Ducati has partnered with Bulgari for the coolest matte / aluminum chronograph on the ticker market. The goal of both parties, apparently, is to “revolutionize the standards of luxury sports watches” – it’s a hefty goal, but c’mon – you have to admit there’s worse ways of going about raising standards than injecting motorcycles into an industry of choice (see Triumph’s pretty piece in collaboration with Breitling).
So let’s get into the details and see what the luxury Italian power couple gave us.
According to Ducati’s press release, the Bulgari Aluminum Ducati Special Edition chronograph ‘celebrates the partnership between the jewelry Maison and the iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer,’ with the Youtube debut video labelling this ticker as ‘The Best Bulgari Watch in History’ (and interesting ultimatum, given Bulgari’s offerings…but it’s Ducati, so we won’t judge).
“The chronograph presents a stunning dial in Ducati red color and three subdials with a sporty style inspired by the Ducati rev counter graphics: black background, white indexes and red sphere,” states the press release.
Ducati can also be found to have inspired the hour markers, with a 40 mm diameter aluminum case strapped to a black rubber bracelet.
Titanitum is the material of the day, with the versatile metal used to create the crown and chronograph pushers, as well as the case back (treated with anti-wear DLC).
The entire watch is water-resistant to 100 meters, with the mechanical automatic movement guaranteeing tenth-of-a-second accuracy, thanks to the specifications of the self-wound BVL 130 beating @ 28,800 vibrations per hour.
(If nothing else convinces you that watches are made for collabs with motorcycle manufacturers, the mere fact that watches talk vibrations per hour – Vb/h – and bikes talk kilometers per hour – Km/h – should get you down and nerdy enough to look into your next moto-inspired ticker. Just saying.)
A Ducati brand and production number is given to each one of these timepieces, with the package delivered in ‘a special anodized aluminum case with rubber interior and soft touch finish, bearing the signatures of the two brands Ducati and Bulgari.’
You can imagine both parties involved are tickled pink at this collaboration; Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati Centro Stile Director, contributed the following:
“The quest for lightness, obsessive attention to detail, the use of fine materials and the creation of a distinctive and immediately recognizable design are the values that have inspired us in this project.”
“Working on this project with Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, whom I have known for 15 years, was a way of bringing together our passions: motorbikes and high-end watchmaking.”
As for Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari’s Product Creation Executive Director, the project was one he purportedly enjoyed…a lot:
“I had a great pleasure to visit once again the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale in Italy and exchange with Andrea Ferraresi, discussing the many parallels between motorbikes and watches, our common passion for the beauty of the mechanics and the Italian design approach.”
“For this special collaboration the Bulgari Aluminum model was a natural choice due to its combination of materials, sporty character and iconic look.”
Be sure to check out the watch on Bulgari’s webpage, where the ticker is currently up for $5,000 USD – definitely an upper-end price tag, but with both brands being the luxury labels that they are, we expected something around that mark.
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Drop a comment below letting us know what you think, and as ever – stay safe on the twisties.