When it launched in the late 90s, the timepiece became a hit with global travelers.
In 1998, Bulgari was splashed onto a side of an Alitalia Boeing 747 jumbo jet in line with the launch of the world first’s luxury watch made of aluminium. This served both as emphasis and prediction, underlining the atypical make of the timepiece as well as its future as a favorite among jetsetters.
After more than two decades, the second generation of that watch is finally here with the introduction of the Bulgari Aluminum GMT. The launch comes at the end of summer and as travel begins to ease up—well, at least in other parts of the world.
“Masterpieces impose themselves to the crowd from the moment of their birth and they never die,” says Bulgari Watches managing director Antoine Pin in a statement.
Jet-setting days
“At the beginning of the project the idea was to use the bezel to show the 24 hours but this configuration without the double logo on the rubber bezel completely changed the aesthetics of the watch,” recalls Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari product creation executive director in an Instagram post.
To be consistent with the rest of the collection, Buonamassa Stigliani and his team decided to completely redesign the dial and insert a rehaut for the GMT function. “The two colors red and blue are a universal code for this complication and give the watch a more sporty look together with the large arrow hand with SLN to read the second time zone in low light conditions,” he explains.
While the original was available in 29mm, 38mm, and 44mm case sizes, the new model comes in 40mm with titanium caseback and crown. It has a blue rubber bezel, and water-resistant to 100m. The blue dial has Super-LumiNova hour-markers and hands while its rubber strap is blue with aluminum links and pin buckle.
But, unlike its predecessor, the GMT reads both home and local time. The former is conventionally indicated via hours and minutes hands pointing to the markings on the inner dial zone; while the latter is displayed by a red-tipped hand positioned on the 24-hour outer scale of the dial.
It is divided into two different colored zones of 12 hours each. The circular track serves to adjust and distinguish between day and night according to the time zone where the wearer finds himself. All settings can be adjusted using the crown.
The model remains a masterpiece of design, Pin says, a milestone in the history of the industry for its unique design and combination of industrial materials. “After many years dedicated to grow the Octo collection, bringing Bulgari Aluminium back under the spotlight is an immense source of pride and satisfaction for us,” he says.
To introduce this new model, Bulgari shot several international celebrities with the Aluminum GMT, including Alejandro Speitzer, Alessandro Borghi, Alessio Lapice, Jaime Lorente, and Marreo Bocelli.
Bvlgari is located at The Shoppes, Solaire Resort and Casino. Visit Bulgari.com for more information.
Banner Photo of Jaime Lorente by Gabriel De La Chapelle, courtesy of Bulgari
