Bulgari finally goes a bit more mainstream with their rare blue dial color that we've seen before as part of at least one limited edition model. For 2015, Bulgari will offer two steel watches with this lovely (and very difficult to photograph) new blue dial color. These two watches exist in the Bulgari collection (the round case), as well as the Bulgari Octo - each model coming on either a bracelet or strap option. So why all the fuss about blue?
It sounds a bit silly for me as a serious "watch guy" to be focusing on something as seemingly trivial as dial colors - but it is important because style and aesthetics are very important in why we wear what we wear. That is especially the case when it comes to blue-dialed watches. Pretty much everyone likes the idea of a blue-dialed watch on paper, but few people actually own or wear blue-dialed watches on a regular basis. That is because blue is really difficult to get right. Produced without a requisite level of care or detail, the blue will look wrong and not have a high-end feel or simply not look right.  You know what? Even these various Bulgari watches that I got to play with had slightly different dial colors. They were prototypes, but illustrated the fact that minor differences in production can change the blue tones in a way that takes them from beautiful to boring. Layers of PVD application often go into creating the blue tones, and getting them just right is a mixture of the right color, metallic finish, and gloss. Getting the right color blue dial is an art form that combines not only the right eye, but also an understanding of the production techniques. Getting a blue dial too glossy makes them look cheap; without a bit of a metallic finish, they look boring. Blue watch dials are also very difficult to photograph. This is because of how the light plays with them. In some instances if you didn't know the dials were blue you could just assume that they were black dials reflecting light in a particular way that makes them look a bit blue. A perfect example can be seen with the Rolex Deep-sea Sea-Dweller D-Blue James Cameron watch (hands-on here). On that unique dial, you have blue that goes into a gradient which turns into black. The effect is quite subtle, and it is difficult to pick up in photographs. Even seeing that in person, you aren't quite sure if the dial is two colors or just playing with the light in an interesting way. Blue watches are a mysterious and tricky vixen.  With that said, the new blue color on these 2015 Bulgari watches is very attractive. Both the Bulgari and the Bulgari Octo contain the same movement actually - which is the in-house made Bulgari caliber BVL191. This decent-looking automatic has a power reserve of 42 hours and operates at 4Hz. It is a nice element to have in-house movements in these less wildly priced Bulgari timepieces and is part of a larger effort by the brand to increase the cache of their timepieces among make watch aficionados. In my opinion, LVMH-owned Bulgari makes some of the most handsome men's watches today and should be taken quite seriously along with other prestigious makers. Don't be confused by the Italian brand's jewelry division, which is quite separate.  2015 is also the 40th anniversary of the iconic Bulgari collection which originated as a design by Gerald Genta. The collection is referred to as such because of the double use of the Bulgari name on the bezel. This Bulgari model is in steel and 41mm wide with a slight curve to the case which adds to its extreme comfort on the wrist. The steel case goes very nicely with the blue dial color. The Bulgari in blue comes on either the matching steel bracelet or a blue alligator strap.  Aside from the Bulgari's blue dial which is new for 2015, Bulgari has added a blue-dialed version of their newer Bulgari Octo 38 in steel. Note that the blue dial color on the Bulgari Octo is exclusively available (at least in 2015) on the Bulgari Octo 38 and not the larger Octo. The Bulgari Octo 38 is a smaller version of the Bulgari Octo which is normally 41mm wide. I prefer the 41, but there is a lot to say for the Bulgari Octo 38 for those who like a more demure look on their wrist. Ironically enough, the Bulgari and the Bulgari Octo are both Gerald Genta designs. In fact, most of the men's watch models at Bulgari today are Genta designs - which once again speaks to the lasting influence of the 20th century's greatest watch designer. Like the Bulgari, the Bulgari Octo in blue is available both on an alligator strap or specially designed steel bracelet. Prices for the Bulgari Blue are $6,600 on the strap and $7,250 on the bracelet. The Bulgari Octo 38 Blue is priced at $7,050 on the strap and $7,700 on the bracelet. |
Showing posts with label Bulgari watches. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bulgari watches. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2015
New Bulgari And Bulgari Octo Watches In Blue
Thursday, June 4, 2015
Bulgari L’Ammiraglio Del Tempo Minute Repeater Detent Escapement Watch Hands-On
Oddly enough, two timepieces this year were designed to incorporate detent escapements - a form of escapement in the regulation system of a mechanical timepiece found almost exclusively in stationary clocks. One wrist watch to feature a detent escapement is the Christophe Claret Maestoso (hands-on here), and the other was the quietly announced Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo, that also contained a sophisticated minute repeater. Both the Christophe Claret and Bulgari watches are technical marvels, and they also combine a detent-style escapement with a constant force escapement system. It is really interesting how both of these watches seemed to be released around the same time.
The Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch begins with that classic Daniel Roth case shape - a brand Bulgari owned for a while and then later incorporated into itself, just like they did with Gerald Genta. This case shape can be best described as the mixture of a round case and an rectangular case, given its linear sides and curved top and bottom. Having said that, this is the largest version of this case design that I have ever seen, with its 47mm wide width and 50mm length. Comparatively speaking, its 15.1mm in thickness doesn't seem too bad. I'll say that the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch is wearable, but on the border of not being so.
The large case is in 18k pink gold, and there is a trick system to how Bulgari decided to incorporate the minute repeater activator. Note that there is also an 18k white gold version available with blue trim and a matching blue strap. The lower left lug on the case is the activator for the Carillon-style minute repeater when you slide it to the left. That means that lug doesn't actually connect to the strap, so there is another structure underneath it. It all went into making the case design very complicated. There is an interesting view on the rear of the watch, through the sapphire crystal caseback, when the minute repeater is activated, as you see a sort of inner bezel moving on rollers.
Despite the large size of the case, the entire mechanism is extremely interesting and also cool to look at. Over the years, Bulgari has released a lot of highly complex watches with these case styles, and frankly, some of them are easy to confuse with one another. Though each is impressive, I think Bulgari could do a better job at making them a bit more visually distinctive, or give them a naming scheme that make them feel like they are all part of the same family. It takes a pretty dedicated enthusiast to make sense of the fuller family of Bulgari's most high-end watches. One reason for that is also due to the fact that the brand isn't on the radar of many high-end enthusiasts who see the brand as mainly a producer of women's jewelry.
That latter fact is true. Under the ownership of the large luxury group LVMH, Bulgari isn't even placed in their normal watch making division along with Zenith, Hublot, and TAG Heuer. Rather, Bulgari has been segmented into the jewelry division. I can't claim to understand this fact entirely, when Bulgari does produce so many interesting and complicated men's watches. In 2014, along with timepieces like the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo, the brand also released the world's thinnest tourbillon, with the roughly 5mm thick Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon (hands-on here).
While the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo will not win any awards for being small, it is, nevertheless, really technically interesting. The movement is the in-house produced caliber DR 7301. Manually wound, the movement has 516 parts and operates at a relatively slow sounding 2Hz (14,000 bph). Power reserve is 48 hours. While most modern movements operate faster, between 3-4Hz, they have different types of escapements. The detent escapement in the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo operates a bit different and was originally designed for extreme accuracy.
Highly susceptible to shock or movements, detent escapements are obviously a poor choice for wrist watches in most circumstances. Bulgari hasn't explained too much about how they designed the detent escapement, but it appears to have a shock prevention system similar to that in the Christophe Claret Maestoso watch. Both watches also have cylindrical versus flat balance springs. This also has to do with accuracy, and makes the movement appear that much more interesting, given their three-dimensional nature. I'll say that, while the lay observer might not notice anything different about the regulation system, the aficionado will quickly determine that what they are seeing in the DR 7301 movement isn't common.
To the upper right of the detent escapement is a constant force system which ensures that power going from the mainspring to the movement is consistent over time, even as the torque flowing from the mainspring is not consistent. That happens because when a spring is fully wound, it releases more torque than when it is close to being unwound. Because most regulation systems aren't able to adjust for changes in torque, a supplementary constant force escapement can be really useful in ensuring accuracy over time. Sure, you can just get a quartz watch if you are interested in the most accuracy, but it is an interesting exercise in one's passion for mechanical watches to seek out the most accurate timepieces available without having to resort to getting an electronic timepiece.
While the Christophe Claret Maestoso only includes a detent escapement and a constant force mechanism, the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo also includes a very sophisticated minute repeater system in its feature set. The full Carillon Westminster style minute repeater has 4 hammers, unlike most minute repeaters, which have just two. The more hammers available, the greater the variety one can achieve with the chiming sounds. This means that the sounds coming from the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch while the minute repeater is activated are going to be much more impressive than "standard" minute repeaters.
After offering a view of the detent escapement, constant force mechanism, hammers, and gongs, there isn't much left of an actual dial on the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo's face. Though there is just enough of one to make you realize this is in fact a watch even if the dial on the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo looks like an horological version of the Phantom of the Opera's mask. I won't even comment much on the too-short hands, which aren't particularly legible. Let's just say, people who wear the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch probably aren't doing so for an at-a-glance-readable timepiece.
Impressive finishing on par with what you would expect from a watch of this ilk and a suitably avant garde design make for what, of course, will be a highly exclusive and noteworthy collector's watch. While I don't think I'll be seeing too many Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watches on the wrist in the wild, I can still hope to find one out there - at which point I can proceed to interview the wearer on how that whole unique regulation system actually translates to real-life performance. For me, the ultimate irony when it comes to watches like this that are designed for accuracy (at least that appears to be the case), is that the brands very seldom mention or offer any information related to performance expectations. It feels like a car company that espouses the notion that a new engine is all about enhanced fuel mileage, but that then fails to actually mention what its fuel mileage might actually be.
Bulgari will produce the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo as a relatively small limited edition over the next few years. They will produce 20 pieces of the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo in 18k rose gold and just 10 pieces in 18k white gold. Price is $359,000.
The Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch begins with that classic Daniel Roth case shape - a brand Bulgari owned for a while and then later incorporated into itself, just like they did with Gerald Genta. This case shape can be best described as the mixture of a round case and an rectangular case, given its linear sides and curved top and bottom. Having said that, this is the largest version of this case design that I have ever seen, with its 47mm wide width and 50mm length. Comparatively speaking, its 15.1mm in thickness doesn't seem too bad. I'll say that the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch is wearable, but on the border of not being so.
The large case is in 18k pink gold, and there is a trick system to how Bulgari decided to incorporate the minute repeater activator. Note that there is also an 18k white gold version available with blue trim and a matching blue strap. The lower left lug on the case is the activator for the Carillon-style minute repeater when you slide it to the left. That means that lug doesn't actually connect to the strap, so there is another structure underneath it. It all went into making the case design very complicated. There is an interesting view on the rear of the watch, through the sapphire crystal caseback, when the minute repeater is activated, as you see a sort of inner bezel moving on rollers.
Despite the large size of the case, the entire mechanism is extremely interesting and also cool to look at. Over the years, Bulgari has released a lot of highly complex watches with these case styles, and frankly, some of them are easy to confuse with one another. Though each is impressive, I think Bulgari could do a better job at making them a bit more visually distinctive, or give them a naming scheme that make them feel like they are all part of the same family. It takes a pretty dedicated enthusiast to make sense of the fuller family of Bulgari's most high-end watches. One reason for that is also due to the fact that the brand isn't on the radar of many high-end enthusiasts who see the brand as mainly a producer of women's jewelry.
That latter fact is true. Under the ownership of the large luxury group LVMH, Bulgari isn't even placed in their normal watch making division along with Zenith, Hublot, and TAG Heuer. Rather, Bulgari has been segmented into the jewelry division. I can't claim to understand this fact entirely, when Bulgari does produce so many interesting and complicated men's watches. In 2014, along with timepieces like the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo, the brand also released the world's thinnest tourbillon, with the roughly 5mm thick Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tourbillon (hands-on here).
While the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo will not win any awards for being small, it is, nevertheless, really technically interesting. The movement is the in-house produced caliber DR 7301. Manually wound, the movement has 516 parts and operates at a relatively slow sounding 2Hz (14,000 bph). Power reserve is 48 hours. While most modern movements operate faster, between 3-4Hz, they have different types of escapements. The detent escapement in the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo operates a bit different and was originally designed for extreme accuracy.
Highly susceptible to shock or movements, detent escapements are obviously a poor choice for wrist watches in most circumstances. Bulgari hasn't explained too much about how they designed the detent escapement, but it appears to have a shock prevention system similar to that in the Christophe Claret Maestoso watch. Both watches also have cylindrical versus flat balance springs. This also has to do with accuracy, and makes the movement appear that much more interesting, given their three-dimensional nature. I'll say that, while the lay observer might not notice anything different about the regulation system, the aficionado will quickly determine that what they are seeing in the DR 7301 movement isn't common.
To the upper right of the detent escapement is a constant force system which ensures that power going from the mainspring to the movement is consistent over time, even as the torque flowing from the mainspring is not consistent. That happens because when a spring is fully wound, it releases more torque than when it is close to being unwound. Because most regulation systems aren't able to adjust for changes in torque, a supplementary constant force escapement can be really useful in ensuring accuracy over time. Sure, you can just get a quartz watch if you are interested in the most accuracy, but it is an interesting exercise in one's passion for mechanical watches to seek out the most accurate timepieces available without having to resort to getting an electronic timepiece.
While the Christophe Claret Maestoso only includes a detent escapement and a constant force mechanism, the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo also includes a very sophisticated minute repeater system in its feature set. The full Carillon Westminster style minute repeater has 4 hammers, unlike most minute repeaters, which have just two. The more hammers available, the greater the variety one can achieve with the chiming sounds. This means that the sounds coming from the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch while the minute repeater is activated are going to be much more impressive than "standard" minute repeaters.
After offering a view of the detent escapement, constant force mechanism, hammers, and gongs, there isn't much left of an actual dial on the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo's face. Though there is just enough of one to make you realize this is in fact a watch even if the dial on the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo looks like an horological version of the Phantom of the Opera's mask. I won't even comment much on the too-short hands, which aren't particularly legible. Let's just say, people who wear the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watch probably aren't doing so for an at-a-glance-readable timepiece.
Impressive finishing on par with what you would expect from a watch of this ilk and a suitably avant garde design make for what, of course, will be a highly exclusive and noteworthy collector's watch. While I don't think I'll be seeing too many Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo watches on the wrist in the wild, I can still hope to find one out there - at which point I can proceed to interview the wearer on how that whole unique regulation system actually translates to real-life performance. For me, the ultimate irony when it comes to watches like this that are designed for accuracy (at least that appears to be the case), is that the brands very seldom mention or offer any information related to performance expectations. It feels like a car company that espouses the notion that a new engine is all about enhanced fuel mileage, but that then fails to actually mention what its fuel mileage might actually be.
Bulgari will produce the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo as a relatively small limited edition over the next few years. They will produce 20 pieces of the Bulgari L'Ammiraglio del Tempo in 18k rose gold and just 10 pieces in 18k white gold. Price is $359,000.
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