Bvlgari Bvlgari Velocissimo Integrated Chronograph with Column Wheel Mechanism
Bvlgari Bvlgari 2013 collection, the icon is up to date
In 2013, the iconic Bvlgari Bvlgari joins the revivals and neo-vintage around a new collection promoting the emblematic force of the very first model while at the same time surrounding itself with fresh innovative lines, tints and materials.
By Joel Grandjean
Editor-in-Chief
Back to the origins of Bulgari
A contemporaneity which is declined into two sizes: the 39 mm, including a limited tribute series of 250, which takes from the inspiring original – the 1975 hand-wound mechanical watch – the inscription “Bvlgari – Roma” and the 41 mm diameter which enables a range of combinations composed of vibrations between a two-toned dial, an 18K steel or pink gold case, a two-coloured version mixing the two metals as well as leather or metal straps.
The icon deserved it: the brand recently manufactured its own calibre, the self-winding BVL 191, with a rotor mounted on a ceramic ball-bearing train, having a power reserve of 42 hours, an instantaneous date jumping situated at the 3 o’clock position as well as a stop-seconds system which blocks the balance when the crown is removed.
As for its chronograph (41 mm model) version, the Bvlgari-Bvlgari Chronographe, it is housed by the mechanical-winding BVL 328 calibre, a column-wheel chronographic mechanism with a power reserve of approximately 50 hours. Finally, the climax of the 2013 collection, the masterpiece which attaches the icon to the tourbillon complication, is equipped with a self-winding BVL 263 calibre, owning a 64 hours power reserve.
In almost 40 years, thanks to this Roman icon appeared right in the middle of the quartz crisis, the Bvlgari brand has added to its jewellery dimension the markings of a true horology brand, which has become an integral part of the Swiss Jura Arc. As witnesses by its establishment in Neuchâtel, Saignelégier, La Chaux-de-Fonds and its manufacture at Le Sentier, in Vallée de Joux.
The Bulgari Roma on the wrist: wearing an icon
In the field of industrial design, evolving an icon is a delicate operation, as it aims to reinterpret the established codes of an object without damaging its substance, that is, the origins of its timelessness.
Back in 2012, with the Octo watch, Bvlgari had succeeded in creating a new icon by synthetizing the different styles used by the brand over time. The result was convincing, with a watch having its own identity amongst all the others, treated with simplicity and without multiplying neither the materials nor the finishes. It is the same spirit of the quest for the essential that animates the redesign of the Bvlgari Bvlgari watch presented at the 2013 BaselWorld. A true icon of the Italian brand originally renowned for its jewellery skills, this mythical model has seduced more than one generation by evolving through fashion modes without betraying its past and origins.
The subtle elegance of Bulgari
As soon as you hold the watch, you notice the sobriety and homogeneity of the work. The watch consists of two unique chromatics: the satiny black of the dial and the wristlet on one hand and the shiny silver of the case, the indexes and the hands in the other.
Another striking visual of this 2013 model is the concave shape of the bezel and the sapphire glass ending in the direction of the lug. This slight bend, immediately visible, softens the neo-classic initial design, which would have rendered the piece visually too massive in its current proportions. Thus, the rigour is preserved while lightness and elegance are two new assets.
Concerning the movement, its sobriety is similar to the face of the watch. An important point to highlight is that, just like for the Octo, Bvlgari opted to equip its Bvlgari Bvlgari model of a true Haute Horlogerie calibre (ref.BL 191). While the saving on the finish of the calibre fits with the other codes of the watch, it also proposes an excellent motor without increasing the public price because of expensive decorations. Be that as it may, the qualities mentioned above are only revealed once this Bvlgari Bvlgari is worn. The slight concave at the back of the case doubled up with the integrated attachment of the alligator strap make it possible to fit the shape of a wrist perfectly, even the very modest one of your servant.
Refined pleasure
As such, the play with the curves and the textures seems to have been created uniquely for the pleasure of the wearer as the changing visuals and lights effects vary according to the angles and the luminosity. When exposed to sunlight, the case, the indexes and the hands are illuminated in an unique tonality and brightness that strongly exude aesthetic codes on a deep black background. The design of the deployment buckle is such that it only allows the appearance of a discrete clasp, yet is as powerful as the whole of the watch.
In the past the Bvlgari Bvlgari works were mainly categorized as “Sport Chic”. However, the subtleness of the 2013 edition gives this piece a trimmed elegance. In a black suit and white shirt or in bermuda and polo, this piece adapts to the outfit of its wearer, sometimes in sobriety, sometimes by the power of its design.
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