Geneva Watch Days 2022: Bvlgari: A Trilogy Of Travel & Adventure-Themed Limited-Editions In Aluminium

Go back in time to the '90s with me: With its unorthodox approach to Swiss mechanical watchmaking, Bvlgari was already pushing the boundaries of traditional watchmaking and going into unexplored creative terrain. When 1998 rolled around, Bvlgari released the Aluminium. It quickly established itself as the best urban watch possible, a seamless blend of sporty good looks with Italian opulence and daring.

In 2022, Bvlgari releases a trilogy of limited-edition watches based on the idea of exploration and discovery, each of which will blend modern design elements with traditional values such as sport and comfort. Creative! Singular! Daring! Famous Italian motorcycle maker Ducati, iconic Italian training vessel Amerigo Vespucci, and renowned Japanese artist Sorayama all teamed up with Bvlgari to launch new eras with one-of-a-kind limited editions. Keeping with the custom of the Roman Maison, three emblematic collaborations have resulted in limited-edition releases that are both unique and collectible. The attitude of the Bvlgari Aluminium collection is reflected in three distinct spheres: the trendy and energetic, precise and exquisite, and adaptable…

Antoine Pin, Director of the Bvlgari Watch Division, comments: “For us, every day is about nurturing a comprehensive vision for Bvlgari watchmaking, keeping it desirable with products that are exceptional, but also inviting with products that are accessible. The Bvlgari Aluminium saga is not just an inspiration, it is the unfolding story of a true icon of sport chic. We step into and evolve in worlds different from our own, but definitely sharing the same unshakeable values of ‘Italianità’, style, and creativity. Colors, aesthetics, functions, the watch is so versatile that it allows us to explore a multitude of variations, each with a strong singular identity and firmly anchored in the universe that we create together with our partners”.

The Bvlgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati

It interprets the sporty visual elements that define the Italian motorbike manufacturer, the red dial, and a chronograph function – cues for high performance and the adrenaline rush only speed can give – that recall the cockpit of the Italian firm’s ultra-sleek racing machines.

The Bvlgari Aluminium Amerigo Vespucci

This timepiece pays tribute to the magnificent and majestic Italian sailing vessel named after the famous Florentine mariner and explorer. The watch does not just echo the ship’s emblematic colors with a black, white, and yellow gold dial, but also its legendary purpose and the idea of travel with a second-time zone indication. The GMT complication, a must for those who love to discover the world, captures the very essence of a taste for adventure.

The Bvlgari Aluminium Sorayama Special Edition

This timepiece resonates with a more urban, vibrant, and sensual vibe. Hours, minutes, seconds in the center and a date window: the art of watchmaking, distilled into its purest expression. With sober galvanized textures and details that conjure up the canonical beauty of the flying and driving machines of the 1930s and 1940s, the silver dial and its pearlescent reflections evoke dazzling car bodies and airframes. The hour markers and hands treated with Super-LumiNova® ensure both optimum legibility and absolute legitimacy.

The watch goes for a subdued design, with galvanized surfaces and accents that call to mind the vintage style of vehicles and aircraft from the 1930s and 1940s. The propeller-shaped hour-markers and hands are enhanced with Super-LumiNova®, and they are set against a silver-toned dial with shimmering iridescent swirls that evoke the light playing on shining bodywork. It's the artist's lucky number, and the only one that's visible, so it's more than just a passing mention.

This special edition model has a diameter of 40 mm, is made of aluminium, and is water-resistant to a depth of 100 meters thanks to its rubberized casing and bezel. Crowning it all is a piece of black titanium that has been strengthened. Sorayama's autograph is etched in black ink on the caseback. Aluminium links and a pin buckle add a touch of shine, which is echoed by the famous rubber strap. There's a 42-hour power reserve mechanical self-winding movement beating away inside the casing.

Sorayama plays with metal in a vibrant and sensual way. From airplanes to pin-ups, his quest for an aesthetic delves into the fantasy world of the 30s and 40s, while embedding it in the here and now.

As the artist explains: “When I was asked to be part of this collaboration, I developed three main design elements. The first consists of a circular pattern swirl on a dial inspired by the surface of Spirit of St. Louis which made the first nonstop solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. The second was to put an actual number 2 at 2 o’clock only because two is my lucky number: I was born on 22 February in the 22nd year of the Japanese Shōwa era. The third is my SORAYAMA logo. 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.”

An idea created in 1998 combining an alliance of aluminium and rubber gives shape to a pure style based on black and white graphics and defined by its sporty-chic nature, and Bvlgari Aluminium has imposed its unorthodox approach throughout the span of two generations. A self-winding mechanical mechanism had been installed in the case by the year 2020.

So, Bvlgari brings together two of the world's finest craftsmen to create a model that is unwaveringly contemporary. The watch's Italian soul, which resists the pull of trends and nostalgia, is dedicated to appreciating the enduring elegance of design.

The Bvlgari Aluminium Special Edition Sorayama is a timepiece that manages to be both opulent and subversive, a perfect reflection of the past and present. The dial, which represents the history of flying and the vehicle, represents the hope of achieving new heights

Discovery! Adventure! The Unexpected! Bvlgari sure knows how to hit the ball out of the park!