In issue 184, on newsstands from today, the Letters column hosts a very special testimony. It came to us from one of our readers in L'Aquila and deserves a space here on our Blog. Because it is incredible in its details, but above all so that we do not forget that L'Aquila is a piece of Italy that must return to life and not be forgotten.
We reproduce both the first letter and the reader's response to its publication.
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Dear Lords of The Clock,
My name is Massimo Volpe, I am a watchmaking enthusiast and a great admirer of the Omega brand, and I am writing to tell you about an episode in my life involving three Omega watches.
I was born and live in L'Aquila, the city sadly known to the whole world for the terrible earthquake that devastated it on the night of 6 April. That night the house where I lived with my family collapsed, taking away the sacrifices and memories of a lifetime. In thirty very long seconds, a five-storey reinforced concrete building was reduced to a huge pile of dust and rubble. In less than a minute the earthquake had completely turned my life upside down, I had nothing left, the only thing I had saved was my life. And by sheer miracle.
Six months after the earthquake, the removal of the rubble of the building where I lived began and we were all there in the hope of recovering at least some small but precious memories. Nothing to be done unfortunately. Everything had been irretrievably and indistinguishably lost, nothing would ever come to light again.
But one day while digging, something happened that I will never forget: after being submerged for months by tons and tons of rubble, an Omega Speedmaster Professional 'Moonwatch', a Seamaster 'Aquaterra', a De Ville 'Prestige' suddenly re-emerged. I couldn't believe my eyes, they were my watches and they had survived such a disaster unscathed, without even a scratch! Nothing had been saved from that huge pile of rubble, but even so, when I took them in my hands, they were still walking. As if nothing had happened!
Tested on the moon as well as in the deepest abysses, I thought an Omega watch could withstand an earthquake. And I must say with great success!
Unfortunately I have lost my watch boxes and would very much like to get them back. As I was unfortunately unable to find any e-mail address or direct contact with Omega, I would like to ask you if you at least can tell me how I can get them back.
Thank you in advance for your attention.
With best regards.
Massimo Volpe
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Dear Dody Giussani,
I would first like to thank you for the attention you have shown to me and for the space dedicated to my story in your magazine.
Thank you for the emotional closeness you have shown towards me and thank you for your 'good luck' for the future. The new year will be decisive for me, my city and my people. Amidst the ups and downs, hopes and disillusionments, there is, however, a great desire to start again and to rebuild, there are expectations and hopes for the future that hopefully will not be betrayed by the institutions and the government in the post-emergency phase. Of course, the difficulties are many and always new; without a home and a job the world is looked at with different eyes, but in any case we must not give in to this situation and try to look to the future.
This is also what the Latin motto that has always accompanied the coat of arms and colours of my city seems to want to tell us. Colours also linked to the earthquake, changed - following another terrible earthquake that razed L'Aquila to the ground at the beginning of the 18th century - from the original white and red to the current black and green: the former as a sign of mourning, the latter as a sign of hope for the future. It did not change, however, that Latin motto that will forever accompany the history of L'Aquila. "IMMOTA MANET", meaning "Stand firm, stand firm". And perhaps, in the light of the many earthquakes that have struck and often destroyed it throughout its centuries-long history (1461 - 1703 - 1750 - 1762 - 1786 - 1791 - 1916 - 1958 - 2009), it would like to hint at the desire and ability of its inhabitants not to lower their heads but to rise again from destruction and rubble.
Thank you once again for everything.
Best regards.
Massimo Volpe
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Omega, urged by us, is already sending Massimo the boxes for his watches. A kindness that is a drop in the ocean for someone who has to rebuild his life, but which will perhaps be a small help to him in order to still have hope for the future.
Pictured is our reader's house, completely destroyed by the earthquake.
