Haute Time Visits Bulgari at BaselWorld

Haute Time Visits Bulgari at BaselWorld

Seth Semilof
By Seth Semilof April 25, 2013

My next stop in Basel, Switzerland, was Bulgari. During the demonstration, I asked to see the best pieces, which were hidden away in a private room. Bulgari had some amazing timepieces. Here’s your look at what I saw:

The first piece I saw was not new, but is one of my favorites; the Bulgari Daniel Roth Tourbillon. To me this is one the best pieces on the market for tourbillon movements. (And of course I am a huge fan of Daniel Roth.) For men this watch is not only a really beautiful timepiece, but also unique thanks to its tourbillon movement.

The next piece is an amazing ladies watch called the Bulgari Giardino Tropicale. It is the first grand complication for a lady, connecting an amazing movement with amazing craftsmanship. Combining jewelry and painting, this is one of my favorite pieces for a lady I saw today.

The next piece was the hardest one to see – it’s called the Commedia Dell’arte. This is a very exclusive, limited series model, which bears three characters – Brighella, Pulcinella, and Harlequin – that occupy the center of the dial. When the cathedral gong Minute Repeater is activated, these three figures come to life against the backdrop, which is a representation of an Italian palazzo. The watch is in white gold with an alligator strap, and is very unique when seen in person.

Finally, I saw the Catene, a timepiece inspired by the historically classic gourmette, the French name for the vintage “name-plate bracelet”. With 140g of pink gold links, an 18k gold case, a mother of pearl dial featuring 12 brilliant-cut diamonds and a rubelite cabochon accenting the ridged crown, this is a truly remarkable piece. In a modern update on this classic style, the bracelet wraps around the wrist twice.

While I was in the private room, I had very little time to shoot, as Bulgari had a big customer from China coming in. I got the chance to take the following shots of several other unique Bulgari pieces, but unfortunately did not have time to get the names of these watches. However, I thought they were all beautiful, and wanted to share these pictures with our readers.

Bulgari is known for its ladies timepieces, but I also saw many unique men’s watches, which were beautiful to see in person.