The Bulgari Lucea Skeleton watch for her hands-on

The Bulgari Lucea Skeleton watch hands-on

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The Bulgari Lucea Skeleton is the only skeleton watch for her on the market.

Curiosity is a female thing” and this expression could get a negative connotation if the desire to know and understand remains just that, but, in a broader sense, it also means that women are naturally recognized for the willingness to get a deeper knowledge of things and for their innate ability to grasp every little detail. This is the ideal preamble to present and describe Bulgari‘s new Lucea Skeleton that was launched at Baselworld 2018.

Bulgari-roma-boutiqueBulgari exposes the watch’s mechanics by taking inspiration, as never before, from its long experience as a manufacturer of bracelets and jewels. This, coupled with the brand’s consolidated experience in watch manufacturing, brought us a rather singular timepiece in the world of high-fashion watch-making for women. It is also a unique item, because the Bulgari Lucea Skeleton is the only skeleton watch for her on the market.

A beautiful in-house movement.

This timepiece is extremely sophisticated and it is equipped with an entirely hand-made caliber crafted in the laboratories of Bulgari’s Swiss manufactory, where the tradition of crafting bracelets and jewels mingles with the best technology in the crafting of sophisticated calibers (what they managed to do in the last two years with the Bulgari Octo Finissimo is quite impressive).

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Not only is the Bulgari Lucea Skeleton a masterpiece of mechanics, but it is a real design object that actually becomes a fusion of the unstructured logo, a mechanical movement and the delicate lines that have made the fortune of the Bulgari Lucea since its debut on the scene. There are three versions that were presented to the public – steel, steel and rose gold and rose gold that go back to the original design of the first Bulgari Lucea, but with an even more marked touch; the red lacquered hands of the steel and gold-steel versions. The hands enhance the very ow light of the dial and match the cabochon-cut precious stone of the same color set within the crown.

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On the all-gold version, the diamonds on the bezel and the gold-plated letters make the model a little more cluttered, but still extremely luxurious. The Bulgari Lucea Skeleton wraps itself around your wrist in a different way – a red alligator strap or a bracelet in steel and rose gold “snake” pattern. The skeletonized movement is a small masterpiece in itself – it is a mechanical caliber with automatic winding (the BVL 191SK) running at a frequency of 4Hz and with a power reserve of 42 hours that places this timepiece on the same level, in terms of performance and daily use, as the best automatic three-hands-timepieces for women available on the market, the only different is that this watch is in-house built.

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Through the see-through case-back, you can grasp all those details that show how much Bulgari actually worked on the movement (and the improvements that the brand made) and how much the manufacturer wants to capture the attention of those women who are passionate about mechanics as well as fine jewelry – the oscillating mass is skeletonized, to allow the user to fully enjoy the extremely elaborated architecture of the skeleton itself. The case has a diameter of 33mm, the crown, in steel or in 18carat rose gold (depending on the version) features a pink cabochoncut stone (it seems almost an indirect “challenge” to its historical rival, Cartier) and a brilliant-cut diamond in the middle.

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The bezel comes either in steel or in 18krosegold, polished or embellished with diamonds (44 stones; ~ 1.2 carats) depending on the version. On the dial, the meticulous work of Bulgari‘s artisans translates, as anticipated, into a de-constructed BVLGARI logo that consists of rose gold-plated letters with (117 stones) or without diamonds. The final touch of color is given by the lacquered red hands or, in the precious version, plated in 18Krosegold. Given that I doubt that the Bulgari Lucea Skeleton will be used under water (although in some markets the use of such a watch is more intense than in Italy), Bulgari has, nevertheless, certified the waterproofness of its Lucea Skeleton up to a depth of 50 meters.

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About the strap – it’s that special detail that completes the watch and enhances its shape. On a women’s watch, and in particular on a Bulgari watch, it strongly contributes to the whole experience and it is an important element when it comes to choosing a watch produced by this Italian brand. Defining the strap as a ‘complement’ to the watch is a sacrilege! You can opt for the red alligator strap with a pin buckle made of steel or for an 18Krosegold strap, with steel or 18Krosegold lugs with 22 brilliantcut diamonds (~ 0.4 ct), respectively. On the steel and gold versions, however, the bracelet is in steel and 18Krosegold like the case and the bezel and, this is a prerogative of the brand, the crafting of the inside part of the bracelet is perfect. There is no visible stitching that could easily be found on many bracelets, but rather a solution of continuity that enhances the comfort and gives an exceptional perception of quality.

(Photo credit: Horbiter®’s proprietary photo-shooting)

Mirella C @Horbiter®

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