With its name prominently engraved upon its bezel, the Bulgari Bulgari offers a simple yet instantly recognizable design. Additionally, while the Octo Finissimo might be the hot new collection in the company’s modern catalog, the classic Bulgari Bulgari is still the timepiece that is most emblematic of the Roman luxury marquee as a brand. Originally created during the 1970s, the Bulgari Bulgari has been produced in a wide variety of different forms throughout the years, and among its latest new releases unveiled this year at LVMH Watch Week 2024, Bulgari has announced four different Bulgari Bulgari models crafted from either yellow or rose gold that represent an aesthetic return to the collection’s roots.

The four new gold Bulgari Bulgari watches consist of two 26mm time-only quartz models, along with two 38mm date-displaying watches that are powered by automatic mechanical movements. Both quartz and automatic versions of the Bulgari Bulgari are available in either yellow gold with a matte black dial or rose gold with a silver opaline dial, although Bulgari only offers these four configurations, which means that buyers don’t have the option of mixing and matching between the different dial colors and shades of gold. Additionally, while all four of the new Bulgari Bulgari watches are fitted with alligator leather straps, the smaller rose gold model receives a tan strap, its larger sibling with an automatic movement receives a brown strap, and the two yellow gold watches are both fitted with black straps to match their matte-black dials.

The two smaller Bulgari Bulgari models with Swiss quartz movements are the yellow gold ref. 103897 and the rose gold ref. 103966. Both watches measure 26mm in diameter by 6.35mm thick, and they feature sapphire crystals above their dials, simple push/pull crowns at 3 o’clock, solid casebacks, and 30 meters of water resistance to protect against incidental contact. Since the Bulgari Bulgari models more-or-less have their logos engraved upon their bezels, their dials are entirely devoid of text (other than the obligatory “Swiss Made” signature at 6 o’clock), and this helps to keep the visual emphasis on their polished gold hands and indexes. The two smaller quartz Bulgari Bulgari watches are simple time-only models, and they are furnished with a pair of centrally-mounted hands, along with a set of hour markers that includes two large Arabic numerals at the 12 and 6 o’clock locations.

The larger two Bulgari Bulgari watches that are powered by automatic mechanical movements are the yellow gold ref. 103967 and the rose gold ref. 103968, and while their smaller quartz siblings embrace a simple two-handed layout, these models feature a third centrally-mounted seconds hand, along with a date window at the 3 o’clock location. In terms of their dimensions, the larger Bulgari Bulgari watches both measure 38mm in diameter by 8.75mm thick, and unlike their smaller quartz-powered siblings, these larger models feature display-style casebacks along with 50 meters (rather than 30 meters) of water resistance. Looking through the window in the casebacks on the larger models reveals Bulgari’s manufacture Caliber BVL 191 “Solotempo” automatic movement, which runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 42 hours.

Given how the new gold Bulgari Bulgari watches largely adhere to the appearance of the original model from the 1970s, these latest additions to the collection feel incredibly familiar, and they almost seem like watches that should already exist somewhere within the brand’s contemporary catalog. However, the majority of the Bulgari Bulgari collection has adopted a noticeably more modern aesthetic over the years, and full gold models were completely absent from both the men’s and women’s sides of the greater Bulgari Bulgari lineup. While the series has always retained its core hallmark traits such as its round case profile and prominently engraved bezel, these new Bulgari Bulgari watches represent a return to the collection’s roots, and they are very much the modern equivalents of the original solid gold Bulgari Bulgari that first debuted in the late 1970s.

Due to the use of 18k gold for the entirety of their cases, the four new Bulgari Bulgari watches are some of the more expensive models currently available within the greater Bulgari Bulgari collection, with the 26mm quartz versions (ref. 103897 and ref. 103966) priced at 8,150 USD, while the larger 38mm models with automatic movements (ref. 103967 and ref. 103968) cost 13,000 USD. Although their designs are largely based upon the original Bulgari Bulgari watch from the 1970s, these new solid-gold models are quite a bit different from the vast majority of the other timepieces that now exist within the collection, and they offer an elevated take on one of the brand’s most famous and enduring designs. For more information on the Bulgari Bulgari watch collection, please visit the brand’s website.