Typically even a time-only motion’s debut may be an thrilling improvement — and who else to depend on than Bulgari for such a premier? Behold the Bulgari Woman Solotempo Computerized, often known as the Bulgari BVS100 Computerized caliber, which is totally new for the model and was designed particularly to energy watches through which the model hitherto kind of solely used quartz actions. Simply as thrilling, Bulgari developed this motion not only for itself, but in addition for its sister manufacturers inside LVMH.
The Bulgari BVS100 — or Woman Solotempo, which sounds a lot nicer and extra romantic — is the third caliber the Italian-Swiss watchmaker developed for girls’s watches. It follows in a path solid by the ultra-compact BVL150 Tourbillon, one of many smallest formed tourbillon watches obtainable right this moment (pictured left, under), and the Piccolissimo which is among the many smallest mechanical actions produced right this moment (pictured proper, under). We seemed on the “art of miniaturization” and the creation of Piccolissimo here. As you possibly can see, the Woman Solotempo suits in between the 2 and since it’s bigger it definitely affords a extra sturdy development, comparatively simpler manufacturing in increased portions, and an extended energy reserve (50 as a substitute of 30 hours).
Bulgari selected the 12 months of the snake to equip its serpent-themed Serpenti watches for what the model emotionally calls “eternity.” Positive, a mechanical motion does challenge the best of everlasting sturdiness and sustainability, however I doubt the quartz variations of those mighty positive and equally costly gold (and typically metal) Serpenti watches would ever be thought of disposable by their homeowners. In spite of everything, the place do you go from a Serpenti? I lamented that thought late final 12 months.
In response to the model, the BVS100 took three years to develop and is produced and assembled fully at Bulgari’s Swiss manufactures. The model wanted its personal motion as a result of none in the marketplace met the dimensions and quantity standards of the Serpenti watch head — which, thoughts you, needed to be redesigned barely, however extra on that later. I typically surprise why sure manufactures, when creating a brand new motion, don’t all the time push for better efficiency or extra consolation options like an extended energy reserve.
Regardless of its tiny measurement — simply 19mm broad and three.90mm thick — the Bulgari Woman Solotempo motion affords a 50-hour energy reserve. Not too shabby from a motion that weighs a barely plausible 5 grams with all elements absolutely assembled. That’s 0.176 ounces. That autonomy is replenished by a self-winding system with an oscillating weight adorned with the Serpenti scales — although they remind me much less of scales and extra of glazed home windows and medieval ceiling buildings in structure. Within the steel, the BVS100 is a pretty-looking motion that doesn’t attempt to cover behind a contemporary industrial look. It seems sturdy, colourful, and complex. I significantly appreciated the little cut-out to evaluate the connection between the pallet jewel and the tooth of the escape wheel, which might be extra for high quality management functions than ornamental.
It’s all the time a deal with to see an uncased motion, because it permits for unobstructed and extra in-depth scrutiny. Maybe probably the most stunning and overwhelming feeling I received from dealing with the Bulgari Woman Solotempo motion was simply how sturdy it felt. Small and skinny actions tend to be fragile, and even giant and complicated calibers can at occasions look (and, of their operation, really feel) fragile, too. I’d not go as far as to name the BVS100 a “workhorse” motion, though it does have the proportions and options of 1 — like the huge ball bearing that holds the rotor and the traversing steadiness bridge.
The watch head of each the Serpenti Tubogas and the Serpenti Seduttori (the one with out the wrap-around bracelet) needed to be redesigned to include Bulgari girls’s watch mechanical motion. My long-term impression of Bulgari’s largely unchanged design crew is that they take pleasure in a problem — solely to create one thing that appears good with out conveying simply how tough the method might need been. It’s like with automotive design: Sure shapes and options seem easy till you’re taking a paper and pencil and check out to attract the identical — not invent one thing new, or higher, simply replicate on paper what’s already accomplished and is correct there in entrance of you.
Whereas the Serpenti Tubogas tends to steal the present more often than not, on this event, outfitted with the mechanical caliber, it was the Serpenti Seduttori that basically stood out. Whereas the Tubogas has what seems to be a thicker case profile (using compound curves to cover its additional heft from each angle apart from precisely sideways), the Seduttori acquired a thick and convex case profile. This super-smooth, dense-feeling, closely curved edge feels unbelievable to the contact. It begins from beneath 6 o’clock because it extends into the lug that holds the bracelet, arches out and in the direction of a redesigned crown (that’s bigger for simpler use of the motion) and narrows proper down because it turns into the higher lugs. It seems to have all the time been this fashion, however for some cause, the mechanical motion actually introduced this to the fore.
It’s also value noting simply how pure a match this motion is to those girls’s watch instances. This can be very uncommon to seek out actions which might be proportionate to the dimensions of the case — the large-watch pattern has all however destroyed even the consideration of this matter by most watchmakers and we have now begun a gradual return to a greater case-movement steadiness solely lately. With the Woman Solotempo, Bulgari has created a motion that does, certainly, make a bespoke impression, one which seems to be in its third or fourth technology with a number of rounds of fine-tuning and evolution.
From the entrance, a outstanding “computerized” label on the dial reassures the wearer — and their friends — that these are, certainly, the mechanical variations of Bulgari’s well-known girls’s watch collections. How a lot of a distinction this may make actually depends upon who you ask. Some will proceed to favor the quartz-powered variations which, make no mistake, will very a lot stay in manufacturing. Their reasoning could be the truth that a few of these are usually not precisely daily-wearer watches (the Seduttori definitely is, and a few argue that even the Tubogas mannequin might be worn day-to-day as a result of it’s way more comfy than its form would counsel), and with a quartz motion, they will all the time anticipate these to be on time. An necessary consideration can even be value, because the Serpenti Seduttori in metal with a diamond bezel goes from $7,550 USD to $10,200 USD, whereas the Serpenti Tubogas that you simply see above in rose gold with diamonds goes from $47,100 USD to $52,000 USD.
Final, however definitely not least, it must be mentioned that Bulgari high quality continues to be spectacular. Sure, these are very costly merchandise, but when a robust sense of high quality from wrist-feel to shut scrutiny had been a basic factor amongst luxurious merchandise, we’d not have to focus on this particularly. Alas, we do. It might be assumed that Bulgari would wish to get away with the distinctive design and standing of its high-end girls’s watches, however a detailed take a look at that dial (see above, for instance), the ending of the case (take a look at that caseback above) or the execution of the brand new BVS100 motion, all point out the model’s intent to match an elevated value level with high quality.
A cool element that’s necessary to notice in the case of this new Bulgari girls’s watch mechanical motion, the Woman Solotempo, is that will probably be included sooner or later catalog of in-house actions obtainable to different LVMH group manufacturers. As well-equipped a watch manufacture as Bulgari is, it doesn’t seem to have the capability to ship such manufacturing portions, so the group confirms that the BVS100 can be produced by Zenith in its manufacture. The model says, “Bulgari is proud to contribute to the manufacturing ecosystem established by LVMH in assist of Watchmaking excellence and craftsmanship in Switzerland” — I’m positive it’s. Isn’t it unusual how Bulgari grew to become the movement-developing powerhouse in a bunch of Zenith, TAG Heuer, and Hublot?
The Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori Computerized in metal with a diamond bezel is priced at $10,200 USD, whereas the Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Computerized in rose gold with diamonds is priced at $52,000 USD. You can learn more at the brand’s website.
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