Not a case for the debate of nature and nurture, Andrea may very well have been destined to fly. Son of Dino Cardinali, a Marshall in the Italian Air Force and a pioneer of civilian parachuting in Italy from the late 1960’s to early 2000’s, Dino dedicated himself to developing the sport of parachuting by founding and leading one of the most important parachuting schools in Europe, the Alimarche.
Photo Credit Dennis Broglia
As if falling perfectly into formation with the vision and motto of his father and other Italian parachuting pioneers: “The Best by Choice”, his weekends at airports surrounded by skydivers from all around the world provided the itinerary, but after completing his first parachuting course at the age of 17 it was his passion that kept him jumping and quickly led to him becoming decorated in the Brigata Paracadutisti Folgore, one of the world’s most esteemed airborne military units, and a leader in the field of professional skydiving.
Photo Credit Giorgio Bonomo
What inspires us about Andrea?
Andrea’s passion, professionalism and dedication to parachuting has helped him fulfill a promise to his father (who Andrea lost in 2006) of becoming a professional skydiver. Despite making this dream a reality and achieving a list of prestigious honours including: becoming one of the highest qualified parachutists in the world as a military and civilian parachuting instructor; holding a World Record with his team Vertical Storm; becoming a European Champion in 2022 and the Vice World Champion in 2023; directing and performing in a skydiving performance at the G7; and most recently being honored by the President of Italian Republic, he’ll never stop jumping, continuing to the progress the sport.
Versatility is crucial
Andrea’s favourite RZE watch is the Fortitude GMT-S, obvious in part due to its jet turbine inspired bezel, but for a couple other reasons. Being the proud father of two wonderful children Amelia (named after Amelia Earhart the great aviator) and Ulisse (after the famous Greek hero and adventurer), keeping track of ‘home time’ while he’s away with the GMT is essential. Secondly, anyone who spends their life flying from airport to airport (literally), is always looking for a way to lighten their load. The most sophisticated iteration of our pilot’s watch, the Fortitude GMT-S is incredibly versatile with drilled lugs, a bracelet with quick-release spring bars and a dial that you can dress up for any occasion. Whether it’s at the gate or on a date, it always keeps Andrea on-time and looking great.
Photo Credit Chris Bess - Orbit Media
Although in Andrea’s sport and professional life, timing is critical, versatility and flexibility with ourselves can be crucial in day-to-day life. As demanding as we may be of ourselves, he reminds us to be kind to ourselves when we fall down and take time to reflect, look up at the limitless sky, remember how little control we have, that allows us to keep jumping and escape unscathed.
From competitor to innovator
Andrea’s journey through parachuting is one that many professionals may travel as they progress through their craft. While Andrea was heavily influenced by his father and those around him, it was his commitment to a life of adventure that led to the groundbreaking foundation of a Vertical Formation Skydiving team within his military unit, and as a result, the modernization of his unit’s structure that had not been changed for over 40 years.
Photo Credit Abdullah Minhas
Andrea and his approach to the sport of parachuting is the spirit of adventure that we apply to watchmaking. By challenging himself to push the limits of what is possible, he was able to make his unit not only competitive, but achieve national titles and top placements in a discipline recognized as one of the most complex, challenging and visually spectacular in the sporting world. Like Andrea, competition not only motivates us to be ‘the best by choice’, but it drives innovation and leads to remarkable results.
Innovative features like UltraHex™ that make the surface of our solid titanium watches up to 8x harder than stainless steel, are a result of our commitment to delivering products that meet the specifications and demands of professional adventurers, while far exceeding expectations when compared to competitors at a similar pricepoint.
Be keep up with Andrea and his team Vertical Storm's adventures on Instagram. From competitors to innovators, together we are #ASSEMBLEDFORADVENTURE.
Are you a Professional Adventurer like Andrea? You may qualify for an exclusive discount! Learn more HERE.
