Watch

THE ULTIMATE URBAN SPORT WATCH PAYING HOMAGE TO BVLGARI’S COSMOPOLITAN SPIRIT

The Bvlgari Bvlgari Cities Special Edition 2020 represents the latest iteration of the definitive style, reimagining it as the ultimate urban, casual, sport watch in a continuation of the legacy of provocation that has made the original a standout in the luxury watches industry for over 40 years.
Each watch in the new collection is inspired by one of nine cities — Rome, Tokyo, Dubai, Paris, London, Ibiza, Milan, Mexico City and New York — that have hosted Bvlgari in the past, and are favorites among today’s urban adventurers. To deepen the connection, each City Edition comes with a set of twelve unique art prints created by one of nine talented young artists who were invited to share their own vision of those cities and their connection to the Bvlgari brand.

Designed for a modern urban lifestyle, the new watch features a 41 mm steel case treated with black DLC (Diamond Like Carbon). To represent the urban inspiration behind the City Collection, the bezel is engraved with the BVLGARI logo and the name of one of nine cities. Powered by a mechanical manufacture movement with automatic winding, BVL 191 caliber, the watch comes with two straps that can be used interchangeably: one brown calf leather strap and one black rubber strap. Versatile in nature, it transitions seamlessly from weekday to weekend with a dynamic, strikingly current sense of elegance and adaptability. An elegant black grained leather pouch, that is ideal for travel and transport, complements each timepiece.

Over the years, the watch went through slight modifications to accentuate its sharply curved body and elegance, while always keeping its fundamental aesthetic spirit.
Now, the Bvlgari Bvlgari Cities Special Edition 2020 carries the legacy into the future, finding inspiration in the world’s most electrifying urban capitals, and Bvlgari’s enduring passion for travel and exploration. The new iterations encourage wearers to cherish the emotional bonds they have with specific destinations.
While the very first Bvlgari Bvlgari watch was inspired by Bvlgari’s hometown of Rome, this latest special edition – that will have a very limited distribution — embraces a global point of view. Bvlgari has always stood for cosmopolitanism, and mined the richness of exotic and far-flung destinations in its designs. From the 1930s Art Deco styles that drew on Ancient Egyptian iconography to the Japanese and Indian influence of the 70s and American Pop-Art movement that informed recent Bvlgari collections, an international outlook is a fundamental element of Bvlgari DNA.

THE CITIES & THEIR ARTISTS

Beginning with Bvlgari’s cosmopolitanism as a starting point, nine artists have created a portfolio of twelve illustrations for each of the watches. The number 12 nods to the marks on the dial. Illustrations were used rather than photography, for the strength of their evocative power, the capability to transmit intimate feeling and their total freedom within time and space.
Each of the legendary destinations represented in the new collection was chosen because of its dynamic, urban nature — and because they happened to host Bvlgari. These are meccas for the modern urban traveler, who can spend a day or an afternoon wandering streets looking for secret spots. The Bulgari family’s emotional connection to Rome, where Sotirio Boulgaris settled in 1881, was always the starting point of his designs. Now, the Cities Edition lets wearers express their own emotional bond with one of nine magnificent cities.

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE BORN IN ROME

The collection was first introduced in 1975 as a limited-edition gift for 100 of Bvlgari’s best clients — making it an instant icon among Bvlgari’s most discerning clientele. With the inscriptions “BVLGARI” and “ROMA” engraved on its bezel and unexpected combination of a classic round yellow gold case, digital dial, and plaited rope with leather trim reminiscent of the Roman attachments typically used in antiquity, it was quintessentially Bvlgari in the audacity of its design. The watch celebrated the deep connection of the Bulgari family to Rome and made Bvlgari the very first brand to engrave its name on the case of a watch. From the moment it appeared on the wrists of the hundred personalities closest to the Maison, this watch enjoyed dazzling success. Orders flooded in from all over the world and Bvlgari decided to extend its production, equipping the first series with a more traditional dial, with finely designed hour-markers and two hands. Once again, this proved to be a big success that marked the birth of a true new sign. The first Bvlgari Bvlgari collection, the natural evolution of the Bvlgari Roma watch, was officially launched in 1977. The international success of the collection consecrated the entrance of Bvlgari into the watch industry.