Begali Simplex Professional

Key: Begali Simplex Professional
Serial: 3462
Vintage: 2025
Acquired: November 19, 2025
Plate: None
Base: Military Green titanium nitride (matte)

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Click on an image to enlarge. All photos are original works by the author.

Review

The Simplex is one of Pietro Begali’s oldest key models with online advertisements on the i2rtf website showing the model as early as 2003. The paddle was originally furnished with a gold or palladium plated base, gold-plated top parts, and weighed more than 3 lbs. Early production photographs such as the one that follows indicate the key has not changed in overall design much, if at all, since its inception 20+ years ago.

The “Professional” variant of the Simplex appeared around the end of 2008 and offered “a base with a titanium nitrate [sic] finish and gold plated components” along with a “non-reflecting jet-black finish” on the paddle arms finished with red finger pieces. In all other regards, the key is mechanically identical to the non-professional version.

The “Military Green” base finish appeared near the end of 2018 along with an attractive shade of blue. These new colors complemented the already available base finishes of the original black and the “Turtle” finish which appeared on the Begali website in early 2017.

From day one, the Simplex has incorporated micro-threaded adjustment screws which allow for extremely precise tuning of the key. Adjustment screws and paddle action on the Simplex and Simplex Professional keys use spring coils which ensure adjustments that are made are persistent.

The Begali Simplex Professional is one of my most favorite keys in my collection. The craftsmanship and build quality of the Simplex is beyond comparison–absolutely superb in every dimension.

k2mas.net is not affiliated with Pietro Begali nor the Officina Meccanica Begali company.