Bvlgari Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition
Spin City: Introducing The Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition
The Italian luxury house and the superstar DJ have teamed up to remix the nonconformist classic.
By Rhonda Riche
Editor-At-Large
Every watchmaker will talk at length about honoring its design codes and DNA, but Bulgari is a brand that understands that you must goose your golden eggs every now and then to stay vital.
Bulgari has a long and happy tradition of working with outside designers on special edition collaborations. These partnerships help connect the brand with new audiences. Last year they updated the Roma with Hiroshi Fujiwara of the Japanese leather goods maker Fragment. And when Bulgari relaunched the Bvlgari Aluminium, one of the new versions was in partnership with the Italian Air Force for the Bvlgari Aluminium Tricolore.
Now, Bulgari has just dropped its most interesting pairing yet: the Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition.
Feel Good
Bulgari offers a broad base of luxury goods. And over the last few years, it has had many crossovers with international tastemakers. Still, one doesn’t associate the watchmaking arm of the global brand with pop culture partnerships (that is more in Hublot’s wheelhouse).
But Steve Aoki isn’t your average celebrity DJ.
His father was Rocky Aoki, founder of the famous Benihana restaurants. But instead of resting on his family’s fortunes, he started producing records and promoting concerts from his UC Santa Barbara dorm room in the 1990s. Aoki has continued to remix himself over the years, starting the record label Dim Mak Records and becoming a chart-topping electronic music star in his own right.
Even with his solo success, Aoki is something of a serial collaborator. This year alone, he has teamed up with digital artist Maciej Kuciara for the “Neon Future by Steve Aoki x Maciej Kuciara” NFT collection. And Aoki has announced that he and his restaurateur brother Kevin are opening a new Japanese and anime-inspired restaurant in the new luxury destination Resorts World Las Vegas (the first resort to be built on the strip in a decade).
Aoki loves the good life and likes to explore all things that bring joy. His CV helps put the Aoki partnership with Bulgari into perspective. “I couldn’t be more proud and grateful to announce my partnership with Bulgari,” said Aoki in a press statement.
Night and Light
Throughout its history, the Rome-based jeweler has used the design language of the Mediterranean to convey warmth, conviviality, and color. The goal has been to stand out from the prevailing trends. And Aoki uses sounds, rhythm, and movement to convey those same feelings.
It is only natural, then, that Bulgari and Steve Aoki decided to combine their shared values and love for celebrating life by developing an iconic and exuberant watch: the Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition.
The most notable feature of this special edition is the dial. It features the artist's signature logo printed over a face coated with Super-LumiNova so that like a Glo-Stick at a dance party, it asserts itself with a glorious radiance that pierces through the darkness.
"Time is one of our most valuable currencies, and that is why together we mindfully and meticulously designed a beautiful timepiece that upholds the strong standards of quality and craftsmanship that both Bulgari and I stand for," said Aoki. "I’m beaming with pride and excitement to share this new timepiece with the world and cannot wait to share what else we have coming together.”
Tech Specs
It’s not just the unique look of the Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition that makes it project a feeling of joy. Its 40mm aluminum case and rubber bezel is built to feel free and easy in any situation. And the DLC (Diamond-like Carbon) titanium caseback is also engraved with the Steve Aoki logo. Plus, its 42-hour power reserve recognizes that clubbers like to dance until dawn.
Even the movement is well-suited to those who like to live in the moment. It is powered by the automatic winding B77 Calibre with time and date functions. And the rubber bracelet with aluminum links and aluminum ardillon buckle will stay safely strapped to your wrist no matter how much you wave your arms in the air.
Finally, the Bvlgari Aluminium Steve Aoki Special Edition also comes in a dedicated aluminum and rubber box. Launched on May 13, it is priced at a very enticing $3,050. Learn more on Bulgari's website.
(Images © Bvlgari)
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