Considered by some to be the Ferrari of the motorcycle world, Italian sports bike brand Ducati has earned legions of dedicated fans across the globe with its line of powerful and stylish motorcycles. Like Ferrari, the brand proudly wears its Italian identity on its sleeve, and for its latest brand partnership Ducati aims to collaborate with another Italian luxury icon – Bulgari. Building on Bulgari’s popular Aluminium series, this new collaboration design brings bold color to the design alongside aggressive touches inspired by Ducati’s legendary motorcycles. The new limited production Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition adds a racier character to the Aluminium family, with a sporty-luxe look that should pair well with a classic moto jacket.
Like the standard Aluminium Chronograph, the Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition measures in at a modest 40mm-wide. Thanks to its mostly aluminum case construction, this case should be lightweight and comfortable on the wrist, and its unique semi-integrated cylindrical lug assembly allows the design to wrap around a wearer’s wrist effectively. The rest of the design follows the sleek ‘90s-chic look of the mainline Aluminum, with tightly packaged matte brushed case sides, small square crown guards, and compact rectangular pushers in matte black DLC titanium. Of course, the most distinctive part of the Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition’s case in images is the line’s trademark black rubber bezel, deeply engraved with twin oversized Bulgari emblems. The brand finishes the caseback here with a matte black DLC titanium treatment, emblazoned with an etched rendition of the famous Ducati shield logo. Like the standard model, Bulgari rates this watch for a respectable 100 meters of water resistance.
Bulgari takes a wilder turn with the dial of the Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition. The matte Italian racing red of the main dial is immediately arresting at first glance, and Bulgari echoes the sporting edge of this color with a markedly more aggressive layout than its regular production counterpart. Although most of the standard model’s printed black baton indices are intact here, at 10 o’clock, 11 o’clock, and 12 o’clock the brand instead opts for aggressive, ultramodern printed Arabic numerals. As this typeface is taken directly from the tachometer gauges of Ducati’s motorcycles, these numerals offer a subtle tribute to the company’s legendary high-revving sport bike engines in images. The motorcycle gauge inspiration doesn’t stop there, however, as each of the three black subdials also sport gauge-inspired red needle hands and racy, highly legible swept-back numerals. Taken as a whole, it’s a decidedly sportier and more eye-catching look than the standard model in images, but the unbalanced dial layout and mismatched 4:30 date window will likely divide enthusiast opinions.
Bulgari powers the Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition with the ETA 2894-based BVL 130 automatic chronograph movement. This modular chronograph movement has appeared in many brands’ lineups under different guises, and while purists may balk at its non-integrated construction, it has proven to be a dependable performer. Bulgari claims the BVL 130 offers an average 42-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. Like the rest of the series, the Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition is paired with the line’s unique rubber and aluminum hybrid strap. Each side of the strap features two broad rubberized aluminum links at the lug ends, with a distinctive concave profile in images and a raised Bulgari signature. After these two links, the rest of the strap is a clean and unadorned strap design in smooth black rubber, complete with a traditional aluminum pin buckle.
With a wild new layout, bold use of color, and vibrant nods to the legendary line of Italian sport bikes, the new Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition is a dynamic tribute to one of the world’s most famous motorcycle brands. Only 1,000 examples of the Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition will be made, and the watch is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for the Bulgari Aluminium Chronograph Ducati Special Edition stands at $5,000 as of press time. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.
