The Bulgari Aluminium GMT is the ultimate travel-cool watch for your next summer holiday
Thor SvaboeI have a secret crush and an unrequited love for metal. Not the usual dazzle of gold or techy titanium, but another silk surfaced alloy, the unusual feel of aluminium. This time not heavy – like the music blasting me through gym time in my headphones, this is oh so light. I still remember that moment I tried on the Bulgari Aluminium last year with its weirdly angular embrace of linked rubber, and being seriously surprised.
This is the, for me, coolest piece of unusual metal yet from the purveyors of everything from wonderful jewellery to the paper-thin marvels in the Octo Finissimo range. This time their way with sports finesse gets a navy blue makeover in the travel-cool Bulgari Aluminium GMT.
I am getting a serious nautical vibe here, and can imagine what a colourful yacht-timer variation on the chronograph would look like (hot with a capital H, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, stupendo proprio), but I’m already digressing from my primary emotion of enthusiasm. This is another version of unfamiliar lightness (try one on, for goodness sake), and the dark navy colourway works a treat with the blasted aluminium surfaces, providing a softer contrast than the usual black, and the Bulgari logos are just a cohesive part of a fresh and wearable travel tool.
Even with its light, carefree tool vibe, it can’t escape the ever present feeling of Italian couture for the wrist, and that’s why I love Bulgari. Even in this the most casual reference in the Bulgari catalogue there is a feeling of Italian heritage, from Brioni to Armani, and from Lancia to the hottest Lamborghini. The large, imprinted bezel frames a legible matte dial with all that’s needed for your travels, starting with a crisp Pepsi-coloured steeply angled rehaut. Instantly recognizable as the 24 hour readout split into day and night, every other hour is marked by a cheeky square and easily readable from the kiss of a large arrow GMT hand.
The rest of the dial is a monochrome ABC of crisp design, with large lumed indexes and the typical 12 and 6 Arabics of a Bulgari dial and a clean-set of sword hands. The Bulgari Aluminium seconds hand is a favourite of mine, and here the circular counterweight is resplendent in a flash of red, and so is the syringe tip, matching the red GMT logo and bold arrow.
Even with the date window debatably cut into the 24 hour rehaut, once again Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani proves that Bulgari is a lot more than the deliciously thin Finissimo, and another card is added to the Aluminium deck of entry tickets to the storied brand. Under the cool touch of the aluminium closed case back, lies the 28,800vph newly introduced B192 automatic GMT movement. This is based on the easily serviceable Sellita SW 330-1 caliber, with a solid 42 hour power reserve and a quick set 24 hour GMT hand. An easily set conclusion would be that this is one of the best, lightest 40mm big brand entries into easy travel this year, go try it on and feel the lightness for yourself.
The Bulgari Aluminium GMT, price and availability:
The Bulgari Aluminium GMT is $3,500 USD
For more details, visit Bulgari right here.