brand is collaborating with Riva Boats since 2009 and introduced limited edition timepieces for the brand partnership. Frederique Constant added a pair of new models to the Runabouts Collection.