Bulgari

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Being Impressed By Bulgari’s New Female Watch Complications

Being Impressed By Bulgari’s New Female Watch Complications

A few months ago I posted an article asking the question, “Do Women Really Need Watches with Complications?” At the time, Baselworld was just a month away and the new watches hadn’t been released yet.

In the article, I stated:

“For a brand like Bulgari, with their recent acquisitions, there is a plethora of complicated mechanical watches to choose from, from chronographs and retrogrades to Tourbillons and Grande Sonneries.  Unfortunately Bulgari is not an ideal brand for female admirers of automatic watches because we can barely wear any of them. I have personally asked the head of Bulgari’s watch business unit, Guido Terreni, at IGOTT2 two years ago and also to Bulgari’s marketing folks about the possibility of a more extensive line of mechanical watches for women. The intentions seem to be there. Perhaps it is in the works for the long term future. We will simply have to wait and see.”

Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long at all. Little did I know that the product of those intentions was just around the corner. This year Bulgari not only added to their ladies mechanical watch line, they have apparently exploded the contents by introducing not just one but two tourbillon watches for women along with a watch with jumping hours. Releasing several high complication female watches back to back was a bold new statement made by Bulgari. It becomes apparent that the brand may have sought to conserve the fruits of their creative and technical efforts for a more concentrated onset of new developments for women.

Il Giardino Tropicale di Bulgari

We saw the new and exciting Il Giardino Tropicale di Bulgari showcased at Baselworld in April this year. The nature-themed watch features a tourbillon movement and a miniature hand-painted dial. “The complicated tourbillon movement of this exquisite timepiece is visible in the window of the parrot’s “perch,” while the dial and precious gemstones burst with luxuriant life. This timepiece is available as a rare and exclusive creation, issued as a limited 50-piece edition.”

The uniqueness of the Il Giardino Tropicale within the Bulgari ladies watch collection is with its tourbillon movement since it is the first one with a high complication. With watches in general, it is original because of the use of miniature painting which dates back to the 16th century. Few watches in the modern era will depict this level of meticulous and historical artistry when crafting the dial. The technique and treatment only goes to show Bulgari’s absolute commitment to detail and tradition when it comes to watch development. Apparently it takes the skilled craftsman two weeks of work to finish one dial.

Bulgari Berries Tourbillon & Jumping Hours

Two months later Bulgari also introduced two more colorful watches with sophisticated complications - Bulgari Berries Tourbillon and Jumping Hours. The two timepieces give female Bulgari fans something that can respectfully stand alongside the many master complications that men already have to choose from. They also serve to faithfully represent one of Bulgari’s signature talents - their mastery in gem-work. An extension of the circular themed Berries Jewelry collection, the Tourbillon and Jumping Hours watches provide a lot more sparkle for those who aren’t into flowers and birds on their watch dials.

The Best of What Bulgari Offers

These watches offer women the very best that Bulgari has to offer combined together. The difficult part to get over for some may be the price tag which is likely to be quite high. The usual occurrence with high complication ladies watches is that they are often decorated with diamonds or gemstones which always drives up the price. For some it may not factor into the purchasing decision but for others (likely the majority), they may even prefer quartz versions to make them slightly more affordable. Regardless, for these watches, having the visible toubillon cage is part of the intrigue and appeal of the watches and the reason why people are drawn to them to begin with.

Bulgari’s initiation into mechanically sophisticated women’s watches has set off with a tremendous bang. It is an excellent way to grab attention from all markets. However, where do they go from here? Perhaps a moonphase, gmt or perpetual calendar will follow. It almost seems as though they started from the top. If these watches are any indication of the level of quality and craftsmanship that we should expect to see in the future, there is no doubt that Bulgari will be a serious contender in male and female haute horlogerie moving forward.

What do you think of Bulgari's new ladies watches with complications? Would these watches appeal to your partners?

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