Continuing its claim in high horology after jewelery, Bulgari received the “Iconic Watch Prize” at the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) with its Aluminum Chronograph model.
“More than 20 years have gone by, the Bulgari Aluminum Chronograph continues to be a natural-born provocateur watch that broke with the current watchmaking rules.”
Bulgari, who wants to create a new design language with different materials instead of known formulas, is one of the brands that wants to rewrite the concept of luxury in the watch industry. In 1998, Bulgari – a jewellery brand at the top of the pyramid of major luxury stakeholders – presented a collection made from very unexpected materials. Aluminium and rubber, in a highly graphic combination of black and white, composed the most innovative, modernist casual watch of the decade that was drawing to a close.
More than 20 years have gone by, Aluminium and Aluminium Chronograph have remained vibrantly alive in watchmaking memory. Because today, although these components are now seen as normal, presenting a watch made of a metal such as non-precious aluminum, gold or platinum on a rubber strap as a luxury product was an unexpected situation and a revolutionary approach for the 90s.
Aluminum and Aluminum Chronograph models still continue this approach.However, the cases of these models are offered with a new and more durable aluminum alloy, a proprietary Bulgari-style rubber bracelet and an automatic movement. These models are aesthetically similar to the first generation models, but with technical updates, they are even better than before.
