The radiant glow of gold is celebrated through the timepieces unveiled at this year’s LVMH Watch Week. Gold’s radian glow elevates the classicism of the new Bulgari Bulgari timepieces, adds to the jewelled splendour of Lucea, and infuses the elegance of Octo Finissimo with a singular grace.
Bulgari Bulgari
The Maison revisits the essence of the original Bulgari Bulgari watch, penned by Gérald Genta, with new iterations in yellow gold – a historical material of the collection – and in rose gold. Both are available in two sizes. The first is a gender-neutral and versatile 38mm case, with a transparent caseback for a full view of the self-winding mechanical BVL 191 calibre. The second is 26mm in diameter, has a quartz movement, and is a mere 6.35mm thick.
Echoing the piece unveiled in 1975, the yellow gold models feature a striking contrast with a black watch face. Against this backdrop, the gilded condensed Arabic numerals at 12 and 6 o’clock, together with the elongated baton indices, stand out.
The dial’s understated minimalism further highlights the bold character of the letters stamped on the bezel. Maintaining the original Bulgari Bulgari’s design cues, the geometric lugs of the case extend into a black alligator strap. The second version harmonizes the rose gold of the case with a silver opaline dial, offering a softer visual appeal.
Octo Finissimo
This year, Bulgari unveiled two models of its iconic Octo Finissimo. The Octo Finissimo Yellow Gold is paired with Bulgari’s signature blue sunray dial, while the Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper in steel showcases the collection’s Italian roots with a metallic copper hue, reminiscent of a Mannerist painting – a 16th-century art movement distinguished by its use of vivid, almost metallic colour schemes.
The sun-like glow of the yellow gold enhances the play of light across the watch’s bold lines and Roman-inspired geometry. The case, with its 58 facets, leads to a satin-finished yellow gold bracelet, completed by a triple-blade folding clasp. The dial, lacquered in deep blue with a sunray finish, contrasts strongly with the golden hands and hour markers, ensuring excellent legibility.
The Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper is a true statement piece. Its sunray Tuscan copper dial in a salmon hue stands as a highly coveted rarity among Bulgari connoisseurs. Rhodium-plated hands and indexes create subtle and elegant contrasts on this coppery face. It is paired with a case and bracelet in 904L aerospace-grade stainless steel.
As both models have a diameter of 40mm and a slimness of just 6.4mm, they appeal to both men and women. The transparent caseback reveals the in-house BVL 138 calibre. Extraordinarily slim at just 2.23mm, it is beautifully adorned with hand-finished chamfers, circular graining, and Côtes de Genève stripes. With a power reserve of 60 hours and water resistance up to 100m, the watch is not short on practicality.
Lucea
Exquisitely feminine, Bulgari’s Lucea collection celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. The watch’s jewellery-inspired lines have been elegantly refined, and new facets of Lucea’s personality are expressed through the artistry of mother-of-pearl Intarsio and malachite inlay.
The bracelet’s V-links have been softened and rounded, enhancing their geometry while retaining their distinctive character. Alternating with polished central elements in either rose gold or steel, the bracelet gracefully wraps around the wrist, culminating in a sleek folding clasp. Crafted in either rose gold, lavishly set with diamonds, or in sleek steel, the elegantly slimmed-down, polished bezel frames a captivating dial, either in mother-of-pearl Intarsia or malachite marquetry.
The house’s signature Intarsia technique extols light, showcasing the organic iridescence of mother-of-pearl, and adds a refreshing take on the sunray finish of watch dials. Artisans assemble ‘rays’ of finely cut mother-of-pearl to create a sunburst pattern with three-dimensional pleating on either white or green mother-of-pearl, depending on the version.
The green malachite marquetry on Lucea’s dial captures the sixties’ fascination with coloured stones. This distinct tableau is composed of small pieces of the mineral that are transformed into something beautiful. Skilled artisans at the Bulgari Manufacture in Switzerland carefully select each fragment for the vibrancy of its hue and the expressiveness of its grain. Meticulously cut and hand-assembled, every piece contributes to rendering each Lucea a unique masterpiece.
Twelve brilliant-cut diamonds, claw-set in square, architecturally inspired settings, sparkle as hour markers on these remarkable dials. Their angular shape contrasts with the gems’ roundness. Another diamond adorns the V-shaped crown, itself topped with a cabochon-cut synthetic sapphire, mirroring the dial’s design. One subtly opulent iteration of Lucea dazzles with a diamond-set bezel for a total of 56 gems and 1.3 carats on the case and dial.
The latest Lucea models showcase the passage of time with a choice of two case diameters. The 33mm version with a thickness of 9.16mm is driven by a self-winding mechanical calibre with a 42-hour power reserve. Alternatively, the 28mm version comes equipped with a quartz movement, allowing for a thickness of just 7.72mm. For other versions, the brilliance of the bezel, whether in steel or rose gold, is harmoniously paired with a metallic bracelet.
