SpotlightThe Eternal Sunshine Of Timeless Gems: Introducing Bulgari’s Aeterna High-Jewellery Watches
On the occasion of Bulgari’s 140th anniversary, the brand have unveiled the sparkling Aeterna collection—an ode to their rich legacy of exquisite craftsmanship and watchmaking know-how, as showcased in these jewelled timekeepers
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This year is a major milestone for Italian maison Bulgari as they are celebrating 140 years of fine craftsmanship, technical innovation, and outstanding design, which has birthed some spectacular creations. While the brand have unveiled some outstanding watches like the Octo Finissimo Sketch to kick-start the celebrations, it would definitely have been incomplete without dazzling high-jewellery timepieces—where one gets to witness the maison’s mastery of haute joaillerie combined with haute horlogerie know-how. They recently launched the Aeterna collection, which pays tribute to the brand’s rich heritage, and includes a phenomenal set of high-jewellery watches, inspired by the cultural legacy of Rome.
Aeterna, which means ‘eternal’, once again, highlights Bulgari’s pioneering spirit of continuous innovation and exploring new materials, crafts, and techniques to create timepieces that connect the past, present, and future. High on the mythical aspect, they are sure to bedazzle anyone with their timeless beauty and everlasting elegance. Let’s take a look at these stunning creations.
Fuochi D’Artificio High-Jewellery Manchette
This timepiece is part of the Fuochi D’Artificio collection, which consists of watches ‘reflecting the joyful atmosphere of a starry Italian summer night, lit up by vivid fireworks’. The Fuochi D’Artificio High-Jewellery Manchette required over more than 1,450 hours, and is a fine example of using different gemstones and setting techniques. Crafted in rose gold and blue titanium, this watch portrays an explosion of bright fireworks in the sky and features a variety of colourful gemstones such as blue and yellow sapphires, rubellites, tsavorites, peridots, and emeralds among others, which are combined with diamonds. It is equipped with the Piccolissimo mechanical micro round movement—the smallest round mechanical movement on the market, with a 30-hour power reserve.
Fuochi D’Artificio High-Jewellery Petite Watch
This Fuochi D’Artificio High-Jewellery Petite watch is slightly smaller as the name suggests but is big on the dramatic appeal. An ode to joy, it is a secret watch crafted in rose gold with a semi-flexible cuff and the diamond-paved dial hidden by a dainty flap. Here, from a central round-cut ruby, an explosion of pear-shaped vibrant gemstones and round-cut diamonds radiates to look like colourful rays. In a bold experiment, Bulgari have combined these precious gems with aventurine inserts—a translucent glass with sparkling inclusions of copper, invented in Venice in the 15th century. This watch is also powered by the Piccolissimo mechanical micro round movement and can function smoothly for up to 30 hours.
Fenice High-Jewellery Watch
Since their inception, Bulgari have always sought inspiration from Greek and Roman ancient history and culture. Even mythology has played a crucial role in some of their creations that depict the phoenix—a magnificent creature that is a symbol of renewal and immortality. This mythical bird has also been chosen by the brand since it has the power to continuously be reborn and transform itself. The Fenice High-Jewellery Watch is one such masterpiece that required over 3,000 hours to be finished. This vibrant watch also showcases Bulgari’s expertise in working with colourful gemstones since over 160 carats of beautiful stones, including blue, pink, and purple sapphires, amethysts, rubies, pink garnets, tanzanites, iolites, aquamarines and diamonds, were selected to create this vivid piece of art for the wrist. It also features an exceptionally rare central 9.78 carats Paraiba tourmaline, which hides the diamond-studded dial. Crafted in white and rose gold, this exquisite watch is a sight to behold as it features the bird in flight mode, thanks to the delicate mobile feathering with a unique openwork construction. Here, the phoenix is surrounded by spikes—symbolic of the resurrection light. It is brought to life by the Piccolissimo mechanical micro round movement with a 30-hour power reserve.
Fenice Octo Roma Secret Watch
There’s also the unique Fenice Octo Roma Secret Watch—which combines exquisite high-jewellery craftsmanship with Swiss watchmaking precision. Crafted in a 44mm solid platinum case, it features a cap that protects the dial and is adorned with the phoenix motif with extended wings, set on white and rose gold spikes. This ornate piece is decorated with brilliant-cut blue, purple, and pink sapphires, as well as aquamarines, rubies, and amethysts. On opening the cap, it reveals an ultra-thin manual winding mechanical movement, BVL 268 SK calibre with a flying tourbillon, which is an open-worked version of the brand’s record-breaking tourbillon movement. With a thickness of just under 2mm, it features a sleek and refined profile, and supplies the watch with a 52-hour power reserve.
Serpenti Misteriosi Chimera
This remarkable creation refers to a divine creature, the Chimaera—mentioned in the epic poem the Iliad, attributed to the ancient Greek poet, Homer. This mystic animal was part lion, part goat, and part serpent. It also plays on the word ‘chimera’, which refers to an unattainable dream. The Serpenti Misteriosi Chimera combines the heads of two emblematic animals—the snake and the lion—upping the fantasy factor on the wrist. This secret watch is crafted in white gold and is set with emeralds, diamonds, and a sapphire. The head of the snake hides the round mechanical movement—the Piccolissimo—a jewel in a jewel.
Serpenti Misteriosi Dragone
The snake is synonymous with Bulgari and is a symbol of rebirth and metamorphosis. Since this is also the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac, the Italian maison have given their iconic Serpenti watch a bit of a twist. Here, the snake transforms into the mystic dragon to take the form of the Serpenti Misteriosi Dragone secret timepiece. The new interpretation of the snake/dragon-shaped watch is also a nod to the historic one created for Elizabeth Taylor when she essayed the role of Cleopatra in the 1963 cult classic. Just like the heritage piece from the sixties, the snake’s body is made with a tubolari bracelet, and its head is set with a wave of baguette-cut diamonds. It is also driven by the petite Piccolissimo movement, and just like the original watch, this one can also be worn on both wrists as the direction on the dial is reversible.
