Diagono E-Magnesium
The Bulgari Diagono Magnesium: the key to a new dimension in watchmaking
Bulgari’s Diagono Magnesium dares to introduce new dynamics into the luxury market by adding a unique and clever touch to smartwatches.
By Vincent Daveau
Contributor
Doesn’t real luxury imply owning a unique piece that perfectly meets our expectations? This is what the “tailor-made” principle somehow means: it allows customers to enter a new dimension in their self-perception by offering exactly what each individual wants. Bulgari created the new Diagono Magnesium to offer enthusiasts of technological products a piece that has been cut, designed and produced not only to deal with every day situations but also with the most unexpected ones.
Daring to concentrate the best from each sector
the watch –Italian in origin but Swiss in every step of its production – has neither fallen into step with current trends nor has it given in to electronic temptation. Yet, it is an avant-garde product that is connected to the whole world.
In order to make that split that is often seen as technologically incompatible, Bulgari chose to respect luxury standards by creating a “smart” model equipped with a self-winding mechanical caliber. The Italian brand decided to connect this inherently traditional 41-mm instrument to the present by using steel and a magnesium alloy. The latter is light, resistant and has been coated in Motorlac (an ultra-resistant and biocompatible paint that is available in anthracite, brown, silver or blue).
Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari’s CEO, has long proven his perfect understanding and mastery of the watchmaking market. With this smart luxury watch – a first –, he wanted to materialize a key technological transformation in the interaction between horology consumers and their watchmaking references. This is a creation of its own kind that also preserves the values and identity of prestigious timepieces. What’s more, it is also the key to new functionalities for 21st century’s technological life, both digitally and physical.
Indeed, the mechanical and self-winding Diagono Magnesium, which is equipped with the in-house Solotempo Caliber, houses a secret cryptographic NFC (Near Field Communication) chip and an antenna. These transmit a digital certificate to the “Bvlgari Vault” application that must previously be downloaded and configured on the phone (and which works flawlessly with both IOS and Android).
The application is activated by placing the watch, serving as a key, in close proximity to a Smartphone that is embedded with an NFC chip. Bulgari chose this technology over the many other available options for the fact that the interfaced instruments need to be at a close distance to connect guarantees enhanced data transmission.
A vault on the wrist
In order to be able to provide enthusiasts with a “real vault on the wrist” that can store huge amounts of data in a fully secured way, as Babin put it, the Italian maison signed a partnership with WiseKey, a leading digital Swiss company, which is also an expert in encrypted data storage.
Such configuration, together with a data protection level which is close to that of a bank’s, grant this technology an array of applications that is potentially as vast as the digital universe ergo almost unlimited. These range from password saving to payment making.
The system can also store important and confidential information. It can open building doors and car doors, it makes automatic calls and sets home alarms, it authorizes data transfers and it can even store and act as transport tickets. We are not close to listing everything the piece can actually do but these applications will soon offer science-fiction fans a unique experience in terms of security. The encrypted data is stored in the cloud of a Swiss military bunker, somewhere in the Alps. Should the phone be stolen or lost, the configuration of the Bvlgari Vault will immediately destroy all data and thus block all access to third parties. All data will be restored either when a new telephone is bought or by using the application’s encrypted backup that is activated through the Diagono Magnesium.
A watch in synch with new lifestyles
The Bulgari Magnesium is obviously part of an intellectual creation to which a cryptographic key will soon be added. More and more people are trusting these systems in their everyday lives and, owing to their practicality, it won’t be long before they attract an increasing number of consumers. Indeed, the new Diagono Magnesium is much more than a simple gadget (its guarantee service program as well as the Leonardo Da Vinci club are just two examples). The application designed for the piece is undoubtedly the most efficient and least invasive for watchmaking as it allows the piece to maintain all the characteristics of luxury products whilst at the same time being able to offer as much functionality as possible. The BaselWorld 2015 novelty comes with a smooth strap in vulcanized rubber and is the key to a new watchmaking dimension which is always connected to its owner.
BULGARI DIAGONO MAGNESIUM: technical characteristics
- 41-mm steel case.
- Magnesium and PEEK (polymer) middle.
- Ceramic bezel engraved with the double Bulgari logo.
- Black PVD back.
- PVD steel crown set with a black ceramic chip.
- Secured NFC chip and antenna incorporated on the watch.
- Anthracite, brown, silver or blue Motorlac-treated middle surface and matching dial.
- In-house Solotempo Caliber.
- Self-winding mechanical caliber.
- 42-hour power reserve.
- 28,800 vibrations per hour.
- Vulcanized rubber strap with PEEK pin buckle.
The B-Dinner: timeless Rome with Bulgari & Watchonista
By Frédéric Brun
, Contributor
At the invitation of Bulgari and with organization by Watchonista, the crème de la crème of Europe's most important watch influencers recently gathered...
