Black and gold; rounded and angular; matte and shiny; Bulgari’s latest watch novelties are all about a play in contrast. In the new Octo Finissimo Automatic, for example, the watchmaker pairs the purity of rose and yellow gold with the warmth of a brown lacquered dial. These gold watches boast alternating matte and polished effects for an intriguing play on light.
They are driven by Bulgari’s ultra-slim self-winding BVL Calibre 138 movement, which features a new automatic winding system, a closed barrel, as well as a new structure for the escapement and balance. While the rose gold version enters Bulgari’s universe as part of its regular collection, the yellow gold model is a 50-piece limited edition reserved for the American market.
In the Octo Finissimo Sejima Edition, Japanese architect and 2010 Pritzker Prize winner Kazuyo Sejima offers a new expression of Bulgari’s powerful Octo silhouette. She pairs what’s visible with the invisible and takes advantage of the contrast between opaque and transparent materials. The result is a mesmerising design featuring a highly reflecting sapphire crystal dial embellished with tiny dots, complemented by a fully polished steel case and bracelet.
Flip over the watch to see Sejima’s signature inscribed on the sapphire crystal caseback, allowing for an unobstructed view of the self-winding Manufacture movement, BVL Calibre 138. The 360-piece limited edition ticker is presented in a special mirror-effect steel box.
Putting a modern spin on Bulgari’s signature Tubogas style gold bracelets is the new Serpenti Spiga Ceramic which is presented in ceramic and gold, two materials dear to the maison. The launch of the Serpenti Spiga line in 2014 was a triumphant achievement for the maison as it showed off its ability to recreate the suppleness of gold through a resolutely modern material like ceramic.
Featuring a bracelet that wraps around the wrist twice, the new watch version takes on a particularly youthful guise. Its bracelet is set with some 152 diamonds while the rose gold bezel is illuminated with 38 diamonds. Offered in a 340-piece limited edition, it is a beautiful representation of Bulgari’s innovative and creative DNA.
With its graphic silhouette in black and white and innovative armour made of aluminium and rubber, the Bulgari Aluminium watch has been a symbol of the modern casual watch since 1998. This year, Bulgari introduces the Bulgari Aluminium Sorayama Special Edition, a collaboration with Japanese superrealism artist Hajime Sorayama. Expanding on the themes of travel and adventure, Sorayama was inspired by the industrial beauty of cars and airplanes of the 1930s and 1940s.
The laser engraved circular graining on the reflective silvered dial recalls the shiny bodywork of vintage vehicles while the propeller-shaped hour-markers and hands are a direct reference to early 20th century turboprops. Enhanced with Super-LumiNova, they also provide optimum legibility. The only visible numeral number on the dial, two, has been kept because it is the artist’s (who is born on 22 February in the 22nd year of the Japanese Shōwa era) favourite number. On the case back, Sorayama’s logo shares the space with Bulgari’s logo as a symbol of this creative collaboration.
I entrusted Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, who has always professed to love my work, with the mechanical side of things. It is my wish that those who see the watch will experience the same joy as me in the beauty of its metal finishes and the curves that are prominent in its design.”
Hajime Sorayama
Limited to 1,000 pieces, the 40mm ticker is driven by the self-winding BVL 192 calibre with 42 hours of power reserve. It has an aluminium case that is water resistant to 100m, a rubber bezel, and strap, as well as a titanium case back and crown.
