Originally Posted by
rando_couche
Looks awfully nice for hi-ten (very clean metalwork, cromovelato, etc).
I'm just going by what the decal actually says. Also, notice that there's no mention of an alloy or butting (rinforzati). The marketing department normally wouldn't miss the opportunity to expound these attributes, so their absence implies a lower level tubeset.
By the late 1980s their were some quite nice frames being produced with less than stellar tubesets, such as Oria 0.9TT, which was a plain gauge tubeset with quite thick 0.9mm walls. You can find lots of examples from quite prestigious marques, with features such as brazed-on front derailleur hangers, investment cast fittings and lots of chrome.
Cromovelato is not exclusively the domain of high end bicycles. When I was wrenching at the LBS in the early 1970s, the entry level Chiorda and Torpado used cromovelato finishes.
Similarly, fluted tubing can also be found on entry level bicycles. Some early examples can be found on entry level Japanese bicycles from the early 1970s.
So, while the frame's attributes may appear inconsistent the level of tubing, there are precedents. I wouldn't rule it out, However, I also wouldn't rule out the decal not being OEM to the frame, though if it was a replacement, I would think they would use a more recognizable tubeset. Regardless, my original statement was made based on face value of the tubing decal itself, which is what the OP was inquiring about.