Celebrating ten years since the release of perhaps its most feminine timepiece to date, Bulgari is paying tribute to the Lucea with two enticing new iterations
Bulgari has long been known for its ability to create luxury watches that are an amalgamation of Italian craftsmanship and the immaculate traditions of Swiss watchmaking. Be it the iconic Serpenti, which just last year celebrated its 75th anniversary, or the Bulgari Bulgari which, initially conceived as a gift and not for sale, is now one of the House’s most popular models, the Roman watchmaker’s timepieces grace the wrist of only the world’s most extravagant women. Now, the House pays tribute to another of its renowned styles in celebration of its 10th anniversary — Lucea.
From the Latin ‘lux’ for light, Lucea has exemplified Bulgari’s fresh approach to jewelled watches, and is widely credited with helping to solidify its reputation as the ‘Roman Jeweller of Time’. Debuted at LVMH Watch Week 2024, we’ve been treated to new models that show off two kinds of stone dials — green malachite tableau and mother-of-pearl — both available in steel and gold. “Ten years is the experimental age in the watchmaking industry, and I think effectively we are self-discovering ourselves,” Antoine Pin, managing director of the Bulgari Watch Division, tells MOJEH in Rome during the watches’ European unveiling. “Light is so strongly connected to our work — there is no colour without light, and there is no stone appreciation without natural light. We are born from light, so reversing the process by not looking at the product, but at the concept of light itself, has been very aspirational for us.”
Available in two case diameters, a 33mm and a 28mm, with the malachite style, artisans created a marquetry composition made of malachite inlay designed to capture the sixties’ fascination with coloured stones. In an environmentally-friendly twist, the malachite pieces used are upcycled, being salvaged fragments left over from the making of other watches in the manufacture. “The marquetry is done by hand and with specific tools, so you need people who have the specific know-how,” explains Antoine. “We do this internally, with one dial being produced per day.”
Then we have a dial composed of inlaid pieces of mother-of-pearl in either white or green-tint. In both cases, the dial is set with 12 diamond hour markers and the bezel is adorned with 56 diamonds. Elsewhere the case has also been meticulously designed with the bracelet’s design embracing symmetrical curves for an enduring elegance. “We create just a few hundred of these watches a year because the process is crazy, and all needs to be done by hand,” he adds.
With an outlook on innovation and design, just like its previous siblings before it, these new iterations of Lucea could be just the start of a flurry of new models down the line. “It has been an extremely inspiring process,” adds Antoine. “We are discovering ourselves, discovering the incredible potential and the aspirational elements of the name of the watch. It is actually pushing us to think further now, and it has opened the door to this new version of Lucea and future developments.” Watch this space. Discover the timepiece
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