Bulgari is a brand often associated with high jewelry, glitz, and glamour. From the Bvlgari Bvlgari to the Octo range to the Serpenti, the watchmaker is usually known for their high-polished and flashy timepieces. What most collectors fail to consider when looking at Bulgari’s collection is that aside from the oftentimes oversized and loud Octos, there is another path less followed. This of course is the Bulgari Aluminum.
Named for the unconventional case material that the watch features, the Aluminium takes on iconic cues from past bulgari watches while pushing boundaries. The Aluminum’s bezel takes on a design closely inspired by the Bvlgari Bvlgari, but is crafted out of colorful – and durable – rubber. This design feature is shared by watches like Mühle Glashütte S.A.R. Rescue-Timer and protects against nearly all scratches. The Aluminium also features a unique strap style with matching rubber and a three-link design which provides excellent wearability.
The design language of the Aluminum is straight out of the late 90s, with bright colors and do-it-all durability. The watch was released in 1998 and marked a shift from Bulgari’s traditional jewelry house mentality to that of an innovator who caters to the needs of the younger generation in a changing world. The design philosophy behind the Aluminum was to create a lightweight, modern, non-precious metal watch that pushed boundaries. The form of this watch was inspired by modern Italian architecture and industrial design.
To advertise the launch of this landmark timepiece, Bulgari teamed up with Alitalia airlines to create a chrome Boeing 747 with the watch prominently displayed on the side. This pairing between the innovative aircraft and watch was a perfect collaboration to emphasize the forward-thinking timepiece and both their shared aluminium construction.
Although discontinued a decade after its original launch, Bulgari brought back the Aluminum in 2020 to much fanfare. Since then, the collection has grown significantly and has featured a variety of complications and limited edition colorways.
Match Point
The Bulgari Aluminum Match Point was a limited edition of the Aluminum made in honor of tennis. It wasn’t just made to honor tennis, this Aluminum was also made to play tennis. The watch features a dark green rubber strap and bezel. It also has an off-white dial and neon green seconds hand in a similar color to a tennis ball. It can also be seen that the crown is on the left side. This is done on other tennis inspired watches like the Gerald Charles Maestro GC Sport Tennis. It prevents shocks and damage to the crown while playing tennis. The watch came in an aluminium case with a fuzzy tennis ball texture.
Capri Editions
The Capri editions might be some of the most popular iterations of the Aluminum. This watch is featured in two different versions: a 40mm time only and 41mm chronograph. Both watches’ rubber elements are navy blue colored and their crowns are pvd coated titanium. The dials on these watches are the thing that really make this watch fantastic. They feature a bright blue gradient color that pops off the wrist and makes this watch really special. The dial gradient is evocative of the sea surrounding the island of Capri. The chronograph also features navy blue subdials. Both watches have touches of yellow on their hands that create a great contrast.
Smeraldo Chronograph
Finally, we have the Smeraldo edition. This Aluminum, like the Capri, has a vertical gradient dial. This watch has a dark green rubber strap and bezel, and also like the Capri Chronograph has black titanium pushers and crown. The gradient dial fades from a deep green to an almost white color. The subdials are a dark green with white print. This version of the aluminum is an understated watch that is durable enough to wear everyday but refined enough to wear out to dinner.
The Bulgari Aluminum has taken on many different colorways and themes over the past few years. Still, the main idea of the watch has always remained the same. This watch is meant to be a playful watch to knock around on the daily. The aluminum isn’t a watch to be left in the safe, but something to be thrown on the wrist and adventured in.
Amerigo Vespucci GMT
This watch named for the famed Italian explorer features a gmt function and an internal 24 hour ring. The Amerigo Vespucci is made of the classic sand-blasted aluminum case and has a black rubber bezel and strap. The upper half of the 24 hour ring is a tangerine orange color that is also shared by the GMT hand and minute track. There is also an Italian flag motif above 6 o’clock which pays homage to the brand’s Italian heritage. Like Vespucci, this watch will have you up and travelling the work with the perfect functionality to stay in contact at home.
Fender GMT
This Bulgari x Fender collaboration is a stunning watch made by two unexpected partners. Featured in a warm and rarely seen color scheme this watch is absolutely beautiful in the metal. This Aluminum has a dark brown rubber bezel and strap and contrasted with the bright silver aluminum case, it really pops. Much like the Amerigo Vespucci, this watch has a GMT function and 24 rings. The ring is half dark brown and half cream colored creating a contrast for day and night. What is really special about this watch is the fume orange dial. This is what really makes you fall in love with this watch as you gaze into the deep smoked color. On top of this, the watch comes in a specially designed aluminum case lined with velvet which is reminiscent of Fender’s guitar cases.
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About The Author: Spencer Rodman
