News 
Bulgari’s rich creative heritage includes extraordinary expressions of horology as jewellery. The new Monete Catene secret watches, inspired by the innovative concept of Gemme Nummarie, truly epitomise the pinnacle of Bulgari’s craftsmanship and artistry. Precious antique coins representing powerful symbols of history elevate the exquisite and sculptural watch cases to another plane.
Fashioned from gold and set with diamonds, these high jewellery timepieces flow around the wrist thanks to supple chain bracelets reminiscent of 1940s curb chains, also known as gourmettes. Beating discreetly inside these horological creations is a treasure mechanical miniaturisation: the Bulgari Piccolissimo movement.
The two coins of the Monete Catene Dual Time cuff evoke the reign of a fabled couple, that of Septimius Severus – emperor from 193 to 211 AD – and his empress, Julia Domna, who was venerated as a goddess. The Monete Catene wristwatch features a denarius, a silver coin, bearing the effigy of Emperor Caracalla, who ruled from 211 to 217 AD. Minted during his reign, the coin expresses this emperor’s strategic genius.
The generous diamond-set gold body of the Monete Catene timepieces exudes a blend of sophistication and aesthetic mastery. Their skillfully orchestrated lines provide a perfect setting for the coins representing exceptional ancient treasures. The case of the Monete Catene wristwatch is designed with eight facets, like the Octo Monete watches of the time. This geometry with its powerful symbolism evokes the ceiling of the Maxentius Basilica in Rome.
The Monete Catene Dual Time cuff, equally refined in its design, is inspired by a rectangular watch designed for the Roman Maison in the 1970s. Two dials with hands in two distinct colours display the time in different time zones. Bulgari combines the radiance of the yellow gold – to encircle the coins – with that of rose gold, a two-tone combination characteristic of the period. Baguette and brilliant-cut diamonds and delicate snow setting make this secret watch a marvel of jewelry-making expertise. On the sides of the case, two emerald cabochons, a Bulgari hallmark, provide the “keys” to revealing the splendour of the otherwise hidden dials, enabling the owner to open the case of the watch.
The Monete Catene watches seamlessly extend into precious chain bracelets (“catene” in Italian). Their curb chain aesthetic has been part of Bulgari’s creative heritage since the 1940s and was taken up in the 1960s for the first Monete jewellery. The Monete Catene Dual Time cuff counts five rows of links, alternating between yellow gold and gem-set rose gold, held in thrall by the sparkle of white gold bars graced with baguette diamonds. For the curb chain bracelet on the Monete Catene watch, Bulgari sprinkled diamonds on the rose gold.
September 21, 2023