For the past few years, Bulgari and the All Blacks have pursued a partnership that highlights their shared values of winning and excellence.

As the world rugby tournament is about to begin, Bulgari, official sponsor to the All Blacks, has honoured the longest-serving players and management in the legendary New Zealand team by presenting them with a special commemorative watch.  

The four current players in the All Blacks squad who have played 100 or more Test matches have received the special Octo All Blacks 100 Club watch to mark this exceptional achievement.  Bulgari also recognised a further 12 members of the current All Blacks management team who have officiated at over 100 Test matches.

The four players, All Blacks captain Richie McCaw, Tony Woodcock, Daniel Carter and Keven Mealamu were presented with their watches at a special event in London today, with New Zealand Rugby CEO Steve Tew, All Blacks Head Coach Steve Hansen, All Blacks Manager Darren Shand and Assistant Manager Gilbert Enoka also in attendance.

Featuring amongst the elite in their respective areas, Bulgari and the All Blacks have for the past four years been pursuing a partnership celebrating their common denominators: high performance, charisma and excellence. The legendary New Zealand team, considered to be the best in the world, is the natural partner of one of the most prestigious international luxury Maisons. Bulgari and the All Blacks are engaged in a constant quest for perfection, leading their respective areas with great talent. 

Since they first played more than a hundred years ago, the All Blacks team has been guided by the power that stems from a sense of collective unity, an absolute and enduring value. The players are the custodians of a heritage whose spirit is scrupulously respected: joining the team is an honour and a responsibility. And each of its members adopts an unwritten code that places the team above the individual. The All Blacks have a duty to be a source of inspiration on the field naturally, as well as in their daily lives. 

Bulgari, a jeweller channelling 2,700 years of Roman history, is today recognised as one of the leading brands in the luxury sector. Characterised by the strength of its design inspired by the spirit of Italian genius, Bulgari’s jewellery and watchmaking creations are distinguished by their creativity that is truly unique within the luxury universe. 

Each of the watches awarded to the All Blacks is personalised on the sapphire crystal case-back, with each bearing the initials of the player as well as their All Blacks number. 

The centre of the smoked sapphire crystal features an historical silver fern leaf motif, which is the All Blacks emblem, along with the year 1905,  the year the famous All Blacks “Originals” team undertook their ground-breaking tour of North America and Europe.

The Octo All Blacks 100 Club watch is a concentrated blend of mechanical power matched by equally rugged good looks. Presented as a special edition, in a box evocatively shaped like a rugby ball, the timepiece retains all the characteristics that make the Octo watch truly unique. This veritable piece of contemporary design is inspired by Italian creative genius, the roots of which lie in the architectural perfection of antiquity and the innovative visions of Leonardo da Vinci. In this particular iteration, the case with its 110 facets, 41.5 mm opening and 10.60 mm thickness is adorned with a Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating, perfectly corresponding to the black jerseys of the All Blacks. A dark hue that infuses it with even greater strength and elegance, while perfectly espousing the codes of both on-trend chic and athletic protocols. 

Like top rugby players, the heart of power and high performance lies in the movement. That of the Octo All Blacks 100 Club derives its precision and excellence from the finest Swiss manufacturing traditions. Developed and assembled by hand in the Swiss Jura, the 28-jewel mechanical self-winding BVL 193 calibre measures time with a precision of 28,800 vibrations per hour (4Hz) and guarantees a 50-hour power reserve, as well as driving a date indicator that appears in a 3 o’clock dial window.

This aperture as well as the polished and brushed black hour-marker might almost go unnoticed given the bold nature of the dial that affirms its personality by displaying a Maori mask, imprinted like a tattoo on the background, designed by Maori carver Tana Salzmann.

As emphasised by Mr. Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bulgari, the two names are synonymous with perfection, each in its own individual “playing field” and this new watchmaking collaboration is endowed with shared values: “The Bulgari Octo All Blacks watch embodies the common values shared by two excellent brands, both universally recognised as being synonymous with intense passion, commitment, teamwork, success and victories, each in their own realm. Design, performance and the sporting spirit are brilliantly expressed through this watch, issued in a special edition that is a perfect blend of technical sophistication and refined aesthetics.”