Sponsored post presented on aBlogtoWatch for an advertiser
On December 3rd, Bulgari will hold a 24-hour flash sale in celebration of the new Bulgari Aluminium Gran Turismo Special Edition watch, and the first 50 lucky clients will have the chance to buy the yellow-dial watch and receive an online-exclusive packaging containing the Bulgari Vision GT car replica — and drive it in the new Gran Turismo “The Real Driving Simulator™” game.
The Bulgari Aluminium dates back to 1998 when Bulgari launched it to reinvent the concept of luxury with an “Italian sport-chic” watch. Using aluminum and rubber — two materials directly inspired by another globally recognized Italian hallmark, the automotive industry — the Bulgari Aluminium stood out with its distinctive lines, brand cues, and go-anywhere attitude, and 25 years on, the Aluminium has proven that it could stand the test of time, posing as a true Bulgari staple, appreciated up close and recognized immediately from afar.
In celebration of its 25-year stint, Bulgari announces an unprecedented collaboration between the Italian-Swiss luxury watchmaker and famed car racing simulation game Gran Turismo that debuted just a few months before Aluminium, on December 23, 1997. 2023 marks the anniversary of another icon, the Vision GT program which opened race car development for the video game to the world’s top carmakers, including Ferrari, Lamborghini, Audi, Porsche, and Jaguar, but this year brings an unprecedented and unexpected newcomer to extend the horizon of prestigious automakers with a luxury watchmaker: Bulgari.
This project stems from an extraordinary collaboration between two design visionaries: Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director at Bulgari, and Fabio Filippini, car designer, design strategy advisor, and founder of ACCAEFFE Creative Consulting Ltd. Stigliani says, “I envisioned a different way of playing with Bulgari’s DNA, creating a concept car that speaks the same language as the Bulgari Aluminium watch. Its design is based on geometric, pure, and angular forms inspired by the lines of legendary Italian Gran Turismo cars from the 1970s, featuring sporty three-spoke steering wheels and walnut dashboards. These shapes come together to create the unmistakable Bulgari aesthetic, resulting in a concept car with perfectly realistic proportions, also in the real world, at full scale.”
Kazunori Yamauchi, the creator of Gran Turismo franchise visits the Bulgari manufacture to sample the new Aluminium Gran Turismo Special Edition watch.
Kazunori Yamauchi, creator of the Gran Turismo franchise and President of Polyphony Digital, the studio behind the series, adds, “We greatly value personal relationships. That’s the key to many of the collaborations we have forged, and it’s the soul of our community of players. It’s especially true this time: It flowed naturally from the strong relationship between Mr. Buonamassa, Bulgari’s design director, and Mr. Filippini, the former design director of Pininfarina with whom we collaborated, and also a member of our Explore studio. The timing was perfect, too, as this year marks the 10th anniversary of Vision Gran Turismo. There’s no better way to celebrate it than with a product as stunning as the Bulgari Aluminium Gran Turismo Special Edition watches and the striking Bulgari Vision Gran Turismo car.”
The Bulgari Aluminium Gran Turismo Special Edition watch comes with a 41mm wide case in aluminum, of course, with a lightweight titanium caseback with DLC coating and “GT Vision 10th Anniversary” engraving. The bezel is made of durable rubber to create a visual and tactile connection with the rubber strap which in turn features aluminum links and an aluminum pink buckle. Two dial options are available: a brushed anthracite dial with yellow hour markers and numerals, and a striking yellow dial with black hour markers and numerals, both with Super-LumiNova-coated hour and minute hands. Both watches are water resistant to 100m, making them ideally suited for every day as much as active holidays. Both versions are powered by the Calibre B381 self-winding mechanical movement that offers a 42-hour power reserve.
Once again, Bulgari pushes the boundaries of innovation, and raises the bar both on and off the racing circuit, capturing the thrill of speed with unique style. Every purchaser of a Bulgari Aluminium Gran Turismo Special Edition watch will receive a code enabling them to race in the Bulgari hypercar in the game. That said, only the first 50 customers to purchase the yellow-dial watch will receive not just the virtual version, but also a beautifully made real-world, small-scale replica of the Bulgari Vision GT car. To apply, visit the 24-hour sale page here. The Bulgari Aluminium Gran Turismo Special Edition watch costs $4,800. You can learn more at the brand’s official website.
Sponsored Posts are a form of advertising that allows sponsors to share useful news, messages, and offers to aBlogtoWatch readers in a way traditional display advertising is often not best suited to. All Sponsored Posts are subject to editorial guidelines with the intent that they offer readers useful news, promotions, or stories. The viewpoints and opinions expressed in Sponsored Posts are those of the advertiser and not necessarily those of aBlogtoWatch or its writers.
