You’d probably find it odd holding a Bvlgari Aluminium for the first time. You heft it in your hands, unsure of its weight. It’s undeniably metal, but the light, cool, matte aluminium feels unlike any watch you’ve encountered. Then there is the rubber bracelet, each supple piece of rubber linking to the next, softly swivelling on partially exposed joints. You can’t quite put a finger on its design either—is it a sporty watch? Contemporary? You’d wager it’d look equally at home paired with a suit though. The Bvlgari Aluminium is complex, avant-garde even, but it’s a haute horlogerie affair, and this one is unmistakably Bvlgari.
A Brief History
It’s 1998, Bvlgari, a titan of luxury, just revealed its latest collection—a luxury watch line made from two heretical materials: aluminium, a material typically relegated to soda cans, and, well, rubber. It was a defiant move that sent shockwaves rippling through the realm of haute horlogerie. Little did Bvlgari know, this one step would propel the brand into the future, and it was dragging the entire watchmaking industry along with it, whether they liked it or not. Just ask what Apple thinks of aluminium watches.
Having received acclaim as an iconic watch at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2020, Bvlgari finally took its celebrated timepiece out of its award case and unveiled the second generation in the same year. The Bvlgari Aluminium returns in 2024 with three new models—a black GMT model, an emerald green chronograph, and a white automatic version—and they’re arriving with upgrades.
While each differs in capabilities, all three variations share a hallmark: the unabashed “BVLGARI • BVLGARI” signature carved around the 40mm watch face—its stirring arrogance inspired by the names of past Roman emperors stamped on coins, subdued by the black velvety surface of the rubber bezel. Born out of FKM rubber—a notoriously durable material in watchmaking—its bracelet features rectangular rubber blocks held together by pivoting aluminium links. This ensures a perfect drape on your wrist, providing an airy feel absent in most rubber straps while eliminating that clingy grip on sportier days. Though powered by different calibres, all three watches have a power reserve of 42 hours and water resistance of 100m.
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Modern Voyager
As the only watch widely available in the collection, the Bvlgari Aluminium Black GMT builds upon its predecessors by introducing a Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) function, flaunting its capacity for dual-time zone capabilities. This serves as a homage to the inception of the Bvlgari Aluminium when it was brazenly printed onto the fuselage of an Alitalia Boeing 747, which, of course, shared a material common between them: aluminium. Speaking of which, Bvlgari has developed an alloy of aluminium designed to be more durable than the original 1998 collection. Set against an off-white dial, the black hands with luminous sword ends stretch towards the indices surrounded by a colour-coded GMT function with red representing day and black for night. Nestled deeper lies the Calibre B192, a self-winding mechanical movement that allows adjustments for seconds, minutes, hours, GMT hands, and the date to be made through the watch’s single crown.
Mediterranean Odyssey
In a nod to its Italian heritage, the limited-edition Chronograph Smeraldo draws inspiration from the alluring island of Capri. The name of the game is la dolce vita: picture yourself at the heart of Capri, wading in the turquoise water of the Marina Grande. The sand, so fine it feels like powdered sugar squishing between your toes. As you venture deeper, the water deepens just enough to lap at your calves. The water shimmering like shattered gemstones, an impossible emerald so vivid it seems to hold the entire sky itself captive. Here, you feel only the sun on your skin, the cool embrace of the water, and you let the breeze carry your soul into the ocean.
This scene is brought to life in the Chronograph Smeraldo that’s limited to just 1,000 pieces. Now, let’s talk design. Dark green dominates here, unifying the bezel and rubber bracelet to form a cohesive theme. Dark green hands sweep across a gradient dial, transitioning from white to turquoise—a reflection of the Capri coastline. The chronograph counters echo the same palette, hammering home the elegance and essence of an Italian summer. Just as the sun’s energy fuels life on Earth, the automatic B130 mechanical movement powers the chronograph and date function of the watch. An engraving of the compass rose adorns the aluminium caseback, ready to rest flush against skin.
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The Vibrance of White
The White Automatic completes the 2024 Bvlgari Aluminium trilogy, embodying a blend of minimalist elegance and unflinching boldness, while capturing whispers of the Colosseum’s grandeur all at once. Perhaps the most striking piece in the collection, this limited edition watch evokes the spirit of ’90s Bvlgari being draped in all white, mirroring the brand’s audacity back in 1998 during its initial release. The inspiration from ancient Roman coins is magnified by a sleek, one-toned aluminium white dial, creating an honest canvas that complements the splash of red added by the seconds hand. Rhodium-plated indexes and hands treated with Super-LumiNova® only add to the grandeur. Legibility is close to perfection with this timepiece, featuring the classic Bvlgari touch of a 12 and 6, and a clean date display at 3 o’clock. The White Automatic owes its soul to the Calibre B77, the reliable automatic mechanical movement that energised its predecessors.
From the functionality of the Black GMT to the Italian charm of the Chronograph Smeraldo and the minimalist Roman grandeur of the White Automatic, each Bvlgari Aluminium is a conversation starter. On its own, it’s a watch that serves as a statement, a bold declaration that luxury can be redefined, that elegance can be found in the unexpected. But on your wrist, it’s a watch that not only speaks for itself as a symbol of supreme confidence in one’s own artistry, but also one that undoubtedly screams Bvlgari, Bvlgari.
This story was first seen on EsquireSg.com.
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